Expedition Vanadis: An Ethnographic Voyage Around the World 1883-1885

The Swedish steam frigate Vanadis circumnavigated the globe between 1883 and 1885. Onboard was the archaeologist and ethnographer Hjalmar Stolpe, accompanied by the young photographer Oscar Ekholm. Together they documented the peoples and societies from South America's coasts to the islands of the Pacific.

Oscar Ekholm became one of the first global travellers practising the nascent art of photography, but is almost completely forgotten today. For the first time, a selection of around 700 of Ekholm's unique photographs from the expedition are showcased. With copious extracts from Hjalmar Stolpe's letters and articles, this graphic depiction gives us access to life onboard the Vanadis. Despite the colonial imperialism and social divides of the time, the photos and texts also tell the story of human warmth, curiosity and humanism in the encounter between people of different continents.