Moon and Half Dome, Yosemite National Park, California Possibly 1960 - 1980

This photograph, "Moon and Half Dome, Yosemite National Park, California," was made by Ansel Adams, an environmentalist, and photographer. During his lifetime, Adams worked to establish photography as an accepted art form within museum culture. Adams co-founded Group f/64, who advocated for ‘straight photography’ which prized the technical mastery of the medium to produce sharply focused images. But this aesthetic also served political goals. This majestic photograph presents nature as sublime and unspoiled. In doing so, Adams's picture advances a conservationist agenda, encouraging viewers to see the natural world as something worth preserving. Adams made this image at a time of increasing awareness of environmental issues, during the growth of the national park system. Photographs like these can be seen to comment on the social structures of their time, drawing attention to what they believe is worth preserving. Historical research is necessary to understand the role of Adams's photography in shaping our understanding of nature and environmentalism.