Week 50 - 2019
Adolf Miethe, Spitzbergen, 1910, gelatin silver on baryta paper. Belongs to the Preus Museum collection
Mountains in sight
There were for sure no fools on foot among those who ventured on Ferdinand von Zeppelin’s expedition to Spitsbergen on Svalbard in 1910. Zeppelin was, as his name suggests, the man behind the Zeppeliner. The goal for this journey was to investigate meteors, but also to explore the polar regions by airship.
German photopionere and photochemist Adolf Miethe (1862-1927) was part of the team. Among other things Miethe is known for the creation of the magnesium powder blitz, as well as the development and the making of a telescope, multiple lenses and one of the first telephoto lenses for the camera. Most notably he is known for his role in the development of colour photography, and in 1903 he produced a colour camera. It was his interest in astrophotography that inspired and lead him to join many expeditions; one of which was enroute to Svalbard.
This photo from 1910 shows a panorama of a glacier in a coastal landscape. A spectacular picture reminding us of nature’s and the earth's fragile state; this glacier is most certainly much smaller today. A dive into the photo archives can give us valuable knowledge and become the basis for research and awareness. This is a focus fitting the commemoration of the International Mountain Day on 11th of December. The day aims to increase our awareness of mountains and sustainable development in exactly these polar areas.