Photographs of a pioneer’s adventures

When you mention the words flight pioneer, co-founder of Swissair or spectacular aerial photographs of the Swiss Alps, most people will immediately think of Walter Mittelholzer (1894–1937). The recently published book Walter Mittelholzer Revisited was written by journalist and historian Kaspar Surber, and is dedicated to the lesser known aspects of Mittelholzer’s life. It presents photographs from his adventurous expeditions to Africa and Persia from the ETH Bibliothek’s Image Archive.

A man full of surprises

African tribe members in traditional dress, the Pyramids of Giza and the dusty Africa savannah – alongside Mittelholzer’s usual aerial photographs, the book also showcases landscape and reportage photography that gives an insight into foreign cultures. At first glance, Walter Mittelholzer’s photographs seem like those of a standard traveller; but behind the photographs is much more than simply an attempt to capture travel memories. Alongside his work as a pilot and photographer, Walter Mittelholzer was first and foremost a savvy businessman. “During his lifetime, Walter Mittelholzer was already selling his photographs to newspapers and magazines, and publishing travel books,” says Nicole Graf, Head of ETH Bibliothek’s Image Archive. For many Swiss people, Walter Mittelholzer’s photography offered them a first glimpse into the foreign cultures of Africa and Persia. “In the 1920s, children read his travel books like they were adventure stories,” adds Graf.

Easier access to the image archive

Walter Mittelholzer Revisited is the sixth book to be published in the series Pictorial Worlds. Photographs from the ETH-Bibliothek's Image Archive. “For us, these illustrated volumes are comparable to a museum exhibition. With the help of authors and graphic designers, we select photographs from our huge collection and put them into context,” says Graf, explaining the motivation behind the publications. They give the public easier access to the Image Archive’s enormous collection of over 3 million photographs. As there is still considerable interest in Walter Mittelholzer, the ETH Bibliothek is planning an exhibition at the Swiss National Museum in Zurich this autumn, which will present Mittelholzer’s foreign photographs in a video montage.