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150
Chamonix celebrates the
th
anniversary
1865 – 2015
150 years
across the Alps
A CELEBRATION
OF THE GOLDEN AGE
OF ALPINISM
AND ITS HERITAGE TODAY
The Golden Age of Alpinism reached its climax in 1865, immortalised
by an impressive number of first ascents on magnificent summits, and
new routes across the Alps in France, Switzerland, Italy and Austria.
From June to September 2015, the Chamonix Mont-Blanc Valley will
honour the guides, alpinists, artists and photographers of the Golden
Age. Discover a rich programme of exhibitions, excursions and
commemorative climbs, films, conferences and theatre, book publications
and the traditional guide’s festival.
OBJECTIVES
• To reaffirm our identity and to promote our
Alpine region.
• To publicize exceptional collections of
mountain art, photography and literature.
• To highlight Alpine style climbing in 1865
and its legacy in 2015.
• To pay tribute to both guides and
mountaineers of the Golden Age for their
remarkable feats of endurance, audacity and
courage.
• To unite the French, Swiss and Italian
communes through joint publications and
communication.
Programme
of events
June to September 2015
9 TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS DEDICATED TO 1865
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc:
• Alpine Museum: 19th Century Treasures of the Alpine Club
• Maison de la Montagne: Amateur Alpinists and their Guides
• Maison de la Mémoire: Glaciers and Photography 1850-1870
• Espace Tairraz: The Grands Mulets Huts 1853-1900 and 21st Century Refuges
• English Church: Landscapes and Contemplation
Argentière
• Maison du Village: Tourism in 3D
Les Houches
• Musée Montagnard: Growing Up in 1865
Servoz
• Maison du Lieutenant: Access and Transport in 1865
Vallorcine
• Espace Culturel: Access and Transport from Switzerland to Vallorcine and local crafts in 1865.
A SERIES OF CONFERENCES IN BOTH ENGLISH AND FRENCH
Edward Whymper – Albert Smith – James Forbes – John Ruskin – Women Alpinists – The English in Savoy – Alpine Style today.
THEATRICAL PERFORMANCES
FILMS & DOCUMENTARY
GUIDED VISITS AND MOUNTAIN EXCURSIONS
COMMEMORATIVE ASCENTS OF MAJOR PEAKS
GUIDES’ FESTIVAL
PUBLICATIONS
Festivities will take place throughout the summer
but you should already save the following dates
10-11 July: Official inaugural opening of all exhibitions
13 July: Climbing World Cup final in Chamonix and a sporting tribute to Michel Croz
14 July: Bastille Day / Death of Michel Croz on the Matterhorn
17 July: A theatrical tribute to Michel Croz in the village of Argentière
12-15 August: Moutain Guides’ Festival–Chamonix /Argentière.
Visitors can book their stay:
www.chamonix.com
Find out more: 1865.chamonix.fr
Maison declaire.burnet@chamonix.com
la Montagne – June to September
2015
Contacts:
/ culture.cm@chamonix.fr
1865
65 first ascents
across the Alps
MONT-BLANC
VALAIS
OBERLAND
BERNINA
DOLOMITES
Mountaineering without borders.
Base camps: Chamonix Mont-Blanc,
Courmayeur, Grindelwald, Valtournanche
and Zermatt.
Chamonix
The Golden Age of Alpinism refers to
the prolific decade between 1854, when
the Englishman Alfred Wills climbed the
Wetterhorn in the Bernese Oberland with
2 Chamonix guides, to 1865 when nearly
all the major Alpine summits had been
climbed.
This intense period of exploration and adventure was pioneered by the
Victorians and “mountaineering” developed as a “sport” with no scientific
justification!
The Golden Age of Alpinism reached
its climax in 1865 and was immortalized by
65 FIRST ASCENTS
63 alpinists:
34 British, 13 Austrians, 9 Swiss, 6 Italian, 1 French
53 guides:
from Chamonix, Zermatt, Valtournenche, Grindelwald, Val de Bagnes,
Pontresina, Meiringen, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Lauterbrunnen.
The real lover of the mountains finds in his most difficult excursions, not merely an exciting and adventurous sport,
but the enjoyment of a new sensation – that of being brought into immediate contact with the brilliant wonders
of an unknown world". Thomas Hinchliff
1865
7 first ascents
in the Mont-Blanc Massif
7
4
1
2
6
3
5
1-3: Aiguille Verte
4: Grandes Jorasses
5: Aiguille du Chardonnet
6: Aiguille de Bionnassay
7: Brenva spur / Mont-Blanc
In 1865, 7 first ascents were made in the Mont-Blanc
Massif, not least the Grandes Jorasses, the Aiguille
Verte and the remarkable Brenva spur which opened
a new and difficult route on Mont-Blanc, heralding
the beginning of a new climbing era and the birth of
modern alpinism.
The Aiguille Verte 4122m (The highest summit
entirely in France) was first climbed on 29 June 1865,
by E. Whymper and Swiss guides C. Almer and F.
Biner (Whymper couloir).
The second ascent was made on 5th July by C.Hudson,
T.S. Kennedy and G.C. Hodgkinson with Chamonix
guide Michel Croz (Moine Ridge).
9 days later Charles Hudson and Michez Croz were
killed on the Matterhorn.
Alpinism
and
guidecraft
Mountaineers and their guides travelled the length and breadth of the Alps, covering immense distances on foot, crossing
new passes and gaining new heights. Then, as now, Chamonix was a vibrant base camp! During the Golden Age of Alpinism,
many lifelong bonds developed between the pioneers and their guides: Alfred Wills and Auguste Balmat, Edward Whymper
and Michel Croz, Douglas Freshfield and François Devouassoud, Adolphus Moore and Jakob Anderegg… This celebration is
as much about friendship as endeavour.
MICHEL CROZ
EDWARD WHYMPER
Michel Croz lived in the
village of le Tour in the
Chamonix Valley. From 1859
he was in the very front rank
of guides then available for
difficult mountain excursions.
His list of first ascents was
most impressive and his
campaigns with Whymper
in 1864 and 1865, prior to
the terrible accident on the
Matterhorn remain in the
annals of mountaineering.
Whymper said of Croz
“Places where you and I would toil and sweat and yet be
freezing cold, were bagatelles to him and it was only when
he got above the range of ordinary mortals, and was required
to employ his magnificent strength and to draw upon his
unsurpassed knowledge of ice and snow, that he could be said
to be really and truly happy”. The inscription on his memorial
stone in the churchyard at Zermatt reads “bears honourable
testimony to his rectitude, his courage and his devotion”.
In 1860, at the age of
20, Whymper’s skill as
an engraver won him
a commission to visit
the Alps, where he met
illustrious members of
the Alpine Club and was
inspired by their tales.
Whymper is best known
for his obsession with
being the first to summit
the Matterhorn, perhaps
the greatest prize of the
Golden Age. His success,
so swiftly followed by a disastrous fall that killed four of
his companions, defined his life and changed the course
of mountaineering. His memoir, “Scrambles Amongst the
Alps” is regarded as one of the classics of climbing history.
Whymper’s “scrambles” in South America and Greenland
are les well known, but he never ceased exploring.
His sketches, engravings and later photography made a
tremendous contribution to mountain art and knowledge.
Whymper died in Chamonix in 1911.
1830-1865
1840-1911
The Matterhorn Accident
On 14th July 1865, victory on the much coveted
Matterhorn rapidly turned to tragedy with the terrible
accident that marked the end of a heroic and carefree
period. Three Englishmen and Chamonix guide Michel
Croz lost their lives when the rope broke on the descent.
The Matterhorn tragedy, with an English aristocrat
among the dead, provoked public outcry at the perceived
folly of mountaineering and led to calls for it to be
banned. Yet the disaster also increased interest in the
new sport!
The Compagnie
des Guides
Established in 1821, the Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix was the first
of its kind. During the Golden Age of Alpinism, the guiding profession
becomes more structured and with it develops a new alpine culture: a
quest for adventure, exploration and tough physical challenge which the
guides are quick to adopt alongside their employers.
The Company today is a family of over 200 passionate mountain
professionals who have written and continue to write many remarkable
pages in the history of alpinism.
It is a double debt we owe to the pioneering guides of the Alps and their kinsfolk, who have not only opened out the great
mountain highways for us, but beautified the valleys which lead up to them and whose many friendly acts afford us such a
number of pleasant recollections …There are no periods of our life that have given us a greater number of memories than the
seasons we have spent in the Alps... and we recall the great good fellowship and bonne camaraderie we have enjoyed, such as
can only exist among those who are engaged together in one common sport, not wholly unattended with danger.” C.D. Cunningham, Pioneers of the Alps.
the exhibition
Amateur Alpinists and their Guides
Maison de la Montagne – June to September 2015
The Maison de la Montagne is home to the “Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix”.
It is befitting that in 2015, it will host the exhibition, dedicated to the remarkable achievements
of its elders: photos, portraits, itineraries maps and equipment.
MAPPING THE CHAIN OF MONT-BLANC
BY ADAMS REILLY
Adams-Reilly was a mountaineer, painter, cartographer, and geographer.
He was the climbing partner of Edward Whymper on the first ascents of the
Aiguille d’Argentière and Mont Dolent in 1864, when he was surveying the
summits. This map of the Mont-Blanc Massif was published in 1865.
The Role
of the
Alpine Club
From the 1850’s, a small elite of British mountaineering enthusiasts, spent their summer holidays scrambling in the Alps
and summiting new peaks! The names of E.S. Kennedy, John Ball, Leslie Stephen, Judge A. Wills, W. Mathews, J. Tyndall
and FF. Tuckett are closely associated with this period. In 1857 they founded the World’s first Alpine Club, with 28 initial
members. The Club presented a view of climbing as an activity free from rules and regulations, that was as cultural as it was
sporting. Although literary and elitist, a circular issued soon after its inauguration made it clear that it sought members "who
have explored high mountainous ranges."
Club members were encouraged to describe their climbs and to immortalise alpine landscapes. It was one of the founding
members, the publisher William Longman, who, in 1860, commissioned Edward Whymper, the young engraver to provide
sketches of the Dauphiné to illustrate Peaks, Passes and Glaciers, precursor to the Alpine Journal.
Today, the Alpine Club Library possesses the most comprehensive collection of mountaineering literature in Britain with over
25,000 books, journals, guidebooks and expedition reports. The Alpine Club Picture Library has a remarkable collection of
mountain and mountaineering photographs, paintings, drawings, engravings and images.
The club includes, and always has, most of the leading British mountaineers of each generation. It now has members in more
than 30 countries worldwide.
I believe that the ascent of mountains forms an essential chapter in the complete duty of man, and that it is wrong
to leave any district without setting foot on its highest peak"
Sir Leslie Stephen, author of ‘Playground of Europe’, father of Virginia Woolf
the exhibition
19th Century artists of the Alpine Club
Musée Alpin, Chamonix – June 2015 to April 2016
Chamonix will have the immense privilege of exhibiting the treasures of the Alpine Club :
oil paintings, water colours, engravings, photographs, guide’s diaries…
19 Century
Alpine Club
Artists
th
From the start, it had always been possible to be elected as a member of the Alpine Club in recognition of artistic, literary or
scientific contributions to the mountain environment.
In the early 1860’s, the practice began of having a small collection of Alpine pictures and sketches on view at the Alpine Club
summer and winter dinners. These exhibitions gradually increased in magnitude! Many of the Alpine Club artists showed
work at the Royal Academy and some of them were quite prominent academicians.
JOHN RUSKIN
1819-1900 - AC Member 1869
SIR ROBERT P. COLLIER
1817-1886 - AC Member 1861
Robert P Collier was initially a barrister
and later a judge. Between 1864 and 1885
he exhibited some 23 pictures at the Royal
Academy with subjects including MontBlanc, Monte Rosa, Matterhorn, Wengernalp,
Wetterhorn, Mer de Glace and examples from
the Tyrol. His large oil-painting Argentière
Glacier of 1878 was given to the Alpine Club
by the family in 1911 and will be exhibited in
Chamonix in 2015.
The young John Ruskin’s interest in mineralogy was already well-advanced
when, in 1834, he received from his father for his 15th birthday, a copy
of de Saussure’s "Voyage dans les Alpes". Thereafter, Ruskin’s geological
exploration and sketching in many of the Alpine regions became a lifelong
passion. In May 1844, Ruskin had the good fortune to meet with Chamonix
guide Joseph Couttet, known locally as "Baguette" because of his long thin
legs. Their partnership was to endure for about 30 seasons and although
Ruskin was no serious rock climber, he did speak of his mastery of the
Alpenstock. He became a member of the Alpine Club in 1869 in recognition
of his literary, artistic and scientific contributions.
His famous diatribe against mountaineers in Sesame and Lilies, with his talk
of "race courses of the cathedrals of the Earth" and "soaped poles in a bear
garden" was almost certainly prompted by Albert Smith’s jubilant return
from Mont-Blanc in 1851.
EDWARD T. COMPTON
1849-1921 - AC Member 1880
At the age of 18, E. T. Compton moved with his family to Darmstadt in
Germany, where he subsequently studied art and indulged in serious
climbing. Probably no one prior to E. T. Compton had ever combined hard
climbing with such talented work as an Alpine artist. His paintings were
hailed as being "astonishingly realistic…with a keenness of perception
which suggests the majesty of remote peaks and sunlit glaciers."
He exhibited 26 paintings at the Royal Academy.
Albert Smith
1816
1860
ALBERT SMITH
THE MAN RESPONSIBLE FOR MONT-BLANC MANIA
Albert Smith first visited Chamonix in 1838 whilst at medical school in
Paris. In 1841 he began his career as a doctor, but soon abandoned it for
a literary and theatrical career. He was a prolific writer and one of the
earliest contributors to Punch. Following his first visit, Smith spent at least
3 weeks of every year in Chamonix although he couldn’t afford to climb
Mont-Blanc until 1851. The chief guide Jean Tairraz told him he was too
fat, but he could not be dissuaded !
The climb was the most extravagant to date (60 bottles of vin ordinaire,
6 of claret, 10 of Nuits St George, 15 of St Jean, 3 of Cognac, 20 loaves,
4 legs and 4 shoulders of mutton, 6 pieces of veal, 1 of beef and no fewer
than 46 fowl). At the Grands Mulets they slept under the sky. Smith
thought the peaks "looked like islands rising from a filmy ocean – an
archipelago of gold". The sight was "more than the realisation of the most
gorgeous visions that opium or hashish could evoke". Smith fell asleep the
moment they reached the summit. His return was triumphant with a band,
cheering crowds and artillery fire. Ruskin was present in Chamonix at the
time and was disgusted.
Albert Smith’s show, "The Ascent of Mont-Blanc" opened on 15th March
1852 at the Egyptian Hall Piccadilly. It consisted of 2 parts, the first
was a description of the journey from London to Chamonix taking in anything sensational, even if it was not en route.The
second was a portrayal of Chamonix and Mont-Blanc. For 6 years the show was the most popular in town, with a total of 2000
performances, seen by an estimated 800,000 spectators. After only 3 months he gave a private performance for Queen Victoria’s
husband and their 2 sons Prince Edward and Prince Alfred. He was known to thousands as the "man of Mont-Blanc".
A board- game was issued called "The
New Game of Mont-Blanc" with 2
counters for each player when they
passed the Mur de la Côte for their
extraordinary bravery in climbing it!
In London people danced to the MontBlanc Quadrille and the Chamonix
Polka. Smith let his beard grow and
posed ruggedly for photos. The Times
described it as" a perfect Mont-Blanc
mania". Whilst Smith’s vulgarity was
frowned upon by many in England, he
became a local hero in Chamonix, not
only for the crowds he drew but for the
time and money he spent on the place.
His annual return was treated with
cannonades and he was given his own
suite in the Hotel de Londres complete
with brass nameplate.
The
Grands Mulets
Hut
The Grands Mulets rocks were a landmark and resting point on the ascent of Mont-Blanc long before the existence of a hut.
From the first ascent of Mont-Blanc in 1786 to 1850, a mere 52 climbs were recorded, but change was in the air…
Thanks to Smith and his Mont-Blanc mania, so many people wanted to climb this emblematic summit that in 1853 the guides
built a hut on the Grands Mulets, a rocky promontory at 3051m. It was the first mountain hut, measuring fourteen feet by
seven, with two glazed windows and equipped with benches, tables and an iron stove.
50 "swells" and guides attended the opening ceremony in September 1853 and Albert Smith was naturally amongst them.
He was delighted to note that it was the biggest party ever to have climbed to the Grands Mulets! Due to the late hour, they
decided to spend the night in the hut. Smith recounted "One by one the notables sat down against the wall, their knees drawn
up, then another line of people sat in front of them, and so on until all fifty people had somehow crammed themselves inside.
The guides shut the windows, fired up the stove and lit their pipes".
The hut reeked and stank and Smith darted out occasionally for a breath of fresh air. The party indulged in what Smith called
“the malicious revelry” of joke telling which lasted until dawn when they all went home!
In 1857, Smith had the honour of escorting Queen Victoria’s first son,
the Prince of Wales, future king of England on several excursions in the
Chamonix Valley which included the Grands Mulets hut. 7 years later, in
1864 it was Prince Arthur’s turn to visit Chamonix and the Grands Mulets.
Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught with Chamonix guides in 1864
The first Grands Mulets hut, built 1853
Due to the ever increasing number of visitors to the Grands Mulets, it became evident that the first hut was too small.
The "Compagnie des Guides" (founded in 1821) decided to pay for a new shelter. The hut was first constructed and assembled
in Chamonix, then dismantled and carried by guides and porters up to the Grands Mulets at an altitude of 3020 m. It took a
total of 400 journeys! The hut measured 52 ft by 9 ft and comprised three rooms, a stove and kitchen area. It was rented to the
guide Sylvain Couttet from 1866 to 1880. In 1881, Couttet’s lease came to an end and it was time again for renovations, this time
financed by the town of Chamonix.
the exhibition
The Grands Mulets
Espace Tairraz, Chamonix – June 2015 to April 2015
From the first primitive mountain huts to the most contemporary high-mountain innovations!
Women climbers
and
Mont-Blanc
"An easy day for a lady…"
If mountaineering was a morally questionable activity for men in the 19th century, it was even more so for women!
Nevertheless women were active climbers from early in the sport’s history. However, those who particularly challenged the
notion that the Alps were an exclusively male domain were the dedicated mountaineers. Below are but two examples of the
many middle-class women involved in mountaineering. None of them accepted the notion of women being frail, needing male
oversight, incapable of sustained physical exercise or hostage to their reproductive organs!
LUCY WALKER
Lucy Walker began climbing with her father and brother in 1858 and continued until 1879.
She made a total of 98 expeditions, and was the first woman to the top of 16 summits, and not
least the Matterhorn in 1871.
Lucy Walker always climbed in a skirt and she consistently ate sponge cake and champagne
to beat her chronic altitude sickness. When asked why she never married, Lucy replied that
she had two loves in her life: the mountains and her guide Melchior Anderegg; unfortunately
Melchior already had a wife! Lucy Walker became a legend in her own lifetime and Whymper
called her a celebrity, describing how she excited much curiosity and inspired a large amount
of talk in Alpine hotels!
ISABELLA STRATON
The first winter ascent of Mont-Blanc was made in 1876 by an
English woman named Isabella Straton. This feat was published in
local and foreign newspapers and turned Straton into a climbing
celebrity. Isabella first visited Chamonix in 1861 in the company of
her trusted friend Emmeline Lewis-Lloyd, with whom she travelled
throughout the Alps and Pyrenees on horseriding, hiking and
climbing expeditions. When Lewis-Lloyd retired from climbing in
1873, Straton continued to climb with Jean Charlet, a Chamonix
mountain guide who had accompanied her and Lewis-Lloyd on
their previous expeditions. Straton and Charlet climbed together
for twenty years and after the success of their Mont-Blanc ascent in
January 1876, they shed all conventions and were married the same
year. In 1881, they climbed a new peak in the Aiguilles Rouges, which they named Pointe de la Persévérance in honour of
"the perseverance that they had shown before they had dared to confess their affection for one another".
TSCHINGEL
Born in 1865 in the Oberland, Tschingel the tan beagle became famous as the dog that
climbed Alps, following his master, W.A.B. Coolidge up peak after peak. During his
liftetime Tschingel made eleven first ascents and accompanied Coolidge up more than
150 mountains! After several litters of puppies Coolidge occasionally conceded to refer
to him as "her". After her ascent of Monte Rosa in 1869, Tschingel was elected "Hon.
A.C" by members of the Alpine Club, thus making her the only female member of this
all-male club! Tschingel’s finest hour came in 1875 when she made the first unassisted
canine ascent of Mont-Blanc. On her return to Chamonix a special cannon was fired in
her honour.
Glaciers
and
Photography
In 1849, 10 years after the official invention of the daguerreotype, the first Alpine photographs appeared. They were unique
shots, which could not be reproduced and were not for sale. They were taken by artists (John Ruskin, Girault de Prangey),
or by scientists, passionate about the study of glaciers (Daniel Dollfus Ausset).
The commercial success of photography took off in the 1850’s thanks to the invention by Brewster of a compact
Stereoscope. In 1851, at the London Universal Exhibition, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were enthralled by
this object, which reproduced extraordinary 3D images. Henceforth, for a period of 20 years this technique became
highly fashionable worldwide. In France, with the exclusion of Paris, Chamonix was doubtless the most photographed
destination in the latter half of the 1850’s.
By pure chance, the revolutionary technique of
photography arrived just in time to immortalize
the last glacial maximum between 1850 and
1859. At this time, everybody could visit the
terminus of the glaciers because they extended
to the valley floor. One of the most popular
excursions was the Source de l’Arveyron, an
impressive natural vault of ice at the extremity
of the Glacier des Bois (Mer de Glace) just a 20
minute walk from Chamonix.
The Little Ice Age reached its end in the 1860’s.
Through a succession of dated photos, it is
possible to retrace the retreat of the Glacier des
Bois year on year between 1856 and 1869, when
it finally disappears from the valley floor!
Certain inhabitants of Chamonix were quick to adopt this new technology
and to learn the skills. A case in point was Joseph Tairraz and his brother
and of Eugene Savioz who shared a passion for the high mountains and
for photography. Photographic equipment was extremely heavy and
cumbersome and mountain excursions were not without risk. We pay
tribute to these pioneers and many others (Martens, Ferrier, Soulier,
Bisson, Braun…) as we discover with feeling, the images of a bygone era.
the exhibition
Glaciers and Photography
Maison de la Mémoire et du Patrimoine – June to September 2015
Glacier landscapes across the Alps as never seen before.
A unique private collection of historic photographs courtesy of Rémi Fontaine.
1865 a prosperous year
for tourism…
Chamonix’s reputation as a tourist destination commenced in the late 1700’s, but the arrival of the railroads in Europe
brought the Alps within reach of the professional classes with time and money to afford long vacations. The annexing of the
Savoy to France in 1860 also played an important role in the development of this foremost Alpine resort.
The Emperor Napoleon III visited his new province in 1860 and whilst he
marvelled at the extraordinary beauty of the mountains and glaciers, he was
somewhat appalled by the difficult access to the valley! Following his visit,
work began on improvements to the road to Chamonix.
Travel Times from Paris to Chamonix in 1865
From Paris to Geneva by rail....................................................................... 18 hrs
From Geneva to Chamonix by horse drawn cab....................................... 10 hrs
Return to Geneva via the Valais
From Chamonix to Martigny by mule.......................................................... 8 hrs
From Martigny to Geneva by rail /steam boat............................................ 5 hrs
the exhibitions
Modes of travel and access to the Chamonix valley
Maison du Lieutenant, Servoz – June to Sepember 2015
Espace culturel - Vallorcine
The hotel industry was expanding to accommodate the thousands of tourists flocking to Chamonix each summer. When the
Frenchman, Amédée Achard discovered the town of "Chamouni" at this time, he could not hide his amazement "Once upon a
time, Chamonix was a valley and now it is a grand hotel. One sees the odd chalet and a dozen or so farmsteads resembling a décor
from William Tell, but predominantly one comes across immense, lavish and superb hotels. It is my guess that 150 000 Englishmen
have come this way! Each of these hotels could accommodate the entire village and with a dose of complacency, the entire province.
Those that have built them have understood that Europe, with its kingdoms, empires and even republics with visit Chamonix".
Chamonix visitor statistics in 1865
British
3,669
American
3,004
French
2,747
German
1,097
Belgian
227
Italian
214
Russian
173
Swiss
119
Dutch
108
Spanish
43
Turkish
4
Indian
2
Various
382
TOTAL
11,789
32%
25%
23%
9.3%
0.9%
0.8%
5.9%
3.1%
Tourism and 3D Photography
the exhibition
1865 -Tourism in 3D
Among the thousands of visitors was the Victorian photographer William
England. He first toured the Alps in 1863, taking 130 stereoscopic views under
the patronage of the Alpine Club. 150 years ago, virtually every middle class
home had a stereoscope to view photographs in 3D and William England was
celebrated as one of the foremost exponents of the art. He returned in 1865 and
visited Chamonix at least 6 times in total. His 3D images became highly popular
tourist souvenirs and helped cement the global reputation of Chamonix as a
tourist mecca.
Another visitor was Jemima Morrell, who 150 years ago joined Thomas Cook’s
first guided tour of the Alps. The diary of her travels provides a charming insight
into the tourism of the age. "How strange, how intensely incongruous it felt on that
hot summer’s day to be crunching on ice under our feet and to be looking down
yawning crevasses that showed 80 or 100 feet of their blue and crystal-lined jaws".
Maison du Village
in Argentière
June to September 2015
Relive the travels of William
England and Jemima
Morrell as we step back in
time through the magic of
stereoscopy to visit the valley
of Chamonix 150 years ago.
Peter Blair collection.
Guided Excursions and mules
Mountain guides, porters and mules represented several hundred bodies,
all of whom came under the responsibility of the "Guide Chief ". During
the 19th century, the majority of Chamonix’s visitors were content to
make sightseeing excursions on mule back! The classic excursions were
Montenvers, Brévent, Flégère, Argentière Glacier, Berard and Pelerins
waterfalls. In 1865, according to the traditional mule fair, 300 mules were
seen and nearly as many mule drivers, invariably young lads aspiring to
become guides.
Whilst tourism thrived during the summer
months, the majority of the valley’s 2,400
inhabitants were still occupied by their
agro-pastoral activities. Mountain guides were
also peasant farmers and mules were equally
valuable for the role they occupied on the land
as well as in tourism.
the exhibition
Growing up in the Chamonix Valley
in 1865
Musée Montagnard - Houches
Trades, professions and daily life in a changing valley.
And alpinism
today?
Leslie STEPHEN proved to be a real visionary when he published his book in 1871 entitled "THE PLAYGROUND OF
EUROPE". This title has never been more appropriate than today, such has the diversity and intensity of mountain
practices increased in the Alps, from Mont-Blanc to the Dolomites, whatever the season.
Mountaineers in 2015 are heirs to the Alpine Style of 1865. The essence and commitment remain the same: courage, a sense of
exploration, solidarity, respect for people and places. The important thing in the mountains, is not just the climb, but the way it
is approached, at all altitudes, in all seasons. Then as now, the Chamonix Valley remains a base camp for climbers from all over
the world, and the Mont-Blanc Massif an eternal playground: 101 glaciers, 150 summits, over 4,000 itineraries from easy climbs
to legendary routes... and doubtless still some "firsts" to be invented!
The Chamonix valley is also the birthplace of many new mountain practices: ski mountaineering, dry-tooling, paragliding,
base-jump, slack-line, ultra-trail, free-ride, speed riding...
Chamonix, or Cham, became a legend in 1786 with the first ascent of Mont-Blanc, and its renown was reinforced during the
Golden Age of Alpinism. Today’s climbers, each with their own motivations, enthusiasm and talent continue to expand upon
the great novel of mountain history.
Toil he must who goes mountaineering, but out of toil comes strength and an awakening of all the faculties; and
from strength arises pleasure… If I could blot out every reminiscence, or erase every memory, still I should say that
my scrambles amongst the Alps have repaid me, for they have given me two of the best things a man can possess –
health and friends. »
Edward Whymper
a permanent exhibition
Modern alpinism and the extreme!
• Espace Vertical, Aiguille du Midi 3842m - The world’s highest museum dedicated to alpinism and
adventure today.
• Espace Tairraz - An interractive exhibition for all the family.
Publications
in 2015
1865, L’ÂGE D’OR DE L’ALPINISME
Gilles Modica
IX MONT-BLANC
téréoscope de 1850 à nos jours
eN
All publications
will be available
in the exhibition
locations.
enre, contient plus de deux cents vues stéréoscoà nos jours. Grâce aux images de Tairraz, Savioz,
land et d’autres, l’auteur nous transporte dans
d’or de l’alpinisme. De Saussure, Dumas, Ruskin,
iteurs célèbres accompagnent le lecteur dans cette
de l’image en 3D, nous pouvons traverser les creon du mont Blanc avec les alpinistes de l’époque,
habitants du petit âge glaciaire et visiter les princimerveilleux massif.
es actuelles réalisées par l’auteur peuvent être comme endroit il y a environ 150 ans. Elles démontrent
matique sur l’évolution des paysages.
st intégrée dans le livre afin de découvrir en 3D
om
29 e
ISBN 978-2884-19354-2
9 782884 193542
Maquette de couverture : Agence Twapimoa.
moniard de cœur, Peter Blair passe son temps
pied et à skis. Muni d’un doctorat en physiqueiné par la magie de la photographie. Passionné,
es plus importantes collections de vues stéréos-
CHAMONIX MONT-BLANC eN
PeTer BLAIr
56 €
Available in April 2015:
www.editionsguerin.com
CHAMONIX PeTer BLAIr
MONT-BLANC eN
Un voyage à travers le stéréoscope
de 1850 à nos jours
150
Chamonix celebrates the
th
anniversary
Press contacts
Claire Burnet: claire.burnet@chamonix.com
Cécile Bouzard: presse@chamonix.com
Photo credits:
Alpine Club, Alpine Museum Chamonix, Rémi Fontaine, Peter Blair, Pascal Tournaire, Hubert Gay-Couttet, Claude Gardien…