In the nineteenth century, Naples and southern Italy were popular destinations, offering an attractive repertoire of motifs for photographers. In Naples, it was in particular Giorgio Sommer, a photographer originally from Frankfurt am Main, who tapped the motifs of this region for what was still a young medium at the time.This volume presents early photography from the renowned Dietmar Siegert Collection, providing an overview of one of the classic themes of nineteenth-century travel photography. Key themes are Naples and its surroundings, Mount Vesuvius, the archeological digs of Pompeii and Paestum, as well as Sicily and views of Palermo, Agrigento, and Taormina. Besides pictures of classic landscapes and cities, the book features genre scenes and perspectives of daily life as well as unusual photographs, such as the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 1872 and the earthquake that destroyed the city of Casamicciola in 1888. Exhibition schedule: Neue Pinakothek, Munich, November 11, 2011–February 26, 2012