Travel Photography

Drawn from the ALBERTINA Museum’s multifaceted collection, this exhibition brings together travel and expedition photography from the nineteenth century. The photographs lead from the icy heights of the Alps to the ancient sites of the Middle East, from remote regions of the Habsburg Empire to distant countries such as Japan.

These works were produced at a time when photography was still a new medium but was increasingly used to depict the world. Cultural, political, and entrepreneurial motivations led to the creation of photographic series that documented industrialization, the expansion of mobility, shifting claims to power, and the exploration of landscapes that were still little known.