Mount Maudit, Savoy

From the museum

Many major peaks in the Alps were first summited in the 1850s and 1860s, which aroused public interest in the mountains and created a demand for images of them. The Bisson brothers’ photograph of Mount Maudit—which translates as “cursed mountain”—makes the 14,649-foot peak seem inaccessible. In fact, it was not summited until 1878. Photographing at high altitudes necessitated climbing while carrying heavy equipment, including large glass plates and a portable darkroom, and required extraordinary technical prowess and speed in working with the chemicals at low temperatures.

The museum’s own description, in English. Licence: CC0