Vagabond Photographer Shot 5,000 Photos of Rural Life That Were Found Years After His Death

Matt Growcoot
Five young women in early 20th-century dresses pose against a plain wall; two are seated, three stand. To the right, a man stands outdoors with a large vintage camera on a tripod, facing the group.
Roberto Donetta’s photograph of female workers at a chocolate factory in the Blenio Valley. The photographer himself, right.

Striding over the steep inclines of the Swiss Alps in the late 19th century, a tall, mustachioed, eccentric man — who would often sing to himself — traveled around the impoverished Blenio Valley hawking seed packets while carrying something else: a large format plate camera.

Roberto Donetta is a very unusual photographer. He died as he was born, penniless and bitter about a world that he could not navigate and that he never truly found satisfaction in. And yet his photos are bursting with humor and intrigue thanks to his clever use of composition and his ability to put subjects at ease.

Five men sit in a row outdoors, four holding accordions and one with a guitar. They wear suits and pose in front of a building with a window and open shutters. Dry leaves are scattered on the ground.

A group of men in work clothes stand and sit outside a building, some holding drinks and tools. A few are raising their hats or posing playfully. There is a barrel nearby and a small dog resting on the grass.

Black-and-white portrait of a stern-looking man with short hair and a mustache, wearing a suit jacket and vest, and a patterned scarf tied around his neck, sitting against a textured backdrop.
Roberto Donetta

Four children stand partly hidden among large leafy plants in a wooded, grassy area. The children wear light-colored clothes and gaze toward the camera. Trees and dense foliage fill the background.

A child stands on a cobblestone path, mostly hidden inside a large metal barrel, with only their head, arms, and legs visible, in a sunlit outdoor setting.

Two young children stand side by side in front of a patterned cloth backdrop. The boy holds a toy horse, while the girl holds a rectangular box. Both wear dark, old-fashioned clothing and have serious expressions.

In 1912, his wife left him and took six of their seven children with her as he was unable to provide for them. On his 46th birthday, all of his belongings — including his beloved glass plate camera — were seized from him.

Most men born in the Blenio Valley left to find work in a nearby industrialized town. But Donetta, partly because of his love of nature, never left the countryside that he so adored, lamenting the changes as roads were built and new railway lines installed.

The Fotostiftung Schweiz, which exhibited his work, called Donetta a “contradictory personality” since his love of technology, namely photography, clashed with his Luddite persona.

It ultimately led the villagers of Blenio Valley to regard him as a vagabond. But despite his shifty reputation, it’s clear that he was well-liked, and many villagers would request his photographic services; although he would often deliver commissions late because he would develop plates infrequently to save on chemicals.

A black and white photo of a family—two adults and three children—posing barefoot in front of a rustic backdrop with branches and leaves, wearing old-fashioned clothing and somber expressions.

Four people in winter clothing stand outdoors in snow next to a large pig hanging upside down from a wooden frame. Old buildings, bare trees, and mountains are visible in the background. The scene appears historical and rural.

A boy in early 20th-century attire, including a suit, tie, and hat, stands on grass in front of a stone wall and a painted backdrop with plants and columns. His expression is serious and his hands are in his pockets.

A chef in a white hat and apron stands outside holding a large fish. He appears serious and is standing near a wooden door, with buckets and chairs around him on a stone surface.

A man in a hat and coat stands in front of a rough stone wall, holding an open photo album with portraits visible, and looking seriously at the camera.
Roberto Donetta

Two children sit reading beneath a large, shady tree, while an adult stands behind them with a large woven basket. Sunlight filters through dense branches and leaves, creating a peaceful, natural scene.

A black-and-white photo shows a boy and a man standing beside two heavily loaded donkeys on a village street. The donkeys carry crates and bundles, and wooden buildings and mountains are visible in the background.

After he died in 1932, the 5,000 photos he had taken were the only items that auctioneers could not get rid of at a sale of all his belongings to aid those who had lent him money and never got it back.

It wasn’t until the mid-1980s that Mariarosa Bozzina discovered his life’s work in Corzoneso, the rural village where he had died. Donetta’s incredible photos depict yesterday’s world that was being left behind.

A group of men and boys gather around a bocce court in a village, with two bocce balls on the ground. Some are holding bocce balls, and one person leans on a bicycle; traditional stone buildings and mountains are in the background.

A black-and-white photo of a family of five—two adults and three boys—posing outside a rustic stone house. The adults are seated, the youngest child sits on their lap, and the two older boys stand on either side.

A vintage black-and-white photo of a bride in a veil holding flowers and a groom in a suit, standing together in front of a patterned backdrop, possibly at an early 20th-century wedding.

A black and white photo of four people in old-fashioned clothing posing by a stone wall: two adults stand with a tool, two children sit on the ground, and a sheep stands near them. The scene looks rustic and historical.

A black-and-white photo of a group of men, women, and children posing outdoors with cups, a bicycle, and a wooden barrel. Some are seated on stone steps and ledges, while others stand behind them, dressed in early 20th-century clothing.

Five young women, dressed in early 20th-century clothing, pose for a black-and-white photo. Three are seated with flowers in their laps, while two stand together, one holding flowers, against a plain wall background.

A man stands outdoors next to a large, old-fashioned camera on a tripod, with hills and a river visible in the background. He looks toward the camera, surrounded by grass and foliage. The photo is in black and white.

Although Donetta didn’t own a shop, he would attempt to recreate late 19th-century photographic studios by hanging his own improvised backdrops and using whatever props he could lay his hands on.

The Fotostiftung Schweiz says it is “evident” that Donetta’s technical prowess improved greatly over his 30-year career as he got his pictures sharper and better composed.

“Over time, Donetta proceeded to photograph his figures outdoors, in nature, embedded in a scenario that was very familiar to him,” the museum adds.

Image credits: Photographs by Roberto Donetta

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