Full metadata
Title
Nancy Newhall and environmentalism: art, activism, and land preservation
Description
During the politically charged period between the 1950s and 1970s in the United States, Nancy Newhall emerged as an important advocate for open space. She began traveling to the West which encouraged her dedication to land preservation and invigorated her enthusiasm for photography. Newhall was already a respected curator and author addressing the communicative roles of photographs. After spearheading groundbreaking museum retrospectives of contemporary photographers she expanded her artistic vison to include conservation activism. The notable photographers, scholars, writers, and politicians with whom she collaborated often overshadowed her contributions, and they have been under celebrated until recently. My project studies her efforts on a quintessential Sierra Club publication from 1960. While considering her book titled This Is The American Earth I was led to insightful explorations of her unique approach to contextualizing photographs. My investigations revealed the impact that the work of Nancy Newhall had on land preservation, alongside her prolonged influence on the acceptance of photography as fine art and a resilient device of communication. In This Is The American Earth her calculated, inspired approach, attaching text to photos conveyed stirring messages to readers and forwarded an innovative use of a genre that the Sierra Club willingly embraced. Working with its president and Ansel Adams, she edited, wrote, and published several popular illustrated volumes which brought an interpretation of open space into American living rooms. Her efforts produced iconic picture books that remain memorable examples of the mid-20th century conservation movement.
Date Created
2016
Contributors
- Wyman, Kari (Author)
- Fahlman, Betsy (Thesis advisor)
- Brown, Claudia (Committee member)
- Serwint, Nancy (Committee member)
- Arizona State University (Publisher)
Topical Subject
Resource Type
Extent
v, 71 pages : illustrations
Language
eng
Copyright Statement
In Copyright
Primary Member of
Peer-reviewed
No
Open Access
No
Handle
https://hdl.handle.net/2286/R.I.38808
Statement of Responsibility
by Kari Wyman
Description Source
Viewed on October 3, 2016
Level of coding
full
Note
thesis
Partial requirement for: M.A., Arizona State University, 2016
bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 67-71)
Field of study: Art history
System Created
- 2016-06-01 09:01:44
System Modified
- 2021-08-30 01:22:20
- 3 years 2 months ago
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