Cemetery Statue and Oil Derricks, Long Beach, California Possibly 1939 - 1976

Ansel Adams made this photograph of a cemetery statue and oil derricks in Long Beach, California. The statue, probably carved from marble, contrasts starkly with the dark oil derricks in the background. It's a beautiful image, really. The texture of the stone is so smooth and fine, so different from the industrial landscape it sits in. Look at the soft light on the statue’s face, the way it makes her seem almost alive, thoughtful. You can sense the weight of grief in the sculpture's drooping head and melancholic expression, which is set against these, angular, metallic structures on the horizon. I think Adams is asking us to consider nature, industry, and mortality all in one shot. He does it in a way that's stark but not without tenderness. It reminds me of some of the landscape work by people like Timothy O’Sullivan, who also brought a sense of epic scale and environmental devastation into the same frame. Ultimately, it's up to us to find meaning in these collisions.