Adams, Ansel. Essential Art: 140 Years of American Photography from The Ansel and Virginia Adams Donation.

Essay by Terence Pitts. Issued in conjunction with an exhibition at the Center for Creative Photography, November 21, 1993-February 27, 1994. Consists of packet with essay and complete set of 12 postcards by Southworth and Hawes; George Fiske; Harry Callahan; Dody Weston Thompson; Judy Dater; Jerry Uelsmann; Barbara Crane; Brett Weston; Abe Franjndlich (of Minor White); Wynn Bullock; Walker Evans; and Ruth Bernhard. Very uncommon, only 6 copies listed in WorldCat, which catalogued it with 11 of the 12 postcards.  Not issued with ISBN number. Fine.

Ansel Adams (1902–1984) was a monumental American photographer, visionary environmentalist, and technical pioneer best known for his breathtaking black-and-white landscapes of the American West. Born in San Francisco, California, Adams initially trained to be a pianist before discovering his lifelong passion for photography during a 1916 trip to Yosemite National Park. In 1932, he co-founded Group f/64 alongside Edward Weston and Imogen Cunningham, advocating for sharp focus, precise tone, and unmanipulated "straight" photography over the prevailing pictorialist style. Renowned for co-creating the Zone System—a scientific method for determining optimal exposure and development to achieve precise tonal range—Adams produced iconic masterpieces such as Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico and Monolith, the Face of Half Dome. Beyond his artistic and technical achievements, he was a lifelong advocate for wilderness preservation, serving on the board of the Sierra Club and using his evocative imagery to champion the creation and expansion of national parks across North America.