Tom Wool
In May 2001 Tom Wool traveled to the Rongbuk Valley in Tibet, retracing the footsteps of the early British expeditions attempting to reach the summit of Mount Everest. The most famous of these was that of 1924 during which George Mallory and Andrew Irvine disappeared on the mountain. These expeditions are extensively documented by the photographer Captain John Noel in his book “The Story of Everest”. Wool spent a month traveling between villages, documenting the people and their way of life in this remote part of the world. Things had changed very little since those early expeditions. However, a road was built by the Chinese, allowing the Olympic torch relay for the 2008 Beijing Olympics through the valley. With easier access change was inevitable. Tom Wool has spent the last 20 years traveling the world and documenting the cultural diversity of humanity. His photographs have been exhibited internationally and are on permanent display at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University and are part of the permanent collection at The Rubin Museum of Art, in New York City. Tom Wool currently lives and works in New York City.
