Gezicht open berglandschap met lariksen en koeien before 1898

P. Odier made this landscape of mountains, larches and cows. This photograph is part of a book – it’s printed on a page with text and bound within covers – and it’s worth considering the context that the book provides. Perhaps it accompanies a scientific description of the local geography, perhaps it’s part of a romantic novel set in an alpine location, or perhaps it’s an element of a documentary project, designed to explore the lives of people who live and work in the mountains. Without the book, it’s difficult to tell when the image was made. The style of the photograph, with its detailed depiction of trees and the distant mountain, would not be out of place in the mid-19th century. On the other hand, it could have been made later, perhaps in Switzerland. Understanding this image requires historical research, looking at photography, local histories, and the social history of Switzerland. In this way, we can build up a picture of the social institutions that helped to create the conditions for this work.