In a remarkable window into the past, a collection of rare 19th-century Himalayan images captured nearly 170 years ago has gone on public display for the first time in New Delhi, offering an extraordinary glimpse into landscapes and cultures long before modern exploration and photography took hold.
The exhibition showcases the pioneering work of the German explorer siblings Adolph Schlagintweit, Hermann Schlagintweit, and Robert Schlagintweit, who were commissioned in the mid-19th century by the East India Company to carry out an ambitious scientific survey of the Indian subcontinent. While parts of India had already been mapped under the Great Trigonometrical Survey, vast stretches of the Himalayas remained largely unexplored due to difficult terrain and geopolitical barriers.
Now, 77 carefully restored images from their travels some of which are being exhibited publicly for the very first time bring alive a bygone era. These include breathtaking depictions of Dal Lake framed by snow-covered peaks, as well as ingenious engineering feats like the historic Bogapani Bridge in present-day Meghalaya.
The Schlagintweit brothers’ journey between 1854 and 1858 was nothing short of extraordinary. Travelling on foot, horseback and boat, they traversed regions stretching from Assam to Ladakh, and from the Khasi hills to the trans-Himalayan frontiers. Their mission was not merely exploratory but deeply scientific collecting geological, meteorological, botanical and ethnographic data at a time when such systematic documentation was still in its infancy.
Encouraged by renowned naturalist Alexander von Humboldt, the brothers brought with them a meticulous approach honed in the European Alps. They were among the first Europeans to use cameras during surveys in India, often enhancing low-resolution photographs with detailed paintings to produce vivid and accurate visual records.
Their work was supported by local expertise, including that of Nain Singh Rawat, a pioneering surveyor who later became the first employee of the Survey of India to map Tibet, often travelling in disguise. Such collaborations proved crucial in navigating the linguistic, cultural and geographical complexities of the Himalayan region.
However, their journey was also marked by danger and tragedy. While Hermann and Robert eventually returned to Europe, Adolph chose to continue his explorations. In 1857, during a turbulent period marked by political suspicion, he was executed in Kashgar under allegations of espionage, bringing a tragic end to one of the era’s most ambitious scientific expeditions.
Despite this, the legacy of the Schlagintweit brothers endured. Their extensive collections ranging from maps and sketches to mineral samples and ethnographic artefacts were preserved across institutions such as the Bavarian State Library and museums in Munich. Over time, these materials became foundational to later studies in meteorology, geography and Himalayan research.
The current exhibition, titled “Himalayan Encounters: Hidden Views from 170 Years Ago,” represents years of effort to bring these works back to India. Historians and curators see it as more than just an art display it is a historical archive that captures the intersection of science, colonial ambition and human curiosity.
For scholars, researchers and the general public alike, the exhibition offers a rare chance to witness how the Himalayas and the communities within them appeared nearly two centuries ago. As these images return to the land where they were first created, they reconnect modern India with a rich, complex and often overlooked chapter of its scientific and cultural history.