One of Adams 's earliest memories was watching the smoke from the fires caused by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake . Then four years old , Adams was uninjured in the initial shaking but was tossed face-first into a garden wall during an aftershock three hours later , breaking and scarring his nose . A doctor recommended that his nose be reset once he reached maturity , but it remained crooked and necessitated mouth breathing for his entire life
1906 San Francisco earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
Ansel Adams