Yosemite Falls Spring, 1983, Silver print, 9.5 x 7.5 inches

Ansel Adams was a renowned American landscape photographer and environmentalist celebrated for his striking black-and-white photographs of the American West. His lifelong dedication to environmental conservation began when he received his first camera at age 12 during a visit to Yosemite National Park. Adams collaborated with the U.S. Department of the Interior to capture national parks, expanding the National Park system and earning the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1980. He played a pivotal role in establishing photography's institutional presence, advising on the Museum of Modern Art's photography department, staging its inaugural exhibition, co-founding Aperture magazine, and establishing the Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona.