Sigfús Eymundsson (1837-1911) was the first Icelander to make photography his life’s work.  He returned from studying in Norway in 1866 and set up a photography studio in Reykjavík a year later.  He operated the studio for over four decades, while also taking an active, enterprising part in Icelandic public life.  Sigfús was the first to photograph many of the places that are now considered among the most popular tourist destinations in Iceland.  His perspectives have served as models for many others.

Einar Falur Ingólfsson (b. 1966) followed in Sigfús’ footsteps and used selected photos of his as a kind of “tour guide” on trips around the country, sometimes seeking out the same perspective or positioning his camera within Sigfús’ frame.  Einar Falur and Sigfús’ photographs form a visual dialogue, despite there being almost one hundred and fifty years between the images.

While working on this project and choosing which of Sigfús’ photographs to use as guides, Einar Falur relied on an album that Sigfús himself put together.  The album was on display at Sigfús’ photography studio for customers to view and order photos from.  The album is included in the exhibition, along with a selection of Sigfús’ unique vintage prints.  Most of the prints made from Sigfús’s glass plates are, however, new.

Although Einar Falur followed Sigfús on his photographic journey, he also captured on film various other things of interest that he encountered, thereby creating his own visual diary.  In addition to images that refer directly to the photographs of his predecessor, Einar Falur’s photos depict places between those shown in Sigfús’ photos and people whom Einar Falur met “within the frames” of the old photographs.

Sigfús Eymundsson’s collected negatives and photos are preserved in the National Museum of Iceland.