Woman discovers possible Ansel Adams collection portraying New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Chances are, you may know who Ansel Adams is – but if the name isn’t familiar, his work just might be.

In Life Magazine, brochures for Santa Fe Railway and museums in New Mexico, like at Carlsbad Caverns, Adams’ work is there. He captured the heart of the Land of Enchantment.

One woman believes she hit a gold mine of the famous photographer’s work.

Kelly Robinson grew up around Indigenous people in Wichita, Kansas, and loves collecting photos. When she saw there was a collection on sale with over 200 photos from the Santa Fe Railway’s corporate photo department in the 1930s and ’40s, in particular, she was excited.

“The person that I purchased them from was the granddaughter of that person. So it came directly from the family, and I found out that there was a full collection of other photos. So there were travel photos, train photos,” Robinson said. “Native Americans greeting trains and also travel photos and Carlsbad Caverns.”

As Robinson began looking through the photos, something about those photos stood out to her.

“They were so detailed, and they looked like Ansel Adams. I had never been involved in Ansel Adams work or had any interest in the past, but when I saw them, it hit me like it was true. I said, these look like Ansel Adams photos,” she said.

Robinson did thousands of hours of research, searching through government and railway records detailing Adams’ endeavors. Soon, she began getting confirmations from some key places. In particular, Carlsbad Caverns, where she says they have verified Ansel Adams photos.

“I went to Carlsbad Caverns. I said, ‘Hey, do these do you think are Ansel Adams?’ And they said, ‘They are Ansel Adams, because we have a few of these here in our collection,’” she said.

Robinson also received some confirmations from Adams’ family.

“I started working back with the Ansel Adams Gallery to say ‘This is what’s come in’. I emailed with Matthew Adams. And he said, ‘Yeah, this is his commercial work, and my father was on this road trip, likely with him, when he took these photos.’ So they were validated,” she said.

Robinson said she has over 60 validated works in her collection. They’re portrayals of our beautiful desert landscape. The everyday lives of Indigenous people in our state.

Many of these works are commercial works. Because of that, the Ansel Adams Gallery told her Robinson she could sell those photos if she wanted to – and she has some ideas.

“I would love to see some place in New Mexico own the entire collection that would allow it to stay together and have the end view of this historical perspective. This is was what was going on in the 1930s, ’40s and early ’50s. It’s the wartime efforts to promote a thriving America.” she said.

Robinson added she may auction them off. She also thought about reaching out to Union Station in Chicago to see if they had any interest.

No matter where these photos go, she just wants the world to see them.

“I can own these and just keep them, but what am I going to do? They’re in a box in my closet right now,” she said. “I love them. I take them out almost every day, and still have research to do, but they really do deserve to be exhibited somewhere and on display for the public.”

Robinson said she is planning to go through the process of getting the photos verified.

If you are interested in reaching out to her, particularly with any questions, you can email her at myeisleproductions@yahoo.com.