Grand Canyon Photos

In answering the question what's the most beautiful place I've ever been, the Grand Canyon immediately springs to mind, but I'm not even sure if beautiful is the right word for it. I think awe-inspiring covers it better. And while I'm going to share photos of the Canyon, I've never actually seen a photo that captures the majesty of the Grand Canyon and how completely in affected me the first time I saw it.

On my very first road trip across the US, I nearly missed going to see it because it was over 50 miles off my route and I was driving at night. But ultimately I decided to take the detour, stay overnight and visit the Grand Canyon National Park the next day. And I'm so thankful that I did so.

There's a cleverness to how the road has been built that takes you into the National Park. It's designed so that you really cannot see the Canyon itself until you get out of the car. I remember leaving my car, walking across the road and ducking through some trees and immediately bursting into tears at first sight of the Grand Canyon. It was something for which I was completely unprepared. I've seen many natural wonders that have moved me enormously, but nothing ever caused such an extreme physical reaction to me before and never has again. So yes, the Grand Canyon is completely awe-inspiring in its depth and its silences.

In 1941 the National Park Service commissioned noted photographer Ansel Adams to create a photo mural for the Department of the Interior Building in Washington, DC. The theme was to be nature as exemplified and protected in the U.S. National Parks. The project was halted because of World War II and never resumed.

The holdings of the National Archives Still Picture Branch include 226 photographs taken for this project, most of them signed and captioned by Adams. These photos are just a small sample of the photos Adams took of the Grand Canyon.