Records of the National Park Service
Ansel Adams Photographs
In 1941 the National Park Service commissioned noted photographer Ansel Adams to create a photo mural for the Department of the Interior Building in Washington, DC. The theme was to be nature as exemplified and protected in the U.S. National Parks. The project was halted because of World War II and never resumed.
The holdings of the National Archives Still Picture Branch include 226 photographs taken for this project, most of them signed and captioned by Adams. They were taken at the Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, Kings Canyon, Mesa Verde, Rocky Mountain, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Carlsbad Caverns, Glacier, and Zion National Parks; Death Valley, Saguaro, and Canyon de Chelly National Monuments. Other pictures were taken at the Boulder Dam; Acoma Pueblo, NM; San Idelfonso, NM; Taos Pueblo, NM; Tuba City, AZ; Walpi, AZ; and Owens Valley, CA. Many of the latter locations show Navajo and Pueblo Indians, their homes and activities.
The Kings Canyon photographs were taken in 1936 when the establishment of the park was being proposed. These prints were added by Adams to the mural project. The one photograph of Yosemite was a gift from Adams to the head of the Park Service, Horace Albright, in 1933.
In addition, there are eight photographs taken by Adams of Yosemite in the General Photographic Files of the National Park Service. These photos may still be under copyright protection.
To Order:
If you wish to order any of these photographs, please see the Ordering Still Picture Reproductions page. For questions or additional information about the holdings of the Still Picture LICON, call: 301-837-0561, fax: 301-837-3621, or e-mail: stillpix@nara.gov.
See Also:Note: Quotation marks indicate information which was copied from the reverse of the mount cards.
ACOMA PUEBLO, NEW MEXICO
| 79-AAA-1 | "Acoma Pueblo, New Mexico," full side view of adobe house with water in foreground. |
| 79-AAA-2 | "Acoma Pueblo," full side view of adobe house with water in foreground, nearly identical to #1. |
| 79-AAA-3 | "Church, Acoma Pueblo," corner view showing mostly left wall. |
| 79-AAA-4 | "Acoma Pueblo," side view of adobe house with water in foreground. |
| 79-AAA-5 | "Church, Acoma Pueblo," side wall and tower with cross. |
| 79-AAA-6 | "Acoma Pueblo," looking across street toward houses. |
BOULDER DAM, COLORADO RIVER
| 79-AAB-1 | "Boulder Dam, 1941," looking across water to dam. |
| 79-AAB-2 | "Boulder Dam Power Unit, 1941," electrical wires of power unit. |
| 79-AAB-3 | "Transmission lines in Mojave Desert, 1941". |
| 79-AAB-4 | "Boulder Dam, 1942," vertical close-up of section of the dam. |
| 79-AAB-5 | "Boulder Dam Power Units, 1941," vertical, looking up at wires. |
| 79-AAB-6 | "Boulder Dam, 1941," looking across river to dam. |
| 79-AAB-7 | "Boulder Dam, 1941," looking over top of dam, transmission wire on left, mountains in background* |
| 79-AAB-8 | "Boulder Dam, 1941," looking toward transmission lines on mountains, clouded sky. |
| 79-AAB-9 | "Boulder Dam, 1941," close-up of transmission lines on side of cliff. |
| 79-AAB-10 | "Boulder Dam, 1941," looking down river toward dam. |
| 79-AAB-11 | "Boulder Dam, 1941," close-up of transmission lines. |
| 79-AAB-12 | "Boulder Dam, 1941," vertical of side of cliff with transmission lines above, river to left. |
| 79-AAB-13 | "Boulder Dam, 1942," vertical, looking toward mountain with transmission lines on peak, close-up of wires. |
| 79-AAB-14 | "Boulder Dam," close-up of transmission line on side of cliff, dam and river in foreground. |
CANYON DE CHELLY, ARIZONA
| 79-AAC-1 | "Canyon de Chelly," vertical panorama from river valley. |
| 79-AAC-2 | "Canyon de Chelly," panorama of valley from mountain. |
DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL MONUMENT, CALIFORNIA
| 79-AAD-1 | "Death Valley National Monument," looking across desert toward mountains. |
| 79-AAD-2 | "Near Death Valley," panorama of mountains. |
| 79-AAD-3 | "Near Death Valley National Monument," more distant view of mountains, desert, shrubs highlighted in foreground. |
GLACIER NATIONAL PARK, MONTANA
| 79-AAE-1 | "St. Mary's Lake, Glacier National Park," looking across toward snow-capped mountains, lake in foreground. |
| 79-AAE-2 | "In Glacier National Park," valley, snow covered mountains in background. |
| 79-AAE-3 | "Burned area, Glacier National Park," pine trees, snow covered mountains in background. |
| 79-AAE-4 | "In Glacier National Park," trees and bushes in foreground, mountains in background. |
| 79-AAE-5 | "In Glacier National Park," mountain partially covered with clouds. |
| 79-AAE-6 | "Evening, McDonald Lake, Glacier National Park," looking across lake toward mountains. |
| 79-AAE-7 | "From Going-to-the-Sun Chalet, Glacier National Park," close in view of mountain side. |
| 79-AAE-8 | No Image for this item number has been received by NARA. |
| 79-AAE-9 | "In Glacier National Park," looking across forest to mountains and clouds. |
| 79-AAE-10 | "From Logan Pass, Glacier National Park," looking across barren land to mountains. |
| 79-AAE-11 | "Two Medicine Lake. Glacier National Park," high, lone mountain peak, in foreground. |
| 79-AAE-12 | "Going-to-the-Sun Mountain, Glacier National Park," full view of mountain. |
| 79-AAE-13 | In Glacier National Park, tops of pine trees, snow covered. |
| 79-AAE-14 | "McDonald Lake, Glacier National Park," lake and mountains. |
| 79-AAE-15 | "St. Mary's Lake, Glacier National Park," similar to #1 with less of the lake visible. |
| 79-AAE-16 | "Evening, McDonald Lake, Glacier National Park," looking across lake to mountains and clouds, nearly identical to #14. |
| 79-AAE-17 | "Heaven's Peak," dark foreground and clouds, mountains highlighted. |
| 79-AAE-18 | "In Glacier National Park," vertical, full view of snow covered mountain, including area below timberline. |
| 79-AAE-19 | "McDonald Lake, Glacier National Park," looking across lake, similar to #14 and #16. |
| 79-AAE-20 | "Two Medicine Lake, Glacier National Park," identical to #11. |
| 79-AAE-21 | "In Glacier National Park," nearly identical to #13. |
| 79-AAE-22 | "Linchons, Glacier National Park," close-up. |
| 79-AAE-23 | "In Glacier National Park," close-up of leaves, from directly above. |
| 79-AAE-24 | "In Glacier National Park," close-up of ferns, from directly above. |
GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, ARIZONA
| 79-AAF-1 | "Grand Canyon National Park," panorama, looking down. |
| 79-AAF-2 | "Grand Canyon National Park," panorama with shrub detail in foreground. |
| 79-AAF-3 | "Grand Canyon National Park," panorama with rock formation in foreground. |
| 79-AAF-4 | "Grand Canyon National Park," panorama with rock formation, different angle. |
| 79-AAF-5 | "Grand Canyon from N. Rim, 1941," closer view of cliff formation. |
| 79-AAF-6 | No Print Accessioned by NARA. The item previously assigned this number is now assigned to 79-AAG-06. |
| 79-AAF-7 | "Grand Canyon," close in panorama looking down toward peak formations. |
| 79-AAF-8 | "Grand Canyon from S(outh). Rim, 1941," vertical panorama with shadowed ravine. |
| 79-AAF-9 | "Grand Canyon National Park," horizontal of #8, lighter shadows. |
| 79-AAF-10 | No Image for this item number has been received by NARA. |
| 79-AAF-11 | "Grand Canyon National Park," panorama of rock formations. |
| 79-AAF-12 | "Grand Canyon National Park," broad panorama with detail of canyon, horizon, and mountains above. |
| 79-AAF-13 | "Grand Canyon, from N. Rim". |
| 79-AAF-14 | "Grand Canyon from N. Rim, 194l," canyon in foreground, horizon, mountains and clouded sky. |
| 79-AAF-15 | "Grand Canyon from S. Rim, 1941," darkly shadowed canyon at left and center. |
| 79-AAF-16 | "Grand Canyon National Park," canyon with ravine winding through center, high horizon. |
| 79-AAF-17 | "Grand Canyon National Park," canyon and ravine, from higher angle than #16. |
| 79-AAF-18 | "Grand Canyon National Park," nearly identical to #17. |
| 79-AAF-19 | "Grand Canyon National Park," from Yava? Pt, rock formations and valley. |
| 79-AAF-20 | "Grand Canyon National Park," panorama, dark shadows to right, high horizon. |
| 79-AAF-21 | "Grand Canyon National Park," panorama, dark shadows in foreground and right framing cliffs at left and center. |
| 79-AAF-22 | "Grand Canyon National Park," close in panorama of curred cliff. |
| 79-AAF-23 | "Grand Canyon National Park," close in panorama taken from opposite of cliff formation, high horizon. |
| 79-AAF-24 | "Grand Canyon National Park," canyon edge, low horizon, clouded sky. |
| 79-AAF-25 | "Grand Canyon from N. Rim, 1941". |
| 79-AAF-26 | "Grand Canyon National Park." |
| 79-AAF-27 | "Grand Canyon National Park." |
GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK, WYOMING
| 79-AAG-1 | "The Tetons - Snake River." |
| 79-AAG-2 | "Grand Teton," view from river valley towards snow covered mountains, river in foreground from left to right. |
| 79-AAG-3 | "Grand Teton" |
| 79-AAG-4 | "Grand Teton" |
| 79-AAG-5 | "Mt. Moran, Teton National Park," view across river valley toward Mt. Moran. |
| 79-AAG-6 | No caption provided by Mr. Adams. [Jackson Lake in foreground, with Teton Range in background, view looking southwest from north end of the lake.] |
| 79-AAG-7 | Mt. Moran and Jackson Lake from Signal Hill, [Grand] Teton National Park. |
| 79-AAG-8 | "Near [Grand] Teton National Park," roadway, low horizon mountains, clouded sky (2 copies). |
| 79-AAG-9 | "Tetons from Signal Mountain," valley, snow-capped mountains, low horizons (2 copies). |
| 79-AAG-10 | "In [Grand] Teton National Park," snow covered peak. |
| 79-AAG-11 | "Grand Teton," grassy valley, tree covered mountain side and snow covered peaks. |
KINGS RIVER CANYON, CALIFORNIA
All prints are labelled: "Kings River Canyon (Proposed as a national park). Photos donated by Ansel Adams, February 1936."| 79-AAH-1 | "Peak near Rac Lake." |
| 79-AAH-2 | "Grand Sentinel." |
| 79-AAH-3 | "Rac Lake." |
| 79-AAH-4 | "Bishop Pass." |
| 79-AAH-5 | "North Dome, Kings River Canyon." |
| 79-AAH-6 | "Fin Dome." |
| 79-AAH-7 | "Kearsage Pinnacles." |
| 79-AAH-8 | "An Unnamed peak." |
| 79-AAH-9 | "Mt. Winchell." |
| 79-AAH-10 | "Mt. Brewer." |
| 79-AAH-11 | "Junction Peak." |
| 79-AAH-12 | "Pinchot Pass, Mt. Wynne." |
| 79-AAH-13 | "Rock and Cloud." |
| 79-AAH-14 | "Peak above Woody Lake." |
| 79-AAH-15 | "From Windy Point, Middle Fork, Kings River." |
| 79-AAH-16 | "Clouds - White Pass." |
| 79-AAH-17 | "Center Peak, Center Basin." |
| 79-AAH-18 | "North Palisade from Windy Point," vertical. |
| 79-AAH-19 | "Coloseum Mountain." |
| 79-AAH-20 | "North Palisades from Windy Point," vertical. |
| 79-AAH-21 | "Owens Valley from Sawmill Pass." |
| 79-AAH-22 | "From Windy Point." |
| 79-AAH-23 | "Paradise Valley." |
| 79-AAH-24 | "Clouds - White Pass." |
| 79-AAH-25 | "Boaring River, Kings Region." |
| 79-AAH-26 | "Middle Fork at Kings River from S. Fork of Cartridge Creek." |
MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK, COLORADO
| 79-AAJ-1 | No Image for this item number has been received by NARA. |
| 79-AAJ-2 | "Cliff Palace, Mesa Verde National Park," vertical close-up. |
| 79-AAJ-3 | UNTITLED |
| 79-AAJ-4 | "Mesa Verde National Park, 1941" cliff dwellings. |
| 79-AAJ-5 | "Cliff Palace, Mesa Verde National Park," vertical of tower, taken from above. |
| 79-AAJ-6 | "Interior at Ruin Cliff Palace, Mesa Verde National Park, 1941" interior showing wall and window. |
| 79-AAJ-7 | "Cliff Palace, Mesa Verde National Park," section of house. |
NAVAJO INDIANS, CANYON DE CHELLY, ARIZONA
| 79-AAK-1 | "Navajo Woman and Infant, Canyon de Chelle, Arizona." |
| 79-AAK-2 | "Navajo Girl, Canyon de Chelle, Arizona." |
| 79-AAK-3 | "Navajo Woman and Child, Canyon de Chelle, Arizona." |
| 79-AAK-4 | "Navajo Girl, Canyon de Chelle, Arizona, 1941". |
| 79-AAK-5 | "Navajo Woman and Child, Canyon de Chelle, Arizona". same subject as #3. |
OWENS VALLEY, CALIFORNIA
| 79-AAL-1 | "Flock in Owens Valley, 1941," flock of sheep. |
| 79-AAL-2 | "Flock in Owens Valley, California, 1941," similar to #1. |
ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, COLORADO
| 79-AAM-1 | "Long's Peak from Road. Rocky Mountain National Park," panorama of trees and snow-capped mountains. |
| 79-AAM-2 | "Moraine, Rocky Mountain National Park," rock formation. |
| 79-AAM-3 | "In Rocky Mountain National Park." panorama of hills and mountains. |
| 79-AAM-4 | "In Rocky Mountain National Park," mountain tops, low horizon, dramatic clouded sky. |
| 79-AAM-5 | "In Rocky Mountain National Park," panorama of hill with trees, clouded sky. |
| 79-AAM-6 | "In Rocky Mountain National Park," vertical panorama of snow-capped mountain timbered area below. |
| 79-AAM-7 | "Rocky Mountain National Park. Never Summer Range," panorama at timberline, dark foreground, light snow capped mountain, gray sky. |
| 79-AAM-8 | "In Rocky Mountain National Park," panorama of wooded hills with mountains in background. |
| 79-AAM-9 | "In Rocky Mountain National Park," valley surrounded by mountains. |
| 79-AAM-10 | "Long's Peak, Rocky Mountain National Park," close in panorama, dark shadowed hills in foreground, mountains in background. |
| 79-AAM-11 | "In Rocky Mountain National Park," mountain tops, low horizon, low hanging clouds. |
| 79-AAM-12 | "In Rocky Mountain National Park," mountain tops. |
| 79-AAM-13 | "Long's Peak, Rocky Mountain National Park," panorama
of barren mountains with snow. |
| 79-AAM-14 | "In Rocky Mountain National Park," lake and trees in foreground, mountains and clouds in background. |
| 79-AAM-15 | "In Rocky Mountain National Park," full view of barren mountain side with snow. |
| 79-AAM-16 | "Long's Peak from North, Rocky Mountain National Park," trees in foreground, snow covered mountain in background. |
| 79-AAM-17 | "Long's Peak, Rocky Mountain National Park," panorama of plateau, snow covered mountain in background. |
| 79-AAM-18 | "In Rocky Mountain National Park," panorama with trees in foreground, barren mountains in background. |
SAGUARO NATIONAL MONUMENT, ARIZONA
| 79-AAN-1 | "In Saguaro National Monument," vertical full view of cactus and surrounding shrubs. |
| 79-AAN-2 | No Image for this item number has been received by NARA. |
| 79-AAN-3 | "Saguaros, Saguaro National Monument," vertical full view of cactus with others surrounding. |
| 79-AAN-4 | "Saguaros," vertical, detail of cactus. |
| 79-AAN-5 | "Saguaros, Saguaro National Monument," vertical of cactus and surrounding area. |
| 79-AAN-6 | "Saguaro National Monument," cactus at left and surroundings. |
SAN ILDEFONSO PUEBLO, NEW MEXICO
| 79-AAP-1 | "Dance, San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico, 1942," Indian descending wooden stairs with drum, another in background looking on. |
| 79-AAP-2 | "Dance, San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico, 1942," two Indians descending wooden stairs, carrying drums; another Indian and child near by. |
| 79-AAP-3 | " Dance, San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico, 1942," three Indians in headdress in foreground watching tourists. |
| 79-AAP-4 | "At San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico, 1942," two young girls sitting on steps. |
| 79-AAP-5 | "Dance, San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico, 1942," two Indians in headdress ascending stairs to house. |
| 79-AAP-6 | "Dance, San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico," Indians in headdress, male and female, descending stairs. |
TAOS PUEBLO, NEW MEXICO
| 79-AAQ-1 | "Church, Taos Pueblo, New Mexico, 1942," full front view of entrance. |
| 79-AAQ-2 | "Taos Pueblo, New Mexico, 1941," full view of city, mountains in background. |
| 79-AAQ-3 | "Church, Taos Pueblo, New Mexico, 1941," full side view of entrance with gate to the right, same subject as #1. |
| 79-AAQ-4 | "At Taos Pueblo," New Mexico. |
TUBA CITY, ARIZONA
| 79-AAR-1 | "Corn Field, Indian Farm near Tuba City, Arizona, in Rain, 1941," low serial. |
| 79-AAR-2 | "Corn Field, Indian Farm near Tuba City, Arizona, in Rain, 1941," looking across rows of corn, cliff in background. |
WALPI, ARIZONA
| 79-AAS-1 | "Walpi, Arizona, 1941," full view of the city on top of mountain. |
| 79-AAS-2 | "Walpi, Arizona, 1941," nearly identical, closer in. |
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, WYOMING
| 79-AAT-1 | "Central Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park," vertical, stream winding back toward geyser. |
| 79-AAT-2 | "Castle Geyser Coye, Yellowstone National Park". |
| 79-AAT-3 | "Yellowstone Falls". |
| 79-AAT-4 | "Old Faithful Geyser, Yellowstone National Park," erupting, against dark sky. |
| 79-AAT-5 | "Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone National Park," lake, narrow strip of mountains, low horizon. |
| 79-AAT-6 | "Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone National Park," similar to #5, wider strip of mountains. |
| 79-AAT-7 | "Rocks at Silver Gate, Yellowstone National Park," boulder with hill in background. |
| 79-AAT-8 | "Mountains - N.E. Portion, Yellowstone National Park," stream at bottom, trees, snow on mountains. |
| 79-AAT-9 | "Old Faithful, Yellowstone National Park," vertical. |
| 79-AAT-10 | "Roaring Mountain, Yellowstone National Park," barren tree trunks rising from water in foreground, stream rising from mountains behind. |
| 79-AAT-11 | "Yellowstone Lake, Mt. Sheridan," similar to #6. |
| 79-AAT-12 | "The Fishing Cone - Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone National Park." |
| 79-AAT-13 | "Yellowstone Lake - Hot Springs Overflow, Yellowstone National Park." |
| 79-AAT-14 | "Firehold River, Yellowstone National Park," river in foreground, trees behind. |
| 79-AAT-15 | "Firehold River, Yellowstone National Park," nearly identical to #14. |
| 79-AAT-16 | "Jupiter Terrace - Fountain Geyser Pool, Yellowstone National Park," from above. |
| 79-AAT-17 | "Fountain Geyser Pool, Yellowstone National Park," pool in foreground steaming, high horizon. |
| 79-AAT-18 | "Fountain Geyser Pool, Yellowstone National Park," similar to #17, different texture in water. |
| 79-AAT-19 | "Fountain Geyser Pool, Yellowstone National Park," similar to #17 and #18. |
| 79-AAT-20 | "Jupiter Terrace, Fountain Geyser Pool, Yellowstone National Park." |
| 79-AAT-21 | "Old Faithful Geyser, Yellowstone National Park," taken at dusk dawn from various angles during eruption. |
| 79-AAT-22 | Old Faithful Geyser, Yellowstone National Park," taken at dusk dawn from various angles during eruption. |
| 79-AAT-23 | Old Faithful Geyser, Yellowstone National Park," taken at dusk dawn from various angles during eruption. |
| 79-AAT-24 | Old Faithful Geyser, Yellowstone National Park," taken at dusk dawn from various angles during eruption. |
| 79-AAT-25 | Old Faithful Geyser, Yellowstone National Park," taken at dusk dawn from various angles during eruption. |
| 79-AAT-26 | Old Faithful Geyser, Yellowstone National Park," taken at dusk dawn from various angles during eruption. |
| 79-AAT-27 | Old Faithful Geyser, Yellowstone National Park," taken at dusk dawn from various angles during eruption. |
YOSEMITE, CALIFORNIA
| 79-AAU-1 | "Half Dome, Apple Orchard, Yosemite," trees with snow on branches, April 1933. |
ZION NATIONAL PARK, UTAH
| 79-AAV-1 | "Court of the Patriarchs, Zion National Park." |
| 79-AAV-2 | "In Zion National Park," vertical of rock formation, from below. |
| 79-AAV-3 | "In Zion National Park," vertical of rock formation, from below. |
| 79-AAV-4 | "Zion National Park, 1941, rock formation against dark sky." |
CARLSBAD CAVERNS NATIONAL PARK, NEW MEXICO
All prints are labelled: "Carlsbad Caverns National Park."Records of the National Park Service
General Photographic File
(These photos may still be under copyright protection.)
Ansel Adams Photographs
| 79-G-27c-1 | Yosemite, Ahwahnee Hotel |
| 79-G-27c-5 | Yosemite, Reflections of Three Brothers on Merced River. |
| 79-G-27c-6 | Yosemite, El Capitan |
| 79-G-27c-7 | Yosemite, Girl Climbing Half Dome |
| 79-G-27c-8 | Yosemite, Fishing at the White Cascade |
| 79-G-27c-9 | Yosemite, Falls |
| 79-G-27c-10 | Yosemite, Top of Nevada Falls |
| 79-G-27c-11 | Yosemite, Nevada Falls |
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![Near [Grand] Teton National Park](https://cybercemetery.unt.edu/archive/oilspill/20121017070417/http://www.archives.gov/research/ansel-adams/images/aag08.jpg){kind=link}
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