February 20: Birthday of Ansel Adams (1902)
Prayer Idea
Pray for photographers who seek to document this planet and the people who live on it.
History Note
Ansel Adams was born in San Francisco, California, on February 20, 1902. He received most of his education at home from his parents and a tutor. He visited the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco nearly every day it was open.
He made his first visit to Yosemite National Park in 1916. The beauty he saw there captivated him. He returned to Yosemite every year to take photographs.
Ansel Adams met Virginia Best at Yosemite in 1921. Their relationship grew over the next few years, and they married in 1928. They had two children, Michael and Anne.
Though Adams was a talented pianist, photography became his passion. His many photographs of the natural world complemented his interest in conservation. He joined the Sierra Club, a conservation organization, and became its official photographer. He would eventually serve on its board of directors for 37 years.
During World War II, Ansel Adams took photographs for the U.S. government. He photographed Japanese Americans at the Manzanar War Relocation Center. Adams believed that the internment of Japanese Americans was unjust. He hosted an exhibition of his photos and published a book called Born Free and Equal, which were met with public opposition.
Jimmy Carter awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Ansel Adams in 1980 with this description of his life’s work:
At one with the power of the American landscape, and renowned for the patient skill and timeless beauty of his work, photographer Ansel Adams has been visionary in his efforts to preserve this country's wild and scenic areas, both on film and on earth.
Ansel Adams died in 1984.
This photograph by Ansel Adams shows the Snake River with the Grand Tetons in the background. Photo courtesy the National Archives.
Learn More
Watch this video about Ansel Adams’ life and work.
Find examples of Ansel Adams’ work at Homeschool History.
