Ansel Adams Iconic, Vintage & Connoisseur Prints

A N S E L A D A M S I C O N I C , V I N TA G E & C O N N O I S S E U R P R I N T S

ANSEL ADAMS (1902-1984), photographing from his car in Yosemite National Park around 1942. Photo by Cedric Wright.

Front Cover: WINTER SUNRISE, SIERRA NEVADA FROM LONE PINEOriginal print, 16 x 20 inches, Signed and in Excellent condition.

Ansel Adams ICONIC, VINTAGE and CONNOISSEUR PRINTS | 1

ANSEL ADAMSICONIC, VINTAGE & CONNOISSEUR PRINTS

The Ansel Adams GalleryVillage Mall, Yosemite National Park, CA 95389

(888) 238-9244 www.anseladams.com

2 | Ansel Adams ICONIC, VINTAGE and CONNOISSEUR PRINTS

ANSEL ADAMS is in large part the embodiment of a true American artist: traipsing

around the wilderness, with an adventurous spirit, donning a Stetson, and utilizing

technology to advance his craft, all the while in a quest for intrinsic light like a modern

day frontiersman. In his imagery, we can identity the prominent paradigm of The West,

conservation and transcendentalism, which has vivid roots in society. The final photographic

prints themselves are a triumph of painstaking dedication to craft and self, as well as a

testament to the merit of the pursuit of happiness.

On the pages that follow is a showcase of photographic prints, hand made by the artist to

his exacting standards and taste, the examples of which span a career which has few rivals.

Made between the 1920s and 1970s, these prints are being offered through The Ansel

Adams Gallery from a variety of collections, including that of the artist’s daughter Anne

Adams Helms, and the artist’s wife, Virginia Best Adams. Alongside connoisseur pieces

are offerings of vintage prints and rare versions from Ansel’s oeuvre that accent a unique

anthology. In your own pursuit of intrinsic light, we invite you to study these selections with

visual acuity and enjoy them to their very fullest.

~Evan Russel, Curator of The Ansel Adams Gallery

Ansel Adams ICONIC IMAGES | 3

NEVADA FALL, RAINBOWOriginal print, 20 x 16 inches,

Signed and in Excellent condition.Provenance: Collection of Alison Mayhew.

4 | Ansel Adams ICONIC IMAGES


Opposite: TETONS AND THE SNAKE RIVEROriginal print, 16 x 20 inches, Unsigned and in Excellent condition.Provenance: Collection of Matthew Adams.

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

~Ansel Adams



Opposite: CLEARING WINTER STORMOriginal print, 16 x 20 inches, Signed and in Excellent condition. Provenance: Collection of Sylvia Mayhew.

DOGWOOD BLOSSOMSOriginal print, 10 x 8 inches, Signed and in Pristine condition.


LEAF, GLACIER BAY NATIONAL MONUMENTOriginal print, 7 x 9 inches, Signed and in Excellent condition. Provenance: Collection of Anne Adams Helms.


IN JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL MONUMENTOriginal print, 8 x 10 inches, Signed and in Excellent condition.



Opposite: ARCHES, MISSION SAN XAVIER DEL BACOriginal print, 16 x 20 inches, Signed and in Very Good condition.Provenance: Collection of Alison Mayhew.

“You don’t take a photograph, you make it.”~Ansel Adams


MERCED RIVER, CLIFFS, AUTUMNOriginal print, 16 x 20 inches, Signed and in Excellent condition.


OAK TREE, SUNSET CITYOriginal print, 7.25 x 8.5 inches, Signed and in Pristine condition.

“This

photograph

was made in

late autumn

on a chilly

morning when

the air was

crystal clear

and still and

the silence

impressive.”

~Ansel Adams



Opposite: NOON CLOUDS, GLACIER NATIONAL PARKOriginal print, 8 x 10 inches, Signed and in Very Good condition.

“The clouds are the cool voices of the sky and winds.”

~Ansel Adams


CATHEDRAL PEAK AND LAKEOriginal print, 8 x 10 inches, Signed and in Excellent condition.


SUNDOWN, THE PACIFICOriginal print, 20 x 16 inches,

Signed and in Very Good condition.

18 | Ansel Adams VINTAGE PRINTS

Ansel Adams VINTAGE PRINTS | 19

VINTAGE PRINTS

VINTAGE photographs by Ansel Adams

date back as far as the 1920s, and are generally

defined as photographs printed within five years

of when the negative was made. Included in

this selection are some of his finest examples,

many of which are in Excellent or Pristine

condition. Collectors value his early “vintage”

prints for their visual aesthetic and ingenuity,

and it has been suggested that photographs

printed within a few years of their negative

date are closest to his original vision.

Ansel Adams first visited Yosemite National

Park in 1916, and every year thereafter.

He was captivated and mesmerized by its

grandeur and stunning beauty. His passion

and talent in photography were evident

from the very beginning, and those early

photographs show an extraordinary awareness

of his surroundings. It was, however, through

tireless hours of honing his craft over the

course of his lifetime that would establish

his preeminence as a photographer.

The earliest vintage prints are some of Ansel’s

most modern. They exemplify a transition from

the standard pictorialism in photography at that

time to “straight photography.” This aesthetic

of depicting a scene or form in sharp focus

and detail would become a hallmark of Ansel’s

photography, further distinguishing this form

of art from other visual media. Together, these

“vintage” photographs represent the beginning

of a career that would have a profound impact

on the world of photography and modern art.


BANNER PEAK, THOUSAND ISLAND LAKE, from Parmelian Prints of the High Sierra (1923)Original Vintage print, 6 x 8 inches, Signed on print verso and in Excellent condition. Provenance: Collection of the Goddard Family.


“With Best Wishes to the GoddardsHoping that this will in a small way suggest

the glories of the High Sierra.” Banner Peak, Thousand Island Lake Inscription on print verso

in Ansel Adams’ handwriting.


MIRROR LAKE, MOUNT WATKINS (1927)Original Vintage print, 6 x 8 inches, Signed “Ansel E Adams” and in Pristine condition.


JUNIPER from Sierra Club Outing portfolio (1930)Original Vintage print, 8 x 6 inches,

Signed “Ansel E Adams” and in Excellent condition. (1 of 8 prints of this image known to exist.)



Opposite: DOWN BISHOP PASS, from Sierra Club Outing portfolio (1930)Original Vintage print, 6.5 x 8.5 inches, Signed “Ansel E Adams” and in Pristine condition.(1 of 8 prints of this image known to exist.)

IN 1930, Ansel Adams and a number of his friends and colleagues from the Sierra Club went on an adventure, told in a series of extraordinary photographs that would not only chronicle history, but would become history.

“Down Bishop Pass” is one of only a few prints known to exist of this image. It is a rare vintage photograph in “Pristine” condition, reminiscent of the westward expansion of the American frontier … and a romantic allegory to the American spirit.


THE SENTINEL, from Parmelian Prints of the High Sierra (1923)Original Vintage print, 6 x 8 inches, Signed and in Excellent condition.


“I am sure the next step will be the electronic image, and I hope I shall live to see it. I trust that the creative eye will continue to function, whatever

technological innovations may develop.”~Ansel Adams


ALFRED STIEGLITZ, WRITING ONCE A YEAR (1938) Original Vintage print, 6 x 8 inches, Signed and in Good condition. Provenance: Collection of Dorothy Norman and Philadelphia Museum.


ALFRED STIEGLITZ, AT AN AMERICAN PLACE (1938)

Original Vintage print, 8 x 6 inches, Signed and in Good condition.

Provenance: Collection of Dorothy Norman and Philadelphia Museum.


ON THE HEIGHTS, from Parmelian Prints of the High Sierra (1927)Original Vintage print, 6 x 8 inches, Signed and in Excellent condition.


Barely visible on the rock

formation in the center

known as “The Diving

Board” is Virginia Best,

Ansel Adams’ future

wife. This photograph

was made on the same

day as “Monolith, The

Face of Half Dome,”

which would also be

included in Ansel’s first

portfolio: the Parmelian

Prints of the High Sierra,

published in 1927.

OAK TREE, WINTER (1930) Original Vintage print, 8 x 6 inches, Signed “Ansel E Adams” and in Excellent condition.

32 | Ansel Adams CONNOISSEUR PRINTS

Ansel Adams CONNOISSEUR PRINTS | 33

“CONNOISSEUR” refers to

prints which are particularly outstanding

or truly exceptional in their own right.

These prints stand out for their superb

quality, technical versatility, subtleties

in tonal value and luminosity, spanning

the entire career of Ansel Adams.

In today’s world dominated by digital

technology and mass production, it is

sometimes difficult to remember that even

a technical art form such as photography

once required individually hand producing

each print. A slight variation at any

point in the process, especially in the

burning and dodging, would result in a

different outcome. Thus explains Ansel’s

widely quoted phrase “the negative is the

score, the print is the performance”.

Even after decades of experience, not

every performance met his standards.

It was not unheard of for Ansel to

destroy fully developed prints because

of a previously unseen flaw, problem

with chemicals, or an adjustment to

the enlarging lens. On the other hand,

some prints were absolutely magical

in their perfection. The “Connoisseur

Prints” are those rare examples.

CONNOISSEUR PRINTS



SELF PORTRAIT, MONUMENT VALLEYOriginal print, 14 x 10 inches, Signed and in Excellent condition.

Provenance: Collection of Virginia Best Adams.

Opposite: MOONRISE, HERNANDEZ (1941) Original Vintage print, 16 x 20 inches, Signed and in Very Good condition. Provenance: Collection of Carl Wheat.


MANNEQUINS, MOVIE LOTOriginal print, 16 x 20 inches, Signed and in Pristine condition.


“The negative is the equivalent of the composer’s score, and the print the performance.”

~Ansel Adams



ICICLES, AHWAHNEE HOTEL (1930)Original Vintage print, 9 x 7 inches,

Unsigned and in Excellent condition.Provenance: Collection of Wynn and Edna Bullock.

Opposite: TREE, STUMP, AND MIST, NORTHERN CASCADES Original print, 11 x 14 inches, Signed and in Excellent condition.



Opposite: BUDDHIST CEMETERY, MAUI, HAWAIIOriginal print, 11 x 14 inches, Signed and in Excellent condition.Provenance: Collection of Virginia Best Adams.

“When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate,

I shall be content with silence.”~Ansel Adams


THE BLACK GIANT, from Sierra Club Outing portfolio (1930) Original Vintage print, 6 x 8 inches, signed “Ansel E Adams” and in Pristine condition.


MOTH AND STUMP, INTERGLACIAL FOREST, GLACIER BAY

NATIONAL MONUMENT Original print, 10 x 8 inches,

Signed and in Excellent condition.



“The Ansel I knew was funny, sweet, charming, full of laughter and jokes, addicted to work, unable to hurt anyone’s feelings, thought the best of everyone until proven otherwise. He was a very modest man, yet in a group he was the natural center of attention. He dedicated his life to the highest ideals, and I believe that his nobility of spirit is reflected in his photographs. Alfred Stieglitz expressed a sentiment that many who knew Ansel shared when he wrote, “It’s good for me to know that Ansel Adams is loose somewhere in this world of ours.” Ansel no longer climbs Half Dome or strides the High Sierra, but his presence resonates in every one of his photographs.”

~Andrea G. Stillman


ALFRED STIEGLITZ, AT AN AMERICAN PLACE . . . . . . . . .29

ALFRED STIEGLITZ, WRITING ONCE A YEAR . . . . . . . . . .28

ARCHES, MISSION SAN XAVIER DEL BAC . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

BANNER PEAK, THOUSAND ISLAND LAKE . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

BUDDHIST CEMETERY, MAUI, HAWAII . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

CATHEDRAL PEAK AND LAKE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

CLEARING WINTER STORM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

DOGWOOD BLOSSOMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

DOWN BISHOP PASS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

FERRY BOAT AND PIER, BAY BRIDGE . . . . . . . . Back Cover

ICICLES, AHWAHNEE HOTEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

IN JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL MONUMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

JUNIPER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

LEAF, GLACIER BAY NATIONAL MONUMENT . . . . . . . . . . . 8

MANNEQUINS, MOVIE LOT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

MERCED RIVER, CLIFFS, AUTUMN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

MIRROR LAKE, MOUNT WATKINS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

MOONRISE, HERNANDEZ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

MOTH AND STUMP, INTERGLACIAL FOREST . . . . . . . . . . .43

NEVADA FALL, RAINBOW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

NOON CLOUDS, GLACIER NATIONAL PARK . . . . . . . . . . .14

OAK TREE, SUNSET CITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

OAK TREE, WINTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

ON THE HEIGHTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

SELF PORTRAIT, MONUMENT VALLEY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

SUNDOWN, THE PACIFIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

TETONS AND THE SNAKE RIVER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

THE BLACK GIANT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

THE SENTINEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

TREE, STUMP, AND MIST, NORTHERN CASCADES . . . . . . .38

WINTER SUNRISE, SIERRA NEVADA . . . . . . . . . . Front Cover

IMAGE INDEX


SPRING 2016President: Matthew Adams

Director, Fine Art Sales: Brittany MoorefieldCurator: Evan Russel

Gallery Manager: Kate DeWaardDirector, E-Commerce: William Garnsey

Back Cover: FERRY BOAT AND PIER, BAY BRIDGEOriginal print, 20 x 16 inches, Signed and in Very Good condition.Provenance: Collection of the American Trust Company.

The Ansel Adams GalleryVillage MallYosemite National Park, CA 95389(888) 238-9244 www.anseladams.com

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Ansel Adams Iconic, Vintage & Connoisseur Prints