The untold story of the evolution and technological feats achieved between 2005 and 2020 by the Table Mountain Cableway is now on exhibition at Switzerland’s most-visited museum, The Swiss Museum of Transport. The cableway is the first African engineering feat to be showcased at the museum.
“We approached Gary Hirson, one of South Africa’s most recognised photographers, to visually document our annual shutdown activities,” says Wahida Parker, MD of the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company (TMACC). Parker says thousands of visitors are transported daily, but the public do not get to see what it takes to keep them safe.
Shutdowns are a major exercise that forms part of TMACC’s commitment to the safe operation of the cable car. Hirson spent long hours with the technicians as they went about their work, capturing the maintenance work and offering a visual insight that few others can match.
“The idea of being the only photographer to be able to capture the ‘behind the scenes’ of the people, working in a unique environment, in extreme weather conditions to ensure the mechanical safety of the cable cars was an adventure I could not pass. It has been one of the highlights and honour of my working career.”
Displaying his work in Switzerland is a significant move, he adds. Firstly, Switzerland is seen as the international benchmark when it comes to cable car safety. The International Regulatory Body is based there, and its strict operational safety rules are why TMACC closes once a year for maintenance.
It is also an opportunity to take one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature (Table Mountain) to Europe and showcase how TMACC makes it possible for people from around the world to get an insight into the challenging work it takes to make sure everyone gets to the top of the mountain safely.
“To demonstrate a narrative through visuals, you must have an emotional connection and bring to life the human element of man versus machine. To many, this may sound very technical, but I was allowed to portray it through my own art,” Hirson concludes.
