Sophus Tromholt Collection
Documentary heritage submitted by Norway and recommended for inclusion in the Memory of the World Register in 2013.
The collection consists of photographic prints in a portfolio and glass negative archive by the scientist and amateur photographer Sophus Tromholt. Tromholt spent almost a year (1882- 1883) in Kautokeino, Northern Norway, as part of the First Polar Year, monitoring an aurora borealis observatory. During this time, he photographed the indigenous population of the Sami, landscapes, villages and cultural observations. These portraits are unique in their individualistic and humanistic approach, a first in picturing the Sami as being something more than racial stereotypes and exotic objects for tourists. The images are most importantly an source to the international concern for indigenous populations and their portrayal as "the other". Tromholt's images are important historical and political records in this debate.