Broad and Gasherbrum Peaks, Karakoram, Himalaya c. 1909

Curator: This is Vittorio Sella's photograph, "Broad and Gasherbrum Peaks, Karakoram, Himalaya," currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. Look at the stark beauty! What's your first reaction to it? Editor: Wow, it's both breathtaking and isolating. The sheer scale of those mountains... makes you feel incredibly small. Almost like an ant in a snow globe. Curator: Sella was a pioneer in mountain photography. He documented expeditions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His work really helped shape the popular image of the Alps and Himalayas. Editor: You can see why! The drama! Those tiny figures against the colossal peaks...it's a reminder of our vulnerability, but also, weirdly, our ambition to conquer. Curator: Absolutely. And think about the technology of the time! Transporting that equipment, developing the images in such extreme conditions… it’s incredible. He captured the romance and the challenges of exploration. Editor: It's a beautiful image, and, now that I think of it, quite brave for its time. Curator: I agree, it speaks volumes about the human spirit.