ALBERTINA Vienna Traces Travel Photography from 1850s to Autochrome in 'The World in Focus'
'The World in Focus' will be on display at the ALBERTINA in Vienna from July 22 to October 26, 2026. This exhibition, curated by Anna Hanreich, showcases 107 photographs sourced from both the museum's collection and the Höhere Graphische Bundes-Lehr- und Versuchsanstalt. It delves into the realm of travel and expedition photography spanning from the mid-nineteenth century to the advent of early color photography. Notable pieces include Wilhelm Burger's Arctic photographs from the 1868–1869 Austro-Hungarian East Asia expedition, Raimund von Stillfried-Rathenitz's portrayal of Tokyo after the Meiji Restoration, and Christian Paier's 1864 panoramic view of Jerusalem. Additionally, the exhibition features works by Josef Löwy, Johann Victor Krämer, and autochrome plates from 1907. A bilingual catalogue edited by Hanreich will accompany the exhibition.
Key facts
- Exhibition dates: July 22 – October 26, 2026, at ALBERTINA, Vienna.
- Curated by Anna Hanreich; 107 photographs plus a projection of early autochromes.
- Works come from the ALBERTINA collection and the Höhere Graphische Bundes-Lehr- und Versuchsanstalt, on permanent loan.
- Wilhelm Burger photographed the Austro-Hungarian East Asia expedition (1868–1869) and a North Pole support mission; his Arctic images are among the earliest.
- Raimund von Stillfried-Rathenitz established a Yokohama studio in 1871 and photographed Tokyo and Yokohama after the Meiji Restoration.
- Josef Löwy documented Bosnia and Herzegovina after the 1878 occupation, focusing on roads and infrastructure.
- Johann Victor Krämer used a portable Kodak in Egypt and Palestine, 1898–1900.
- Autochrome plates arrived in 1907; a bilingual catalogue edited by Hanreich is available in German and English.
Entities
Artists
- Anna Hanreich
- Wilhelm Burger
- Count Hans Wilczek
- Raimund von Stillfried-Rathenitz
- Christian Paier
- Josef Löwy
- Johann Victor Krämer
- Giorgio Sommer
- Francis Bedford
- Gustav Jägermayer
- Adolf Schoon von Corbitzthal
- Anton Silberhuber
- Napoleon Bonaparte
- Marcus Bunyan
- Thomas Holzleithner
- Harald Woschitz
- Christopher Cardozo
Institutions
- ALBERTINA
- Höhere Graphische Bundes-Lehr- und Versuchsanstalt
- Photoglob & Co.
- Lviv-Chernivtsi Railway (Lemberg-Czernowitz-Jassy Railway)
- Vatican Museums
- National Archeological Museum at Naples
- The Style Mate
- Wikipedia
Locations
- Vienna
- Austria
- Florence
- Italy
- Ponte Vecchio
- Tadipatri
- Andhra Pradesh
- India
- Philae
- Egypt
- Jerusalem
- Bethlehem
- Tokyo
- Yokohama
- Japan
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Busovača
- Zenica
- Žepce
- Doboj
- Jajce
- Pliva Waterfall
- Halicz
- Halych
- Ukraine
- Dniester River
- Atrani
- Amalfi Coast
- Naples
- Pompeii
- Rome
- Capri
- Sicily
- Palermo
- Norway
- Digermulen
- Spitsbergen
- Isbjörnbai
- Matochkin Strait
- Russia
- Arctic
- Alps
- French Riviera
- Komotau
- Bohemia
- Zurich
- Switzerland
- United States