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Ansel Adams: Alfred Steiglitz At An American Place (Circa 1935)

The made for TV film 'Georgia O'Keefe' was on telly last week - starring Joan Allen, with Jeremy Irons as Alfred Steiglitz.  It's a naff film in many respects but watchable if only for the physical likeness that Irons pulled off which is terrific.  He looked just like I had imagined Steiglitz to be.  That was until just now, when clicking through from collectordaily to a photo auction about to take place in Berlin I saw this picture of the egomaniac/madman/photo-impressario/galleriest/publisher/photographer/theorist himself, taken by Ansel Adams (who would have been in his early thirties at the time).  Steiglitz is smiling, he may even be on the verge of laughing.  And it appears genuine!  I can't think of anything witty Adams might have said that might have put this unexpected levity in that wizened and usually solemn face (and neither of them had a reputation for jocularity), maybe it was Ansel's promise of a full explanation of the benefits of the zone system over coffee and a bagel, or a more straightforward 'Well, Alfred, you know you are the greatest of us all' and tripping the shutter 1/50th of a second later.  Steiglitz was largely a forgotten man at this stage.  It must have meant a lot to have the occasional next generation of passionate believers in the medium stopping by to pay tribute.