Klimmers te Chamonix c. 1860 - 1880

Editor: So, this is "Klimmers te Chamonix," or "Climbers at Chamonix," by Ernest Eléonor Pierre Lamy, likely from between 1860 and 1880. It looks like a gelatin-silver print mounted on cardboard – a stereoscopic card. The scene feels pretty subdued, almost dreamlike. The climber seems so small against this imposing mountain landscape. What draws your eye when you look at this piece? Curator: The beauty of these early landscape photographs lies in their ability to transport us to another era, to witness firsthand the romance with nature that defined the Romantic period. Look how Lamy frames the figure against the vastness – that tension is delicious! Makes you wonder, what did climbing *mean* back then? Was it daring, spiritual, foolish? Editor: Right! He does look like he's kind of swallowed up by the landscape. What do you make of the stereoscopic format itself? Curator: Ah, that's the magic trick! Stereoscopic images were hugely popular. It gave viewers the *illusion* of depth, making them feel present in these faraway locations. Imagine experiencing the Alps in your own parlor! It’s a total Victorian-era VR experience. What strikes me is the quiet. There's a serenity, almost spiritual quality, different from today's adventure photography. Editor: That’s so true, the word that comes to mind isn't adventure but maybe "pilgrimage". It makes you think about how much photography changed not just art, but our relationship with travel. Curator: Absolutely. It democratized seeing. And it offered, I think, a moment for quiet reflection, now a luxury. Editor: I’ll definitely think differently about landscape photography after this. Thanks so much.