Paying his Freight

So, when the Secretary of the Interior calls, Ansel Adams hops a train.  That much is plain from history.

But who pays?
The Secretary, or rather C.C. Davison, Acting Chief Clerk, paying from the Department's till, which I suppose means that my grandparents picked up the tab (or some tiny fraction of it, divided among the taxpaying public). 

They might have quibbled about Adams' claim of a big-time, luxury, Pullman, round-trip, sleeper-car fare from Lexington to DC; but they didn't know that the Mural Project images would be the eventual result.

One might note mention of plans of the Interior Building and the locations of existing murals.  I wonder where Adams imagined his murals might go, when he first saw the building plans.  In the entryway?  In personal offices?  Open bays?  The halls?

Paying his Freight

When we last left our story...

... first Assistant Secretary E.K. Burlew had invited Ansel Adams to the Department of the Interior, to discuss the creation of "photographic murals" for within Interior.  That was June 18, 1941.

On August 10, Adams replied, apparently favorably.  We lack that letter at this time.  Burlew responded on the 15th, suggesting a meeting on either the 26th or 27th.

This letter shows a high level of courtesy for Adams.  Burlew makes a point that Adams need not make an appointment, merely phoning "upon ... arrival or ... drop[ping] in at [his] convenience."

It seems a shame that Burlew never saw the murals mounted in the Interior Building.

When we last left our story...

Genesis of Adams' Mural Project

At long last, I've properly scanned that loaner-collection of Adams documents and it is a glorious read. I'll be a bit sad to let the stack go, tomorrow, but the scans will suffice.

First up, we have correspondence from June, 1941, from First Assistant Secretary E.K. Burlew to Ansel Adams.  It's the oldest document in our new digital collection.
Burlew's letter is an invitation, on behalf of Interior Secretary Ickes, to ask Adams to visit Interior's Washington, DC, offices and discuss the possibility of creating murals for the interior of Interior (sorry, I couldn't resist).

Burlew was apparently an interesting character in the story of Interior.  You'll find the name with various titles in references from the 1930's and 1940's, including on the NPS.gov and in The Blue Ridge Parkway, by Harley E. Jolley, which I found on Books.Google.com.

Genesis of Adams' Mural Project

History on my desk

I'm having a "Woo hoo!" moment.  A small stack of Ansel Adams-related paperwork (photocopies) has arrived.  I haven't plowed through it yet, but here's one item that caught my eye:

10/14/41
Re: Mr. Ansel Adams
National Park Service

Appointment to position excepted from competitive examination, under Section 2. Executive Order 8743, dated April 23, 1941

Position: Photographic Muralist

Grade and Salary: POS-19, $22.22 per diem when actually employed, limited to 180 actual working days per annum, #10

Bureau: National Park Service

Branch: Branch of Interpretation

Headquarters: Yosemite Naitonal Park, California

Effective Date: Upon entrance on duty. Oct 14, 1941

/s/ J. Atwood Maulding
Signed, Director of Personnel

Cutting through the bureaucratese, this is Adams' appointment to photograph The Mural Project.

Definitely "Woo hoo!" worthy.

History on my desk

Power User

Good news: Even I can appreciate a long weekend, especially when the folks at Zazzle have seen fit to approve another Adams-sourced stamp.

This time, it's "Looking up at Wires of the Boulder Dam Power Units," 1941.  You may recognize the image from one of our earliest ties.  Although the original scan was taken at a mere 479x479 dpi; since it was of an 8"x10" print, we're left with plenty of resolution for a 2-inch postage stamp (or even a tie).

This image is a particular favorite of mine, mainly because it's so different from the other recovered Mural Project images.

If you can drop by the main Interior building (1849 C St NW, Washington, DC -- see below),  take a peek around the entranceway.  This image is tucked away, inside the security gates.

BTW, I should ask: What do you think?  Is this a respectable stamp, or what?  Shouldn't the US Postal Service print stamps like this on its own?  Ah well.  I'm happy to help.


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