Advertising: Ansel Adams, Arms Peddler?

It comes as a surprise to see photos of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and Yosemite National Park used in ads tout ing Rockwell International's weapons systems. But critics are outraged that the photos are classic works by the late Ansel Adams, an ardent environmentalist who opposed the proliferation of nuclear weapons. In one of the ads, which have appeared in leading aerospace trade journals, Rockwell declared that its B-1B bomber was an "American asset" like the Sierra Nevada.

& This sort of thing raises the ire of many environmentalists. The January issue of Mother Jones scolds Rockwell for making Adams into an "arms peddler." Carl Pope, political director of the Sierra Club, calls Rockwell's use of the Adams photographs the "ultimate in cynicism." But Rockwell paid a substantial fee to the Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust for permission to use the photos. Contends Trustee John Schaefer: "Adams was a patriot. He believed in a strong defense."