PIONEERING WOMEN IN MOUNTAIN PHOTOGRAPHY @ LUMEN

blog

PIONEERING WOMEN IN MOUNTAIN PHOTOGRAPHY @ LUMEN

February 28th, 2025 by fstop

PIONEERING WOMEN IN MOUNTAIN PHOTOGRAPHY
09/03/2025 – 21/04/2025

“In the second half of the 19th century, running a business, practicing a skilled trade, or, least of all, being an alpinist was far from easy if you were a woman. Photography—considered “dangerous” for the chemical processes involved and the weight of the equipment to be carried—and mountaineering were primarily male domains. In the early days, mountaineering and mountain photography were accessible mainly to confident, financially independent women from the upper middle class or nobility. Photos by women documenting their alpine adventures were often published under pseudonyms: the names of their husbands. Many female photographers worked in their husbands’ labs, and aside from running occasional ads in regional newspapers promoting their craft, women photographers such as Martha Attinger in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, Hanni Bernhard, or Rose Marie Schudel-Ingold remained virtually unrecognized.
The period between 1865 and 1914 saw numerous wives of photographers active in mountaineering and mountain photography, and it would not be possible to include them all in this exhibition. Instead, four women photographers were selected to represent the group in this exhibition. Among them, Elizabeth Whitshed Main takes a special place as an outstanding photographer, alpinist, and the founder of winter alpinism in general and winter tourism in the region of Engadin, Switzerland, in particular. The exhibition also features works by Gertrude Bell, Eleonore Noll-Hasenclever, and Una Cameron, three distinguished alpinists, travel journalists, and women’s rights activists.”

LUMEN. Museum of Mountain Photography,
Kronplatz, Bruneck, South Tyrol
Italy

Location: Bruneck, Italy Type: Exhibition

blog