Photo courtesy of the Center for Creative Photography The 1932 image "Rose and Driftwood, San Francisco, California," by renowned photographer Ansel Adams, will be part of the CCP's exhibit celebrating the artist's 100th birthday. "The Ansel Adams Centennial: Classic Images and A Portrait of Ansel Adams" opens March 9.

From deep in its vaults, the CCP is pulling out what many photography lovers consider to be the facility's prized possessions.

In recognition of famous photographer Ansel Adams' 100th birthday, the Center for Creative Photography presents two exhibitions in his honor in early March.

Adams, who died in 1984, is best known for his photographs of Western landscapes. His wonderment of nature was inspired by a family trip to Yosemite National Park as a child. Adams won three Guggenheim grants to photograph the national parks, served on the Sierra Club board for more than 30 years and was a co-founder of the CCP.

With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that the CCP is home to the Ansel Adams Archive, the largest collection of his work in the world. There are 2,500 exhibition-quality prints of his work, along with nearly 20,000 negatives and proofs, at the facility. Adams bequeathed his estate to the facility.

Two exhibitions form the "Ansel Adams Centennial," and feature items taken from the archive.

The first installation of the exhibit, "Classic Images," is photos that were chosen by Adams as a representation of what he thought were his most prominent and long-lasting images. These images were featured in the book by the same name, published in 1986.

Curator Marcia Tiede said she believes the pieces in "Classic Images" perfectly exemplify Adams' work.

"It celebrates how stunning his photographs are, and the range of subjects and imagery, including some lesser known works, most valued by him at the end of his epic career," she stated in a press release.

The second part of the exhibition, "A Portrait of Ansel Adams," is, as the title would suggest, a reflection on the artist himself.

The exhibit features portraits of Adams done by other notable photographers, such as Imogen Cunningham, Dorothea Lange and Cedric Wright. It also features some of the equipment used by the artist, such as his metal view camera, as well as manuscripts, magazine layouts and correspondence that once belonged to Adams.

"By looking at letters, manuscripts, books, magazines and proof prints, the career of a photographer as famous and influential as Ansel Adams becomes even richer and more three-dimensional," Leslie Calmes, CCP Archivist, stated in a press release. "With his collection of portraits, visitors can follow Adams' path from youthful amateur to acknowledged master of the medium he devoted his life to."

The opening reception is in the CCP March 8 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The exhibitions will then be on view until July 7, with entry free to the public. Future gallery talks will address Adams' environmentalism. For more information, call the CCP at 621-7968, or visit its Web site at www.creativephotography.org.