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International Art Treasures Web Magazine May 2006 |
Yosemite 1938:
On the Trail with Ansel Adams and Georgia O’Keeffe
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Friends often taken trips together and photograph their memories. Such was the case in 1938, but the photographer was Ansel Adams, and his friends were Georgia O'Keeffe, David McAlpin, and Godfrey and Helen Rockefeller. |
Adams organized the pack trip through the Yosemite National Park. After the trip the photographer created three commemorate handcrafted albums, one for each of the adventurers.
The ten day excursion began on September 11, 1938. Fourteen mules carried the equipment and supplies. The nights could chill quickly, especially given the friends climbed to 10,000 feet and camped near Tuolumne Pass.
The notoriously upbeat Adams described it as a “prime adventure” for all. Ansel Adams liked to rise early to capture the dawn’s light. They journeyed from base camp during the day or moved to their next campsite. Dinner was usually scheduled for after sunset, to allow for more photography at dusk.
Title: Untitled (Water Over Rock), c. 1938
Artist: Ansel Adams (American, 1902-1984)
Medium: Black and white photograph
National Museum of Wildlife Art, Jackson Hole, WY,
Gift of Sarah S. and David H. McAlpin
Image Courtesy: The Carnegie Museum of Art
Adams was inspired by this trip. He wrote of it in his autobiography, “O’Keeffe loved campfires and would stand close to them in her voluminous black cape, her remarkable features and her dark hair gleaming in the flickering light. She never seemed bored or tired and enjoyed every moment of the trip.”
Title: Cathedral Peak, c. 1938
Artist: Ansel Adams (American, 1902-1984)
Medium: Black and White Photograph
National Museum of Wildlife Art, Jackson Hole, WY,
Gift of Sarah S. and David H. McAlpin
Image Courtesy: The Carnegie Museum of Art
The exhibition displays photographs from the pages of these journals. It features some of Adams' best-known nature images and provides an intimate look at this memorable group of friends.
Yosemite 1938
Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh:
June 24 - September 3, 2006