About Ansel Adams
American · 1902–1984
- landscape painting
a pianist turned photographer who got his first camera at fourteen in Yosemite and spent a lifetime preserving what his grandfather's lumber business cut down
Museums10
Countries4
Most worksNational Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. · 92 works
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Where to see Ansel Adams
Ranked by works you can see in person.
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92 worksNational Gallery of Art
Washington D.C., United States
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3 worksCleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, United States
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2 works
Museum of Modern Art
New York City, United States
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2 works
Metropolitan Museum of Art
New York City, United States
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1 works
National Archives at College Park
College Park, United States
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1 works
The Phillips Collection
Washington D.C., United States
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1 works
Israel Museum
Jerusalem, Israel
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1 works
collection of the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal
Montreal, Canada
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1 works
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Los Angeles, United States
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1 works
National Gallery of Australia
Canberra, Australia
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Ansel Adams start photography?
Ansel Adams got his first camera at fourteen, during a family trip to Yosemite in 1916. It was a Kodak No. 1 Box Brownie.Why did Ansel Adams become a photographer?
Ansel Adams's first camera came at fourteen, during a family trip to Yosemite in 1916. The camera was a Kodak No. 1 Box Brownie. He was later introduced to the painter Harry Best, and he would spend summers as caretaker of the Sierra Club's Yosemite lodge.Who was Ansel Adams inspired by?
In 1930, Ansel Adams met the photographer Paul Strand in New Mexico and saw negatives of a clarity and tonal richness that made Pictorialism, the soft-focus style still dominant, look evasive.How did Ansel Adams get into photography?
Ansel Adams's first camera came at fourteen, during a family trip to Yosemite in 1916. A park ranger introduced him to the landscape painter Harry Best.What is Ansel Adams best known for?
Ansel Adams is known as the most popular photographer in America. His photographs of Yosemite, the Sierra Nevada and the Southwest are inseparable from the conservation movement they helped build.Ansel Adams art movement?
In 1930, Ansel Adams met photographer Paul Strand and committed to sharp focus and a full tonal range. He co-founded Group f/64, named after the smallest aperture on a large-format lens, which produces maximum depth of field.
Sources
Where to See guide aggregates verified holdings of Ansel Adams's works across the following collections.
- [1] museum National Archives at College Park Used for: museum holdings.
- [2] museum Cleveland Museum of Art Used for: museum holdings.
- [3] museum National Gallery of Art Used for: museum holdings.
- [4] museum Museum of Modern Art Used for: museum holdings.
- [5] museum The Phillips Collection Used for: museum holdings.
- [6] museum Israel Museum Used for: museum holdings.
- [7] book Ansel Adams; Beaumont Newhall; Nancy Newhall; Louise Dahl-Wolfe; Aaron Siskind; Richard Avedon; Harry Callahan; Lee Friedlander; Tina Modotti; W. Eugene Smith; Paul Strand; Edward Weston; Garry Winogrand; Amy Rule, Ansel Adams; Beaumont Newhall; Nancy Newhall; Louise Dahl-Wolfe; Aaron Siskind; Richard Avedon; Harry Callahan; Lee Friedlander; Tina Modotti; W. Eugene Smith; Paul Strand; Edward Weston; Garry Winogrand; Amy Rule - Original sources _ art and ar Used for: biography.
- [8] book Beard, Lee, 1973- author, Butler, Adam, author; Van Cleave, Claire, author; Fortenberry, Diane, author; Stirling, Susan, author, Beard, Lee, 1973- author, Butler, Adam, author; Van Cleave, Claire, author; Fortenberry, Diane, author; Stirling, Susan, author - The Art Book_ New Edition, Mini Format Used for: biography.
- [9] book Carol Strickland and John Boswell, The Annotated Mona Lisa Used for: biography.
Editorial overseen by Solis Prints. Sources verified 2026-07-15. Click a source for details, or hover over [N] in the page above to preview.
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