The 86 black and white images in this book reflect dozens of visits by Ansel Adams to the Southwest over more than 50 years. Adams liked what he saw, and felt that "this land is offering me a tremendous opportunity; no one has really photographed it." This volume has two weakneses. The images are often too small to accurately reproduce the detail that Adams intended us to see in the foregrounds and backgrounds, and many are over inked. Second, the introduction by William A. Turnage is not up to his usual standards. He makes a number of strange assertions such as that Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico, 1941 (poorly reproduced in this volume) is "beyond doubt, his most famous photograph." Hmmm. What do you think? In other places though, Turnage adds interesting details about Adams' introduction to the Southwest and the influence on his photography of Paul Strand.
The book contains many letters from Adams about his experiences in taking the photographs, including many near disasters with his station wagon breaking down. One of the really interesting ones is to Patsy England in 1936 in which he says that in many ways the "Carlsbad Caverns are symbolic of my life; beautiful and exquisite things that exist only in the light of the moment." That may be the finest characterization of Adams' work that I have read.
Here are my favorite images (as reproduced here) in this book:
Saint Francis Church, Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico, c. 1929
Monument Valley, Arizona, 1937
Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Arizona, 1942
Georgia O'Keeffe and Orville Cox, Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Arizona, 1937
White House Ruin, Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Arizona, 1941
Big Room, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico, 1942
Burro Mesa and the Chisos Mountains, Big Bend National Park, Texas, 1942
Farm, Autumn, near Glendale, Utah, c. 1940
Tree Against Cliff, Zion National Park, Utah, 1947
In Cedar Breaks National Monument, Utah, 1947
Manly Beacon, Death Valley National Park, California, c. 1952
Grand Canyon from Yavapai Point, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, 1942
Grand Canyon from Yavapai Point (Bright Angel Canyon), Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, 1942
After you have finished reading about Ansel Adams' adventures and learning in the Southwest, I urge you to take your own driving trip through this beautiful country. Be sure to visit the spots that Adams did. I also suggest that you be sure to add Sedona in Arizona, Mesa Verde, the Meteorite Crater in Arizona, Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesen West in Scottsdale, and the Navajo reservation to the areas depicted here.
See the most beautiful places you can as often as possible! The beauty will seep into your soul.
