Press Release Headlines

California Historical Society Brings Yosemite to the City with Exhibition Featuring Native American Artifacts, Landmark Photography, and a Never-Before-Exhibited Grizzly Skin

Six-month exhibition includes more than 250 items, telling stories of Yosemite through photographs, videos, artworks, historic objects, words, and enhanced eBook

SAN FRANCISCO, June 30, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — In Yosemite, a landscape of profound natural beauty, we find human stories that are utterly surprising, poignant, revealing, and sometimes tragic.

Photo – http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140630/123315

In commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Yosemite Grant, in which President Abraham Lincoln dedicated the Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove "for public use, resort, and recreation… inalienable for all time," the California Historical Society presents Yosemite: A Storied Landscape.

This six-month exhibition, supported by an enhanced eBook and extensive public program series, brings to life a human history of Yosemite that is as complex and diverse as California itself.

A broad collection of stories links the famous with the unknown, the new with the old. Compelling narratives of this celebrated landscape include the Christmas-time hijinks of the photographer Ansel Adams, the summertime patrols of the U.S. Army Cavalry, the 1927 inspirational trip to Yosemite's high country by artist Chiura Obata, the groundbreaking innovations that made Yosemite the rock-climbing center of the world, and the basket that led Julia Parker back to her Native family.

"We are honored to bring Yosemite, one of the most beloved places on earth, to the city and share its stories of inspiration, heartbreak, and poignancy," said Executive Director Dr. Anthea Hartig. "The history of Yosemite is as complex and diverse as California itself, and this exhibition, engaging educational programming, and stunning enhanced eBook created for the anniversary help celebrate the birth of a national park in new and dynamic ways."

The enhanced eBook, Yosemite: A Storied Landscape, is a collaboration between the California Historical Society and the award-winning digital publisher 36 Views, a San Francisco-based company that helps enrich people's experiences of art, nature, travel and history through multi-media publishing.

The exhibition is open every Tuesday–Sunday from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. through January 25, 2015. The cost is $5. California Historical Society members and children are admitted for free.  Many events and programs will help showcase the exhibition and history of Yosemite.

For more details and event/program schedules visit www.californiahistoricalsociety.org or www.yosemitestories.com. Follow the California Historical Society and Yosemite: A Storied Landscape on Facebook at facebook.com/yosemitestories.

"This exhibition truly brings to life many aspects of Yosemite and will certainly deepen any visitor's connection to one of our nation's greatest treasures," said Yosemite Conservancy President Mike Tollefson. "For over 90 years we have worked to preserve and protect Yosemite and enhance the visitor experience today and for future generations. This is a wonderful way to look back at its history and bring to light some of the stories of those individuals who have been changed by their experiences in Yosemite."

Partners of the exhibition include the U.S. National Park Service, Yosemite National Park, and the Yosemite Conservancy. Sponsors of the exhibition are S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, Clif Bar & Company, UnitedHealthcare and Marcia and John Goldman.

About the California Historical Society:  The California Historical Society is a 143-year-old, non-profit organization with a mission to inspire and empower people to make California's richly diverse past a meaningful part of their contemporary lives. We hold one of the top research collections on California history, which includes over 35,000 volumes of books and pamphlets, more than 4,000 manuscript collections, and about 500,000 photographs documenting California's social, cultural, economic, and political history and development, including some of the most cherished and valuable documents and images of California's past.

Contact: 
Kevin Herglotz 
HPA Strategic Communications 
415-874-9650 
Email