Ansel Adams' horizontal enlarger

[Petzi]

I wonder what happened to Ansel Adams' horizontal enlarger. The one he had built from an old view camera. Was it destroyed or is it in somebody's possession?

[PhotoBob]

Have you thought of checking with one of his former assistants?

[Loose Gravel]

I thought the AA house and darkroom were still used. I know it was while Virginia was still there. Maybe the kids live there.

[Todd Foster]

Michael Adams spoke at the last Pacific Crest Trail Association annual meeting in Riverside, California. He said he lives in the house now, and I believe he said the darkroom was still intact. I visited there on a John Sexton workshop and was privileged to meet Adams and see the darkroom and the famous enlarger in place. Certainly Sexton would know, you should be able to email him at his web site.

Best, Todd Foster.

[User Removed]

I believe it's still at his darkroom in Yosemite.

A few years ago, I was planning on working for the Ansel Adams Gallery and they said if I was a working photographer, I would have access to using Ansel's darkroom but just needed to supply my own chemicals and paper.

[Christopher Nisperos]

I believe it's still at his darkroom in Yosemite.

Hi Ryan,

I belief the enlarger being refered to is the one in Ansel's Carmel Highlands darkroom, unless it was moved since I saw it there in the 1970's.

Best,

Christopher

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[Mark Layne]

The original 'Best's Studio' in Yosemite was lost in a flood a couple of years ago and a new gallery built on higher ground.

[280hpwrx]

ummmm...no

The horizontal enlarger is still sitting in Carmel where it always has.

The current Ansel Adams Gallery was built in the late 20s in what is NOW the Yosemite Village (Visitor Center, Post Office, Village Store, NPS Admin offices, etc). It was not destroyed in the floods of 1996...the water really didn't make it's way up there.

Yes, the Yosemite darkroom is used for workshop demos (Alan Ross, John Sexton, Kerik Kouklis, etc..) and by a few TAAG employees.

Carlos Herrera
formerly of The Ansel Adams Gallery (1993-2004)

[Mark Layne]

ummmm...no

The horizontal enlarger is still sitting in Carmel where it always has.

The current Ansel Adams Gallery was built in the late 20s in what is NOW the Yosemite Village (Visitor Center, Post Office, Village Store, NPS Admin offices, etc). It was not destroyed in the floods of 1996...the water really didn't make it's way up there.

Yes, the Yosemite darkroom is used for workshop demos (Alan Ross, John Sexton, Kerik Kouklis, etc..) and by a few TAAG employees.

Carlos Herrera
formerly of The Ansel Adams Gallery (1993-2004)

Interesting. When I was there the guide from the gallery showed me the spot where the original Best's Studio was in front of the church and said it was a victim of the flood. Maybe an earlier flood?
Mark

[280hpwrx]

Who was this guide? I could probably guess...:-(

The 1996 floods destroyed a lot of buildings, TAAG/Best's Studio (old and new) wasn't part of that. You would be hard pressed to find a photograph of the old Best's Studio near the chapel....but yes, that's where it stood in the 20s.

CH