Ansel Adams US, 1902-1984

Ansel Adams was the most important American landscape photographer of the 20^th century. He might also be the most widely known and respected of all American photographers, whose legend continues through books and television documentaries, and through the prevalent reproduction of his work on calendars, posters, postcards and other ephemera.

Adams's professional life was dedicated to capturing through his lens the forgotten and unspoiled wilderness of America's national parks and other protected conservation areas in the West. He was a committed environmentalist and nothing short of an icon for the 20th century conservation movement.

Adams and his friend and colleague Edward Weston founded Group f/64  whose commitment to the idea of a pure, or "higher", photography helped shape the history of early-to-mid 20^th century modernism and secured photography's place - as fine art - within it.

Adams himself was a highly accomplished technician. He published books - or manuals - on the technical aspects of photography and he used his own portfolios to help lobby politicians for the creation and upkeep of American National Parks.