An exhibition at the Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology has opened, portraying Machu Picchu, the Peruvian fortress city of the ancient Incas, in photographs.
An exhibition at the Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology has opened, portraying Machu Picchu, the Peruvian fortress city of the ancient Incas, in photographs.
‘Machu Picchu & the Camera’ presents the city, discovered by the American explorer Hiram Bingham on July 24 1911, as a 20th century phenomenon.
Peruvian photographer Martin Chambi, who lived and worked in Cuzco most of his life, made his first visit to Machu Picchu in 1917. In the following decades he made many visits to Machu Picchu with his friends, sometimes acting as experienced guide as well as photographer. His reputation as a photographer of international importance grew after his death, with the discovery of his archive of 17,000 negatives and has resulted in exhibitions and acquisitions of his prints by major museums all over the world.
Today’s vistors to the region will identify with his instinctive response to capture the impact of these remote ruins high in the Andes through photographs. This exhibition allows all to share in this sense of wonder he experienced through his visits.
Machu Picchu & the Camera is curated by Charles Chadwyck-Healey with assistance from Hugh Thomson and is open from 2-4.30pm, Tuesday-Saturday. The exhibition ends on 30 April.
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