226 Ansel Adams National Park Photographs Now Online at National Archives

The National Archives has made available online 226 photographs by Ansel Adams taken for a 1941 commission by the National Park Service. The project, intended for a photo mural in the Department of the Interior Building in Washington, D.C., was halted due to World War II and never completed. The images, now freely viewable and available for print orders, capture iconic landscapes including Yosemite, Zion, Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde, Grand Teton, Yellowstone, and others. The article also recounts the problematic history of Yosemite's 'discovery' in 1851 by the Mariposa Battalion, which forcibly displaced Native Americans, and the naming of Yosemite based on a misunderstanding. Adams, who was inspired by James Hutchings's book 'In the Heart of the Sierras,' photographed national parks throughout his career and became a vocal advocate for environmental protection. In a 1983 Playboy interview, he lamented that only 2.5% of U.S. land was protected and criticized the government for opposing conservation efforts. The photographs are part of the National Archives' collection and can be accessed online.