The Photographic Legacy of Ansel Adams

“A true photograph need not be explained, nor can it be contained in words.” –Ansel Adams

Renowned photographer Ansel Adams is undeniably among the great names associated with our national parks and conservation in America. His work with the National Park Service and the Sierra Club greatly influenced his artistry (and vice versa!), resulting in some of the most iconic park images to date.

Most commonly known for his photos of Yosemite National Park, it was Adams’ 1927 “Monolith, the Face of Half Dome” that propelled his career as both a commercial photographer and an artist. His talent forever redefined photography as an art form in its own right.

Though Adams was deeply committed to furthering the preservation movement, his passion for advocacy did not end there. He was known as a polarizing and controversial figure who sought to affect social and political change in his time.

Ansel Adams, courtesy of NPS

During World War II, Adams visited and photographed the internment camp in Manzanar, California (now known as Manzanar National Historic Site). The experience opened his eyes to the injustices being waged against Japanese Americans – an unpopular sentiment among a nation at war.

Toward the end of his life, as Adams looked back on his trips to Manzanar, he felt that “…from a social point of view that’s the most important thing I’ve done or can do, as far as I know.”

As we look to the future and welcome the next century of the National Park Service, we celebrate the contributions of the man who captured the imaginations of a nation through his art. His photography inspired wanderlust and curiosity, and it furthered the causes he so passionately supported.

Canyon De Chelly National Monument Ansel Adams, courtesy of the National Archives

McDonald Lake at Glacier National Park Ansel Adams, courtesy of the National Archives

Grand Teton National Park Ansel Adams, courtesy of the National Archives

We will long remember the importance of Ansel Adams’ artistry in immortalizing on film our national triumphs and tribulations. Be it the dedication of Kings Canyon National Park in 1940, for which he had ardently advocated, or his photo-documentation of Manzanar, his legacy for telling our national stories through his imagery will live on.

If his life’s work moves you to pick up a camera and go exploring, find creative inspiration in any of the national parks featured in our free owner’s guides series.