LONDON.- Retreating glacial ice is captured on camera by renowned climber, photographer and filmmaker David Breashears, FRGS, at a new exhibition in London at the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG).

The exhibition "Rivers of Ice: Vanishing Glaciers of the Great Himalaya" presents historic images of Himalayan glaciers from the collections of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) and archives across Europe alongside perfectly matched contemporary photographs.

Since 2007 David Breashears has made eight photographic expeditions to document the glaciers of the Greater Himalayan region. With the GlacierWorks team, he has travelled to some of the world‟s highest peaks, including Mount Everest, K2, Kangchenjunga and Cho Oyu. In so doing, he has recorded the losses and changes to glaciers that are otherwise inaccessible to all but the most skilled climbers, thereby providing an invaluable record for their future study.

Commenting on his photographs David Breashears said: “These then-and-now pictures have a powerful effect on the viewer, one that I hope will bring home the reality — and serious consequences — of climate change. Gazing at Italian photographer Vittorio Sella‟s 1899 picture of the Jannu Glacier in Nepal — a huge ice tongue filling a valley — and then comparing it to my 2009 photo, in which the glacier has disappeared, creates a profound sense of unease.

Commenting on the exhibition, Dr Rita Gardner, Director of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), said: “We‟re delighted that the Society is able to provide access to historic material in our Collections to help a broad range of individual researchers and organisations. In this exhibition David has been able to illustrate changes taking place in the environment from the use of our resources.”