Watching the Glacier Disappear

Glaciers are disappearing, and so is Switzerland’s natural and cultural landscape. This summer, the national exhibition Watching the Glacier Disappear will unfold across Switzerland, addressing the concerns these changes raise and relying on the eye-opening powers of art to make them more conspicuous. Many museums and other cultural spaces across the country, including Photo Elysée, are supporting this event.

Photography was invented in the 19^th century, at the same time as the advent of alpinism. This medium has now been attracting mountain enthusiasts for over one hundred and fifty years. Taken between 1880 and 1965, before the development of mass tourism, seven images from Photo Elysée’s collection bear witness to humans’–devastating–love of glaciers.