California Historical Society Brings the Tales of Yosemite to the City with Exhibition Featuring Amazing Artifacts, Stories and Events from one of California's Awe-Inspiring Treasures

SAN FRANCISCO, June 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- In Yosemite, a cultural landscape of profound natural beauty, we find stories that are utterly surprising, funny, poignant, revealing, and sometimes tragic.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140609/116277

On June 29^th, on the eve of the 150th anniversary of the Yosemite Grant, in which President 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, which also features an enhanced eBook, specially designed Yosemite website, and extensive public program series, brings the tales of Yosemite to the City and for people of all ages, uncovering a human history of Yosemite that is as complex and diverse as California itself.

Yosemite: A Storied Landscape highlights a broad collection of stories told through multiple and varied perspectives. From the Christmas-time hijinks of the photographer Ansel Adams to the summertime patrols of the post-Civil War–era Buffalo Soldiers, these tales link the famous with the unknown, the new with the old.

Compelling narratives unite storytellers across this celebrated landscape: the artist who found inspiration during a six-week trip to Yosemite's high country; the basket weaver who discovered her Native family through a basket she made for Queen Elizabeth; the chef who cooked extraordinary back-country meals for influential visitors; the stagecoach driver who shuttled presidents, generals, and other famous Americans through the park; the Yosemite rock climber who established an environmentally responsible clothing company.

Told through artifacts and imagery as well as with words, sounds, and music, these stories restore freshness, energy, and intimacy to an American icon bathed in myth.

"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, dynamic  educational programming over the next six months, and stunning enhanced eBook created for the  anniversary help celebrate the birth of a national park in new and dynamic ways."

The exhibition will open with a two-day celebration on June 29^th and 30^th that includes an open house and eBook unveiling on the 29^th from 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m. at the CHS Exhibition Gallery, located at 678 Mission Street in San Francisco.  The celebration continues on June 30^th with daytime events for the entire family, including a feature screening of Ken Burns' Yosemite: A Gathering of Spirit, docent tours, and other activities. 

The enhanced eBook, Yosemite: A Storied Landscape, is a collaboration between CHS 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.  

A specially-designed and created website – yosemitestories.com -- will feature all the latest information about the exhibition, events, eBook, stories and other interesting facts about Yosemite. 

The exhibition, which will run through January 25, 2015, was created in collaboration with The U.S. National Park Service, Yosemite National Park and the Yosemite Conservancy.  Initial sponsors of the exhibition include S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, Clif Bar & Company, and Marcia and John Goldman. 

"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."

Additional information regarding the launch of Yosemite: A Storied Landscape will be announced in advance of the opening on June 29, including details about special events, children's education programs, and guest speaker forums.  You can follow the California Historical Society and Yosemite: A Storied Landscape on Facebook at facebook.com/yosemitestories.  To learn more about the exhibition, visit yosemitestories.com or the California Historical Society website at californiahistoricalsociety.org.

About the California Historical Society:  The California Historical Society is a 142-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

SOURCE California Historical Society