Frankenstein setting

Ingolstadt

The story that Victor Frankenstein tells begins with his education at a university in Ingolstadt, Germany. After researching images of what this town looks like, I found similarities in the architecture of a town I have photographed in France called Colmar. The traditional architecture of both of these towns sets the stage for a gothic story.

Colmar, France (2019)

Lake Geneva

The home of Victor Frankenstein and the place where he returns to try and find some peace after creating the monster is Lake Geneva. I visited a similar lake in a town called Lucerne, where the dramatic mountains and bright blue water reflect the scenery of Lake Geneva. Victor uses this setting in the novel as a place to flee the monster, but in the mountains the monster lurks, developing the theme of being powerless at the hands of nature.

Lucerne, Switzerland (2019)

Chamounix Valley

These are the mountains where Victor runs into the monster. I chose an image of one of the tallest peaks in Europe to show the dramatic and ominous nature of this meeting in the setting of the mountains that Victore attempted to escape the monster in.

Grindelwald, Switzerland (2019)

The DeLacy's Cottage

This is an image of a cottage set against the swiss alps. Again, dramatic mountains and remote location set the stage for the sequence that involves the monster’s learning and burning of the cottage. This develops the gothic elements of being in nature and isolation.

Grindelwald, Switzerland (2019)

Edinburgh

This image is of Edinburgh, one of ple places that Victor travels with Clerval to try and find some peace. This is an image I took on a mountain overlooking the city, and the warm light is supposed to represent the feeling of escape that Victor feels as he travels away from home.

Edinburgh, Scotland (2018)

Orkney Island

This image is of an island off of the Irish coast, very similar to the one that Victor visits to attempt to make a female monster. I chose the image of the island on the horizon because it shows how alone in nature victor was as he experimented.

Skellig Michael, Ireland (2018)

Lost at Sea

This is an image I took of waves crashing against rocks that is meant to represent the storm that Victor gets swept away in that lands him in Ireland. This is one of the moments that best examples of the theme of being powerless in nature as the storm sweeps Victor away with Victor having no control over his direction.

DIngle, Ireland (2018)

Ireland

This is an image I took of the coastlines near the small Town of Dingle on the coast of Ireland. The small port of this town and coastal farms/inlets represent the tow that Victor washes ashore in after he was swept away by the storm.

Dingle, Ireland (2018)

The Arctic Circle

This final photo, of friends hacking through ice at night is meant to represent the Arctic exhibition that Victor embarks upon to find the monster. The danger and harsh conditions of this trip convey the theme of being at the hands of nature around you, and the loneliness of being in this remote part of the world.

Heber, Utah (2021)