Wed Feb 12 06:57:41 UTC 2025: ## Century-Old Himalayan Photos on Display in Delhi
**New Delhi, India** – A captivating exhibition in New Delhi offers a rare glimpse into the breathtaking Himalayan landscape as captured by pioneering Italian photographer Vittorio Sella over a century ago. “Vittorio Sella: Photographer in the Himalaya,” curated by British explorer Hugh Thomson and organized by DAG (formerly Delhi Art Gallery), showcases one of the largest collections of Sella’s Indian photographs.
The exhibition features stunning images of Kanchenjunga, the world’s third-highest mountain, and K2, the second-highest, taken during expeditions spanning the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Sella, a skilled mountaineer and photographer, mastered the challenging collodion process, developing large-format glass plates in extreme conditions. His expeditions, including a journey with the Duke of the Abruzzi to K2 in 1909, involved carrying a 30kg camera system across treacherous terrain.
Despite the limitations of his equipment and the harsh environment – his clothing alone weighed 10kg – Sella produced hundreds of remarkable photographs. His images are notable not only for their technical perfection and aesthetic beauty, as described by Jim Curran, author of *K2: The Story of the Savage Mountain*, but also for his innovative compositional choices, such as incorporating snow tracks to tell a fuller story of the mountaineering expeditions.
Even American photography giant Ansel Adams praised Sella’s work, noting the “religious awe” inspired by the purity of his interpretations. The exhibition is a testament to Sella’s mastery, showcasing a remarkable body of work that has survived the challenges of high-altitude photography, including the risk of humidity damage.
The “Vittorio Sella: Photographer in the Himalaya” exhibition runs until February 14th at Bikaner House, New Delhi, and is open daily from 11 am to 7 pm.
First Piper 