Bergtop op Tenerife 1856 - 1858

Charles Piazzi Smyth made this photograph of a mountain top in Tenerife as part of a book published in London in 1858. Smyth was an astronomer, and this book documents his expedition to Tenerife to conduct astronomical observations at high altitude. The image itself is a window into the scientific culture of the 19th century. During this period, science became increasingly professionalized and institutionalized, with organizations like the Royal Society playing a key role. Smyth, himself a Fellow of the Royal Society, reflects this drive toward empirical observation and data collection that defined this period. It is worth noting the book was produced in London, the centre of the British Empire, as the book hints at imperial expansion and scientific exploration. To fully understand the image, we might consult scientific journals, expedition reports, and institutional archives from that time. It reminds us that art and science are always shaped by the social conditions in which they are made.