Week 50 - 2020
Hans Grendahl, Trollheimen, Gjevilv, Storlidal, 1923. Preus Museum Collection
Trolls to the Mountains
Today is International Mountain Day. Those who live in rainy areas might dream of snow, winter and high skies. But FNs International Mountain Day is not commemorated in honour of lowland folk longing for the mountains. It aims to increase the awareness of mountains and sustainable development within mountainous areas. Nearly one million people live in highland areas, and over half of the world's population are dependent on the mountains as a source for water, food and clean energy.
The photographer behind these beautiful mountains in Trondheim was named Hans Grendahl. The fact that it's a double image is not an error from the printers. It's photographed this way so that one could look at the picture pair within a special binocular-like apparatus called a stereoscope. The stereoscope made the images melt together and turned them into one image that was experienced as 3D. It was as if you were standing at the foot of the mountains yourself. As a practising architect, Hans Grendahl had a great spatial understanding. He utilised this knowledge about depth to create similar spatial experiences within photography.