Happy Birthday, Ansel Adams

Reprinted from my 1979 negative, March 7, 2014

Today is the birthday of Ansel Adams, born February 20, 1902. I'm sharing a photo I took of him, while he was on a book tour in Washington, DC on September 9, 1979. I knew he was giving a free lecture about his book on that Sunday, so I brought along my camera and the current edition of Time magazine, with his picture on the cover, with the hope that he would sign his autograph. After the lecture and with my newly purchased $15 book and magazine just autographed, I walked around The National Museum of History Museum on Constitution Ave. and saw his chauffeur waiting for him. Nobody was around, just the driver. We conversed for maybe 10 minutes before Mr. Adams came outside.  I asked him if I could take his photo, he was delighted, and I was too.

Two things, I told him where to stand and I only took one photo (35mm camera that I had to focus. 

The book I had with me was bought at a Yosemite Falls gift shop in May 1978, and I just now looked at it again. Ansel wrote the date 9-9-79 with his name. Perfect documentation. The Sunday was a little cloudy at a little after 4. I don't think I'll ever forget a thing about that afternoon. He passed away five years later.

The first printed picture shown below could be used as a postcard! Guess that is what they did in 1979.