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A Walk in the Park with Ansel

Once upon a time — September 1938 to be exact — America’s most famous photographer, Ansel Adams, took a walk in the park. Yosemite National Park. He wasn’t exactly alone. There were 14 mules. Oh, and he had human company, as well. To wit, he was with Georgia O’Keeffe (not a bad shooter in her own right) and a couple of Rockefellers and another friend. For those who are counting, that is nearly a 3:1 mule-to-human ratio.
    The walkabout is celebrated in an exhibition called “Yosemite 1938: On the Trail with Ansel Adams and Georgia O’Keefe” that runs from Feb. 3 to May 6 at the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento. (The image at left , “Juniper Near Lake Merced Camp,” reproduced uncropped, is from the show.) The exhibition’s images are from three photographic albums Adams created — along with personal notes and captions — and gave to his trail mates.
    It was a scouting and social outing for Adams, who, at age 14, had started photographing Yosemite with a Kodak Brownie camera given to him by his parents before his first trip to the park. By 1938 he had worked in the park for several years and taken hundreds of photos. The 10-day trek took the friends from Glacier Peak, through Tuolomne Meadows, past Echo Peak, into Isberg Pass, eventually ending up at Vogelsang Camp. Along the way, Adams took what turned out to be test shots for two of his most famous images: Cathedral and Glacier Peaks. Both are on display in the exhibit, along with more than 40 others.
    However, what makes the exhibit’s images particularly interesting are the scenes of people and camp life. These include the iconic photograph of O’Keeffe in profile sitting beside a tree stump, and ones that are the simply humorous (a shot of one of Adam’s campmates bundled in a blanket holding a box of Bisquick), showing something of the lighthearted side of Adams’ personality that is rarely remembered in the presence of his breathtaking images.
    The exhibit also shows another side of the Adams oeuvre: his commercial work, represented by a series of 22 shots taken in 1963 for a company hoping to develop Rocklin. The images are part of the Crocker’s permanent collection and are rarely displayed. Considering the subsequent growth of the town, we’re lucky to have this record of how it used to look. It is also a vivid demonstration of the reality of an artist’s economic life.     That the world-famous photographer was doing assignments such as this at the age of 60 is a sobering thought. 
   

Lights, Camera, Inauguration!

An hour and a half before the investiture begins, a line of dark-suited ticket holders approaches and splits into a four-lane metal detector highway outside the Memorial Auditorium. The box office promises to be boffo. As guests shuffle forward, peppy instrumental music plays over loudspeakers, adding a festive Disney touch to the proceedings.
    In the lobby, the commemorative gifts table is doing land-office business. It’s 9:45 a.m, and the XL T-shirts are already sold out. Still available are commemorative sweat shirts, golf shirts, buttons, key chains, wine glasses and gold-esque lapel pins.
    Milling in front of the stage is a constellation of political power players, celebrities and Tom Arnold, all glad-handing and speaking their minds. An all-female pan-Hispanic mariachi band sings in Spanish but eventually throws uniglots a bone with “Twist and Shout.” A youthful song-and-dance troupe reinforces the Disney atmosphere with a couple of heartwarming Mouseketeery numbers. By the time the National Guard band has played two marches, patriotism is flowing like a river.
    At 11:45 a.m., it’s time for the real deal. One by one, honored guests take their seats onstage. The group is a “who’s who” of politics, including a remarkable number of Democrats for a Republican governor’s inauguration. Master of ceremonies and ex-mayor of San Francisco Willie Brown refers to Maria Shriver as “the ultimate embedded journalist” and calls her “foxy and sexy.” Bet that’s a first for a governor’s wife.
    Jose Feliciano sings a heck of a national anthem. The presentation of colors is a surreal moment. Four military fellows bring one flag each up to the front. But there are already 22 flags across the back of the stage, plus two murals on either side, each depicting a row of seven flags. All the rows of flags, real and virtual, alternate between national and California state varieties. Over the stage are three video screens, each of which depicts one flag. The fresh arrivals bring the flag total to 43. I think we’re covered.
    Now it’s time for the Governator to take his second oath of office. As he leans on his crutches, he beams with pride and, presumably, pain killers. He makes it almost all the way to the end of the oath before suffering a codeine moment. He flubs his last line but quickly recovers and gets an indulgent chuckle from the good-humored crowd. Shriver may have almost single-handedly produced the ceremony, but it’s Gov. Schwarzenegger who has the best lines.
Web Exclusive: For more pictures of the inauguration click here!

The (Closed Circuit) Eyes Have It

The city may not have ears, but as of the new year, it certainly has eyes.
    In a pilot project of the Sacramento Police Department, closed-circuit TV cameras have been strategically placed to monitor crime-ridden areas around town. Each location has two to three cameras that keep an eye on street and pedestrian traffic; signs are posted to alert passersby of the camera’s presence.
    Since in-progress crimes are the priority of on-duty officers, CCTV gives police an opportunity to respond to, and intervene in, crimes as they happen. Several other cities, including Honolulu, San Diego, Memphis and Baltimore, already use CCTV to regulate crime, but Sacramento will test the program for six months and evaluate the results before deciding on a further rollout of the program.
    “Right now, we’re testing a variety of vendors for the highest quality of service and technology to sustain the program,” says Sgt. Matt Young, Sacramento Police public information officer. “We’re excited about the new technology and the potential it has to impact the level of service to Sacramento residents in areas of need.”         Though at press time Sgt. Young would not release all monitor locations, he notes that the areas of focus during the evaluation period include the K Street Mall, Del Paso Heights and Oak Park.
    To watch them while they watch you, go to the following locations:
    • Del Paso Blvd. and Fairfield St.
    • 7th St. and K St.
    • 7th St. and L St.

Data Backups Now Big Business

As U.S. corporations and businesses become increasingly reliant on electronic media and communication, more emphasis is placed on the backup and recovery of data for legal purposes. Since Dec. 1, 2006, all companies in the United States are required to monitor and track employees’ emails, documents, instant messages and other internally produced electronic data.
    Based on April 2006 Supreme Court amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedures, these new laws address the array of recent discovery issues faced in federal courts nationwide. How is data backed up? How is it tracked within a company? What measures are in place to access such information when litigation is imminent? 
    While the rules are intended to streamline the discovery period of litigation, those without a solid tracking system in place are faced with a mountain of organization issues. Considering the variety of ways we use technology to communicate, how can businesses prepare?
    • Create a categorized inventory of all media types used in your company — emails, IMs, text messages, the works — and a way to back up data for future reference. Work with your IT department or a consultant to create standard software used by every employee.
    • Coordinate your internal retention policies (along with any industry standards) between your IT and legal departments, who will both be called on for information in litigation or civil suits.
    • Hire a data retention company. Businesses such as our Baby Blue Chip Capitol LLC Digital Document Solutions (see page 27), are a part of a growing niche industry. These services not only maintain data but also assist in its recovery and organization, which can ease the burden smaller businesses face.

Heyday for Culture Vultures

Jump on Light Rail and head to downtown Sacramento on Feb. 3 for the 9th annual Sacramento Museum Day, organized by the Sacramento Association of Museums. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., each of the 25 participating museums opens its doors and waives admission fees to highlight current exhibits and upcoming events. For those looking to avoid parking and traffic jams, free shuttle services are available near California Museum of Women, History, and the Arts, located at 10th and N Streets in Downtown Sacramento.
    “The Museum Day is a great opportunity for people to explore new museums,” says Paul Hammond, Museum Day coordinator and director of public marketing for the California Sate Railroad Museum. “More than 66,000 people visited museums last year, with more than 450,000 attendees over the past eight years.” Visit Sacramento museums online for links to each museum and a map of their locations.
   
    •    Aerospace Museum of California
    •    California State Military Museum
    •    California Museum for History, Women and the Arts
    •    California State Capitol Museum
    •    California State Indian Museum
    •    California State Railroad Museum
    •    Crocker Art Museum
    •    Discovery Museum’s Gold Rush History Center
    •    Discovery Museum’s Science & Space Center
    •    Governor’s Mansion State Historic Park
    •    Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park
    •    Museum of Medical History
    •    Old Sacramento Schoolhouse Museum
    •    Old Sacramento State Historic Park
    •    Sacramento Historic City Cemetery
    •    Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park
    •    Towe Auto Museum
    •    Wells Fargo History Museum
   
Can’t get enough art and culture? Check out Tank of Gas for more of the region’s unique museums.

 

 

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