In 1915, a Japanese immigrant arrived in Asheville, North Carolina, without knowing that the mountains around the city would eventually become the center of his life. George Masa found work at the Grove Park Inn, learned to navigate a new world and eventually turned photography into far more than a livelihood. His pictures became a powerful way to show others what was worth protecting, as per a report by Appalachian Mountain Club and KFDM News.
Alongside his friend and conservation advocate Horace Kephart, Masa photographed, mapped and documented the Smoky Mountains as the campaign for a national park gathered momentum.
