Mont Blanc gezien vanaf de Jardin, op de voorgrond een groep bergbeklimmers c. 1871

Florentin Charnaux made this photograph of Mont Blanc and a group of mountain climbers, most likely in the 1860s, using the albumen print process. The image offers a glimpse into the burgeoning culture of alpinism in mid-19th century Europe. Note the group of men positioned in the foreground, dwarfed by the immensity of the Alpine landscape. This was the time when the Alps were being mapped, measured, and conquered by a new breed of adventurers. The Jardin, mentioned in the title, was a popular vantage point for viewing Mont Blanc. Charnaux, who was based in Switzerland, sold many photographs as souvenirs to tourists, who were becoming more adventurous, with many engaging in proto-scientific exploration and mountaineering. To understand this image fully, we need to examine the history of alpinism, the development of tourism in the Alps, and the growth of photography as a medium for capturing and disseminating images of the natural world. We need to use sources such as travel guides, mountaineering journals, and early photographic catalogs to understand the cultural and social context of this photograph.