Ansel Adams Portrait Session

[David Lindquist]

Correct, Ansel Adams is not a UC Berkeley alumnus. I photographed him receiving his Honorary Degree at the Charter Day Ceremony in 1961.

Thank you Merg for confirming that Ansel Adams did receive an honorary degree.

David

[Drew Wiley]

Interesting. But an honorary degree would still give him the same privileges and crowing rights. Things sure changed on that Campus a few years later! - time for photojournalists and combat photographers instead. I still remember the dents in my car from the rubber shotgun slugs just driving by, and the crop-duster type helicopters spraying tear gas, and worse, much worse. Wasn't it one of AA's former assistants, Pirkle Jones, who did some notable local photography during that turbulent era? I've seen his Black Panthers work.

[David Lindquist]

Interesting. But an honorary degree would still give him the same privileges and crowing rights. Things sure changed on that Campus a few years later! - time for photojournalists and combat photographers instead. I still remember the dents in my car from the rubber shotgun slugs just driving by, and the crop-duster type helicopters spraying tear gas, and worse, much worse. Wasn't it one of AA's former assistants, Pirkle Jones, who did some notable local photography during that turbulent era? I've seen his Black Panthers work.

To be sure. Wouldn't be surprised if the privileges included periodic letters asking for monetary contributions. And an honorary degree would have a certain cachet that my BS, 1966 (bad year to run out your student deferment) and MPH, 1972, don't have. I'm fortunate to have had the opportunity to attend that institution; I had some rich experiences. On the other hand my alma mater hasn't always done things that elicit a warm fuzzy feeling.

I think it's in his autobiography that Adams comments that the University of California could have had first dibs on his archive but showed a lack of interest so they went to the University of Arizona.

David

[Drew Wiley]

I thought I had a secure deferment. But then somebody threw a molotov cocktail into the records room and burned up all the paper files. It took about a year in those punchcard days to get a duplicate printout of my legit status as a student. However, even though nobody had home computers back then, the local draft board accused me of forging my printouts! I won't go into all the further messy details, but eventually I landed on another deferment.

I don't think AA would be too thrilled with the present direction of the UC Arts program. But if you want to see classic old (or even new) real film flicks for twenty bucks a pop, and where they serve wine, instead of the two dollar and fifty cent old storefront venue down the street with sodas and popcorn instead, well, that's the place to go. I think the traditional old venue down the street is now gone, but there's something similar across town. We never went back to that neighborhood after mice went running across the table in the restaurant next door. I'm sure the new UC venue is quite rodent free, but it's rather artistically sterile in my opinion, at least still-photography-wise, in the lobby itself. Academic creativity tends to be very predictable creativity - how to please your degree sponsor.

[Merg Ross]

I think it's in his autobiography that Adams comments that the University of California could have had first dibs on his archive but showed a lack of interest so they went to the University of Arizona.

David

David, it is my understanding that Ansel had a good working relationship with Clark Kerr, president of the university from 1958-1967. Plans were afoot for Ansel's archive to eventually reside at the University of California. However, with the political unrest surrounding the university in the 1960's, Kerr was dismissed by the regents in 1967. With his departure, no further effort was made to obtain Ansel's archive.

[David Lindquist]

David, it is my understanding that Ansel had a good working relationship with Clark Kerr, president of the university from 1958-1967. Plans were afoot for Ansel's archive to eventually reside at the University of California. However, with the political unrest surrounding the university in the 1960's, Kerr was dismissed by the regents in 1967. With his departure, no further effort was made to obtain Ansel's archive.

And of course that relationship led to Ansel's doing the photographic project for the University's centennial. Reagan's election as governor in fall of 1966 (by then I was in basic training at Ft. Polk Louisiana; join the army and see the South: Ft. Polk, Louisiana, Ft. Sam Houston, Texas and by my last year of active duty, Long Binh, South Vietnam) made Clark Kerr's dismissal inevitable. As Dr. Kerr famously said in a memoir, "I left the University the same way I arrived, fired with enthusiasm."

David

[Jim Andrada]

I was surprised at how many portraits AA has done. One of my friends (also a photographer) showed me a portrait of himself that AA had done when my friend was in his early 20's. He told me that his mother had hired Ansel to do portraits of all the children.

[Mark Sawyer]

David, it is my understanding that Ansel had a good working relationship with Clark Kerr, president of the university from 1958-1967. Plans were afoot for Ansel's archive to eventually reside at the University of California. However, with the political unrest surrounding the university in the 1960's, Kerr was dismissed by the regents in 1967. With his departure, no further effort was made to obtain Ansel's archive.

Fascinating history; so that's part of how the University of Arizona's Center for Creative Photography had a chance to get its foot in Adams' door...

Thanks, Merg!

[Bernice Loui]

AA best know for Yosemite and related landscape B&W images, yet AA's work ranged from commercial to portraits.

Here is another AA work that is often lesser recognized.
https://www.loc.gov/collections/anse...is-collection/


Bernice

[jmdavis]

AA best know for Yosemite and related landscape B&W images, yet AA's work ranged from commercial to portraits.

Here is another AA work that is often lesser recognized.
https://www.loc.gov/collections/anse...is-collection/


Bernice

I have always been impressed by the Manzanar work of both Adams and Lange. There is so much to unpack in those photos.