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Youth & the Arts

Dinner & A Show:

Snapshot of an Ansel Adam’s Exhibit Inspires the Genius in all of Us!

By Juliet Piccone & Katie Jillions

Nowadays, we are fortunate enough to have digital cameras and camera phones. Just one click can capture a picture. Cameras and photos are ubiquitous in our lives, but how many of them are really good? Our appreciation for photographs and photography doubled after visiting the Ansel Adams: Celebration of Genius exhibit at the James A. Michener Museum in Doylestown.

Most of us don’t have the same respect for photography as an artist such as Ansel Adams did, because anyone can take a picture, anytime, with little thought or preparation. To Adams a picture was much more than just the click of a button, it took hard work and dedication. He had mastered a skill many didn't know. Next time I take a picture, I am going to think about the process more than just pressing a button, instead trying to put the same passion Adams captured in his pictures.

All of Adam’s pictures were in black and white. Adams captures emotion in photos of rock faces and tortuous tree roots. Our favorites include Rose on Driftwood and Fern Springs at Dusk. Both were very simple at first glance but in looking deeper into the pictures one can see different shades of black and different textures. We were amazed at the emotions we felt from his pictures, some seemed lonely and others were very energetic. Whe looking at Ansel Adams’ photographs, we heard an observer say, “His photographs make the earth look like a living thing.”

We moved through the exhibit faster than the crowd did until another visitor overheard us say, “How can someone stand for so long in front of each photo?” The other visitor interrupted our conversation and pointed out to us the velvety black mountains that showed details of the rock if one looked closer. He pointed out the pearly glow of a moonlit sky and how the crisp, focused tiny trees on a ridge were backlit by the moon glow. He showed us how in one photograph, the dominant features of the mountains and sky were visible in their reflection on the lake rather than their primary image.

Back in the 1930s when Ansel Adams was taking pictures, the cameras weighted up to 8 pounds, and they were very bulky. Adams needed a mule to carry all of his equipment. Not only were the cameras and technology different back then, but he also had to hike up all of the mountains he took pictures on. We learned to appreciate what it took for him to acquire these images through a looping video that was showing in a comfortable seating area near the gallery entrance.

Ansel Adams had a rough childhood, he didn’t do well in school and he didn’t have many friends. His escape from all of this was music, mainly in the form of the piano. Adams taught himself to play and gave up school for the piano. Adams then gave up the piano for photography. In 1919, Adams joined the Sierra Club, an environmental club, which discovered Adam’s talent and first published his work in the club's bulletin. Most of his photographs were landscapes and smaller areas of nature, although he did a few portraits and commercial work. Ansel Adams is one of the few artists in the history of photography whose name and work is recognized worldwide.

Doylestown is home to many unique sites, from the stone farm houses to the historic downtown full of shops and restaurants. The James A. Michener Museum is currently hosting some exhibits that are on a national tour. It displays the finest collection of impressionist paintings in Pennsylvania. The museum was originally used as the county jail until it was converted to the art museum in 1988 and named after Doylestown native and Pulitzer Prize winner James A. Michener.

While you’re in Doylestown…

Lunch: Doylestown’s downtown had a very nice and historic atmosphere. It was clean and very lively. There were many restaurants to choose from, an outdoor café, and an Italian restaurant all within walking distance of the museum, but Lilly’s caught our attention. Lilly’s greets visitors with a giant whisk doorknob, a row of upside down colanders converted into ceiling lights, and all the sandwiches were named after celebrities. The menu offered all kinds of sandwiches and salads and soups. We ordered the New England Clam Chowder, a Smothers Brothers’ sandwich, a Chicken Caesar Salad, and a BLT. All were very tasty, and the prices were very good. We sat at the long row of windows looking onto the square and had a lively conversation about the exhibit. We all agreed that the food was delicious. Lilly’s is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner–they cater parties, too.

Katie Jillions is a Sophomore at Holy Cross High School. Juliet Piccone is a Sophomore at Moorestown High School.