The Explorer’s Eye: Documenting Conflict and Humanity Through Photography
Since the late 1800s photography has been essential as a tool to document exploration. Last year’s presentation by Roger Härtl focused on the era of physical exploration through the lens of Vittorio Sella and Wilfred Thesiger. This year, he argues that as the physical map reached completion, the spirit of discovery migrated toward the human landscape.
As our physical world became fully charted, photojournalism emerged as a modern form of exploration—venturing into the complexities of culture and conflict. Through the work of three Magnum Photos masters, all drawn from Härtl’s private collection, we will see how this tradition lives on:
Paolo Pellegrin has spent decades documenting global conflicts, humanitarian crises and climate catastrophes with a style that blends emotional depth and stark visual storytelling.
Gilles Peress is renowned for his resolute documentation of political upheaval and human rights struggles.
Susan Meiselas is an iconic documentary photographer who blends advocacy with artistry to give voice to marginalized communities.
These photographers do more than document; they navigate a difficult ethical terrain. They ask us: How do we document suffering without aestheticizing it? By pushing the limits of visual storytelling, they explore critical human zones that demand our attention and sometimes our action.
This in-person event at the Explorers Club Headquarters will include an audience Q&A.
RESERVATIONS
This will be an in-person lecture at Explorers Club Headquarters.
In-person tickets are $20 for Members, and $35 for the General Public.
Check-in will begin at 6:00 pm, with a beer and wine reception from 6:00 – 7:00 pm
Roger Härtl
Roger Härtl, MD, serves as the Hansen-MacDonald Professor of Neurological Surgery and the Director of Spinal Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine and Och Spine at New York-Presbyterian. A leader in global health, Dr. Härtl is the founder of the Weill Cornell Tanzania Neurosurgical Initiative. For over 15 years, this pioneering program has expanded neurosurgical training and infrastructure across Tanzania, leaving a transformative mark on the region’s medical landscape.
Beyond the operating room, Dr. Härtl is a dedicated alpinist and bibliophile. Having grown up in the Dolomites and Germany, his early passion for skiing and climbing evolved into a lifelong pursuit of global exploration. He is an avid collector of historical texts and photography, with a particular focus on the Great Explorers of the 19th and 20th centuries. His contemporary photography collection emphasizes the “lyric documentary” tradition—reflecting his deep interest in the complexity of the human experience. Through surgery, scholarship, and the arts, Dr. Härtl remains committed to bridging cultural and intellectual divides.
