Morgenhorn, Weisse Frau, Bernese Oberland 1923

Editor: This photograph, titled "Morgenhorn, Weisse Frau, Bernese Oberland" by E. Gyger, captures a powerful mountainscape. It feels timeless, almost mythical. What kind of weight do you think these images of mountains carried in the early 20th century? Curator: Mountains are often symbolic of challenges, transcendence, and the sublime. Consider the "Weisse Frau," or "White Woman," a peak that evokes a feminine presence, a nurturing, yet formidable force of nature. Editor: So, the name itself creates a symbol? Curator: Precisely. The choice of these names, paired with the stark black and white, emphasizes a perceived purity and grandeur, ideals that resonated deeply in a rapidly changing world. Early photography was often used to freeze what was perceived as a vanishing time. Editor: I see it now - a connection to the past and an enduring strength. Curator: Exactly. It’s a dialogue between what’s seen and what’s felt, echoed through the ages.