Adams's woodie wagon [Archive] - Large Format Photography Forum

Mark Sampson

8-Apr-2009, 06:03

There's a well-known photograph of Ansel Adams in Yosemite, perched with his 8x10 camera on top of a Cadillac woodie staion wagon. Probably taken by Cedric Wright around 1950. The image was used, at poster size, as a room divider at the Adams retrospective at the Boston MFA 2-3 years back, if anyone remembers.
Anyone know where I can find that photo on the Net?

vinny

8-Apr-2009, 06:15

google ansel adams' woody
is this it?
http://www.anseladams.org/anadonwostwa.html

Mark Sampson

8-Apr-2009, 06:48

Thanks Vinny-
I didn't think it would be that obvious.
It snowed here last night, and when I opened the hatch of my car this morning, the weight caused the hatch to slowly collapse down on my head. So I was thinking of better days...

Bill_1856

8-Apr-2009, 08:36

It's a Pontiac Silver Streak, not a Caddy.

BarryS

8-Apr-2009, 09:09

I googled Ansel Adams' woody, but got an entirely different result. :) Not many people know, but Ansel could get on top of that station wagon barreling down the highway and get off a couple of shots before he had to slip back down to steer.

Mark Sampson

8-Apr-2009, 09:17

Thanks, Bill, he references a Cadillac in some of his writing from that time. That must have come later- obviously Adams was involved with cars like he was with cameras, or perhaps he just used them up quickly. Roads were bad in the west then... A photo in his autobiography shows the load-up of a '39? Pontiac wagon, the one in the postcard image is obviously late '40s vintage.

venchka

8-Apr-2009, 10:07

Working from memory...

The Cadillac was an ex-funeral home vehicle. 1956 maybe? I've also seen a photo of him on the roof of an International Carry All-Travel All. Not sure of the designation-the big International Suburban-like clone.

sanchi heuser

8-Apr-2009, 11:19

Glenn Thoreson

8-Apr-2009, 11:49

The International was dubbed "Travelall". I used to have one. I never had any inclination to stand on the roof, though. :D

cowanw

8-Apr-2009, 11:53

Yes, probably one of his easier stunts:o

Not like he needed to take a meter reading.;)
Regards
Bill

Deane Johnson

8-Apr-2009, 14:49

I think his old Cadillac limo was prone to breaking axles. As a result, he reportedly carried a spare axle for it.

I think he slept overnight on top of the Pontiac Woody for the Winter Sunrise from Lone Pine shot.

One of his assistants, perhaps Alan Ross, was joking once about Ansel pushing the big foreground rocks in Mt Williamson into place for the shot with his Caddy limo.

John Jarosz

8-Apr-2009, 16:08

On page 63 of "Camera and Lens" (First revised edition 1970, Third printing Sep 1973) is a picture of him on the Travelall. He says it's made of a single piece of aluminum diamondplate and "has been used on 4 previous cars."
So I guess the question is: Which car are you looking for? :-)

John

BrianShaw

8-Apr-2009, 16:17

http://binrock.net/permanent/2008/0123_new_atv/ansel_adams2.jpg

http://www.lulu.com/items/volume_1/59000/59605/1/preview/320_59605.jpg

Doug Dolde

8-Apr-2009, 17:33

Adams's woodie? Maybe he was photographing Petronio's models :)

Arthur Nichols

8-Apr-2009, 18:30

Finally someone responds to the obvious

Eric Woodbury

8-Apr-2009, 18:38

Here's an interesting car in the collection. I bet this baby would fly in the wind.

This image was made by Al Weber just before this car was sold. I'm sure that Al Weber has this image copy written, so don't even think about it. All rights reserved.

PenGun

8-Apr-2009, 20:49

The International was dubbed "Travelall". I used to have one. I never had any inclination to stand on the roof, though. :D

I had a 69. You could pogo on that roof. Supports every foot or so. I once dared a Suburban owner to do what I did. His roof caved bad.

I used that thing as scaffolding when I built houses.

dsphotog

9-Apr-2009, 00:06

As a kid, traveling with my parents, we were having a roadside picnic, & saw a man, dressed kinda scruffy.
My mom said "It looks like he lives in his car." She gave him a sandwich.
Years later I saw that picture of Ansel & his platform equip car....Yup, It was him!
David Silva
Modesto, Ca

Bill_1856

9-Apr-2009, 08:58

Jerry Bodine

9-Apr-2009, 10:57

I think it was 1971 when Ansel and I were riding in his car. It was a brown Ford sedan, no roof rack, but still had the Zone V license plate. I asked him about the Travelall, he just said it had become too hard to steer. I guessed it was a 4wd vehicle w/o power steering. Then I recalled that Al Weber told me Ansel was coping with arthritis, so I dropped the subject. At the time I had a '69 Land Rover with no shock in the steering linkage, and I knew that one had to be careful if a front wheel hit a big rock or chuck hole the steering wheel might spin, leading to broken fingers/hand by the spokes.

mikebarger

9-Apr-2009, 18:04

Jerry I was crossing railroad tracks, not at a crossing, in an army five quarter (showing my age) and the steering wheel spun from lock to lock at about 100mph when I went over each rail.

Sure glad I wasn't resting my hand through one of the spokes.

Mike

Keith S. Walklet

10-Apr-2009, 11:22

Although, he describes it as a well-used 1946 Cadillac, the late Don Worth sent me a note a year or so ago where he recalled Ansel's logic regarding the color scheme of that vehicle.

..."he had two theories in mind: black would make his auto clearly visible to other drivers in a snowy landscape, and the white top would make it equally visible on dark, rainy days or at dusk. In addition to that, the white would reflect the heat on sunny days."

Also, a bit of Yosemite trivia, (not from Don) was that there used to be a Cadillac dealership in Yosemite Valley.

John Powers

10-Apr-2009, 12:33

And what can we buy today that will allow us on the roof, have reasonable mileage, comfort, reliable, with good storage for our gear? I ended up with a Toyota Highlander four years ago for all the other features, but it will only take 150 pounds on the roof. I'm 216 lbs. and 7x17, tripod and head are 43 lbs.

John

darr

10-Apr-2009, 12:44

John,

I've got an FJ Cruiser and I'll bet I could have a platform made. I do not take it out other than in marshes right now and shoot out the window most. But, when I look at Ansel's vechicles, I smile and wonder.

BTW everyone, I bought one of these in 11x14" from the Wisconsin Historical Society (http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/):

http://images.wisconsinhistory.org/700005060067/0506000746-l.jpg

Keith S. Walklet

10-Apr-2009, 13:23

Neat! Looks to be the road by Bixby Bridge?

Bill_1856

10-Apr-2009, 15:06

I bought a Toyota Tundra pickup truck, and carried a very stable 8' ladder with a large tool platform on it to set up in the bed. It worked really well, except that I've finally become too decrepit to climb up into the pickup bed, much less up the ladder.
Just traded it for a Prius (went from 12 mpg to 52 mpg), and miss the hell out of being able to shoot over fences, bushes, etc.

Frank Petronio

10-Apr-2009, 18:37

My goodness that looks like he is using a Gitzo 5 with the wings? I thought he was a David & Sanford man.

FWIW I stand on top of my Xterra all the time, I try to stay on the rack but my fat 220 lbs doesn't dent it.

Ivan J. Eberle

11-Apr-2009, 18:04

My 162K mile V-6 Xterra has been a real peach in the 4-1/2 years I've had it (got it just as it turned over 100K). Not one major component has required repair/replacement yet. On actual gasoline like I find over in WY (not running the CA ethanol junk), I get an honest 22 MPG if I keep it under 65MPH, not bad for 4WD with 4.10 gears.

Just has the standard factory aluminum roof rack, only rated to 100lbs or so, but it's reportedly only the plastic feet that bolt to the roof that account for the low weight rating. Somewhere in my bookmarks I've got a link to all aluminum and/or steel racks for it that'd be just the ticket. I've also got a new acetylene torch :-)

Frank Petronio

11-Apr-2009, 18:19

I stand directly on the roof itself too.

I put Yakima crossbars on it for kayaks and such, the factory bars are mostly cosmetic

bigdog

13-Apr-2009, 07:44

I bought a Toyota Tundra pickup truck, and carried a very stable 8' ladder with a large tool platform on it to set up in the bed. It worked really well, except that I've finally become too decrepit to climb up into the pickup bed, much less up the ladder.

:(

I had always dreamed of having an "Ansel Adams" car when I retire. But I may end up suffering the same fate as Bill. :eek:

Jim Galli

13-Apr-2009, 09:40

This has been a fun thread. To this day I don't hesitate to climb up on my fiberglass camper shell on the 4X4 Ranger for an Adams-esque shot. I'm over 200 lbs these days and haven't fallen through so far. I realize that's like saying 'I've smoked them all my life and I ain't dead yet!'

I think it's fun that Ansel was just as bad an equipment junkie in his day as I am in mine.

Andrew O'Neill

13-Apr-2009, 12:25

Darr, Looking at that photo of Ansel on top of his car, I got to wondering if Virginia was inside at the wheel...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H59VJgYoP3o

Sorry...couldn't resist :D

darr

13-Apr-2009, 13:37

Darr, Looking at that photo of Ansel on top of his car, I got to wondering if Virginia was inside at the wheel...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H59VJgYoP3o

Sorry...couldn't resist :D

Hah, Hah!! :p

Andrew O'Neill

13-Apr-2009, 14:51

I did my best impersonation of AA...maybe I sound a bit too old.

Bill_1856

13-Apr-2009, 15:59

Darr, Looking at that photo of Ansel on top of his car, I got to wondering if Virginia was inside at the wheel...
:D

No, she was probably working back at Best's Studio, making the car payments for him and raising their kids.

Andrew O'Neill

13-Apr-2009, 16:30

Probably. How well would he have faired without Virginia, eh?

Ralph Barker

14-Apr-2009, 07:04

Andrew O'Neill

14-Apr-2009, 15:00

I thought about having a climactic crash at the end but decided to leave it a mystery...

Alan Curtis

14-Apr-2009, 15:46

In the mid 50's when Ansel visited New Mexico, he would often photograph with my father, we lived in Alamogordo, NM. I had the thrill of running around on the roof platform of his car. I remember the roof platform not Ansel. I don't know if it was the woody or some other car. I was about 7 or 8 at the time.