Thirteenth International Conference on The Arts in Society

Abstract

Between 1945-1955, Ansel Adams and his collaborator, Nancy Newhall, worked on a project they referred to in their letters as “The Negro Book,” a project intended to fight prejudice and raise the status of African Americans by highlighting their various contributions to the United States. Although this work never saw the light of day (publishers refused to print it), their letters provide a fascinating glimpse into their social justice goals and the ways Adams and Newhall were affected by the changing political climate post-WWII. Their letters also reflect debates about art and documentary photography. Prolific and passionate writers, they corresponded frequently, sometimes daily, resulting in a corpus of over one hundred relevant extant letters. Distilling their correspondence to reveal their chief concerns, both political and artistic, and telling their story within the context of the broader social milieu, this talk sheds new light on little known dimensions of their long and productive careers.