The Book 

This year, 2001, is the 100th anniversary of the birth of Ansel Adams. If asked to name a famous photographer Adams' name is likely the one that most non-photographers would recall, and in all likelihood it would be the only one.

To commemorate his centenaryJohn Szarkowski, director emeritus of the Department of Photography atThe Museum of Modern Artin New York, along with publisherLittle, Brown and Company, in association withThe San Francisco Museum of Art,have produced what has to rank as one of the finest photographic art books of the past decade.Ansel Adams At 100attempts to summarizein words and photographs the output of the 20th Century's most celebrated if not finest landscape photographer.

Because the book is a retrospective of a lifetime's work it naturally has its limitations and biases. Adams produced literally tens of thousands of negatives during his productive life as a photographer. Many of his photographs are pedestrian, (especially his commer...