One family, four generations, 150 years of chasing clouds—and changing how we see mountains forever.
For a century and a half, mountain images by their beauty have largely gained from its influence, its frequentation and its development. But they are also a tool in the service of science, fixing the transformation of landscapes, habitats... Over 150 years, the Tairraz dynasty photographed the mountain. Four generations of photographers have magnified the Mont-Blanc massif. From the first photograph taken at the summit of Mont-Blanc in 1861 to the present day, this art is at the origin of many mountaineering vocations and has largely contributed to the tourist development of these formerly ignored valleys. Here is the wonderful story of a dynasty of photographers, the Tairraz, which stretches from 1861 to the dawn of the 2000s.
Cinematography
Staggering archival photographs spanning 1861 to 2000s.
Direction
Antoni weaves family legacy with environmental history elegantly.
Director
Jean-Luc Antoni
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The Tairraz family essentially invented alpine photography as we know it, creating the visual language that still sells Chamonix tourism today.
Their 1861 summit shot predates accessible mountaineering by decades—those photographers were hauling glass plate cameras up ice walls before crampons existed.
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