Meiringen mit Well & Wetterhorn c. 1910

Editor: This is "Meiringen mit Well & Wetterhorn" by A.G. Wehrli, a vintage photograph of a Swiss landscape. It's striking how the town nestles at the foot of these imposing mountains. What can you tell me about the context of landscape photography like this? Curator: It’s fascinating to consider how landscape photography emerged alongside the rise of tourism and national identity. Images like this helped to romanticize regions, inviting viewers to experience these idealized locales and shaping perceptions of Switzerland. What do you make of the framing? Editor: It feels very staged. The photographer is looking down on the city. It almost feels artificial, not natural. Curator: Exactly. And that artifice speaks to the way these images were often constructed to convey specific messages about the relationship between nature and culture. How do you think images like this influenced the development of the region? Editor: I never thought about that, but now I see it. They weren't just recording reality; they were actively shaping it! Curator: Precisely!