May 12 through Sept. 3, 2007

George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film presents the largest Ansel Adams exhibition in its six-decade history, featuring many photographs Adams gave personally to the museum. Inspired by the 100th anniversary of the birth of Ansel Adams (1902-1984), George Eastman House revisited its extensive collection of Adams’s work and created an exhibition of 150 photographs that reflects his full career. Ansel Adams: Celebration of Genius opened in Spain and has been touring the United States, breaking attendance records at each venue. Prior to its final destination in 2008 in Scotland, the exhibition comes home to George Eastman House this spring and summer, May 12 through Sept. 3.

In addition to Adams’s iconic black-and-white photographs, two of Adams’s cameras are on view, given personally to Eastman House — his first camera, a Kodak Brownie, as well as his Kodak Vest-Pocket Autographic Special. A close friend of Eastman House, Adams was in attendance at the grand opening of the museum in 1949 and served as an honorary trustee. The Eastman House exhibition includes additional images of Adams’s time in Rochester.

Ansel Adams: Celebration of Genius presents work from the 1920s through the 1960s. Featured are many of Adams’s most famous images of the American West — Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico, 1941, Mount Williamson from Manzanar, California, ca. 1944, and Monolith, the Face of Half Dome, 1927. But prepare to discover equally impressive (if lesser-known) images such as Mud Hills, Arizona or Water and Foam, or the wonderful abstract titled simply, Stained Wallpaper Near Alturas, Calif.

“Adams aspired to convey the power and grandeur of nature in his black-and-white photographs,” said Jeanne Verhulst, associate curator of exhibitions at George Eastman House and curator of Ansel Adams: Celebration of Genius. “He often spent days in the darkroom perfecting his prints. Adams was a master. This exhibition honors the man and celebrates his genius.”

Many may be surprised to see that Adams did not confine himself to landscapes, but also made portraits and other subjects as humble as fence posts into images nearly as monumental as his beloved mountain ranges. Also featured is an early 1927 portfolio of Parmelian prints (gelatin silver emulsion on parchment paper). George Eastman House is pleased to include this portfolio from its collection for the first time.

Exhibition Admission
A special ticket price will be charged for the Ansel Adams exhibition. Admission is $12 adults; $10 seniors (age 60+); $8 students; $3 children ages 5 to 12; and free for children 4 and under. Members are admitted FREE! Click here to join today! Admission to the Ansel Adams exhibition includes admission to the historic house and gardens and other featured exhibitions.

Exhibition Hours
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday;
10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday;
1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday
The exhibition also will be on view 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Labor Day (Sept. 3, the closing day).

In the News

• Rochester's Democrat & Chronicle videos online
• Rochester City Newspaper online
• Channel 13 WHAM news

Related Exhibitions
Pictures for Ansel:
Photography and Environmental Thought
May 12 through Sept. 3, 2007
Ansel Adams is recognized today not only for his aesthetic genius, but for his prescient awareness of the need to conserve our natural resources. Over time, many photographers have helped us reach this understanding, and today the camera remains a potent weapon in this struggle. This selection of images from the George Eastman House collection affirms Ansel Adams's values and pays tribute to his immeasurable contribution to environmental thought. Click here for more information.

Vital Signs: Place
June 2 through Sept. 30, 2007
Designed as a counterpart to Ansel Adams: Celebration of Genius, this exhibition considers depictions of place, particularly urban landscape, that demonstrate the vitality of the landscape genre as it is understood today. Part of a biennial series of contemporary photography featuring the work of emerging artists from around the world, Vital Signs includes both digital and film-based work, color and black-and-white, as well as a video installation. Click here for more information.

Group Tours
Adult, school, and youth group tours are available for Ansel Admas: Celebration of Genius. Cost for adult groups of 20 or more is $8.50 per person. Cost for school groups varies: please contact the Visitor Services Department at (585) 271-3361 ext. 238 for rates.

All groups planning a visit to the Museum are required to book a confirmed reservation in advance through the Visitor Services Department. A minimum of three weeks' advance notice is required to confirm a guided tour.

To book a tour or for more information, please call the the Visitor Services Department at (585) 271-3361 ext. 238 or click here to book your tour online.

Children and Families
A family guide to the exhibition is available in the gallery and can be downloaded here during the run of the exhibition.

Click here to learn more about Ansel Adams.