Bedford was a skilled landscape photographer and this is one of his most spectacular views. The Mer de Glace is a glacier in the French Alps, just North of Mont Blanc. Its name derives from the wave-like appearance of the snow and ice. Bedford faced enormous difficulties working at such high altitudes and he may well have used dry collodion plates prepared in advance in order to reduce the amount of equipment he had to carry. His work reflects intense contemporary interest in mountaineering and exploration.