Ansel Adams

Ric Burns, brother of Ken, and one of America's best known documentary filmmakers in his own right (The Donner Party [VL-5/93], New York [VL-1/00]), profiles Ansel Adams, one of America's best known photographers. Born in San Francisco in 1902, Adams fell hopelessly in love with Yosemite on his first visit in 1916, a doubly fortuitous trip, since his father also presented him with a very influential gift--a camera. For the rest of his life, Adams would be defined by photography and Yosemite, just as he would come to define Yosemite and American photography, especially during his most productive years from the 1930s through the ‘50s (though he still produced wonderful images right up to his death in 1984). Although most remembered for his photography, Adams not only joined the Sierra Club as a teen but eventually became one of its most outspoken members; he helped the club draft legislation (most notably for the creation of the Kings Canyon National Park), wrote hundreds of letters supporting conservation, and had personal audiences with movers and shakers in the American government, including presidents. His book This is the American Earth appeared in 1959, the same year as Rachel Carson's Silent Spring; together the two gave rise to the modern environmental movement. As you would expect, this production is an eye-candy feast--not just because of the Adams images but also thanks to the gorgeous nature photography and footage of 21st century Yosemite. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: H, C, P. (R. Reagan)