The Story of Mont Blanc

Description

Published by David Bogue London, 1853, 1st Public Edition, original orange blind-stamped cloth, boards a little dull, pictorial spine, a sound copy, Nr. Fine.   Albert Richard Smith (1816-1860) was an English physician, author, balloonist, entertainer and mountaineer.  This is the first edition of Smith’s famous book on Mont Blanc.  There are chapters on the history of Chamonix and early attempts on Mont Blanc, followed by Smith’s entertaining account of his own ascent in 1851, not least because he used 16 guides and 18 porters, the latter being needed to carry the 60 bottles of wine, 3 of cognac, 2 of champagne, along with the 4 legs of mutton and 46 fowls needed for the ascent!  Smith’s was the 37th ascent of Mont Blanc and, on his return, he turned his experiences into a hugely successful stage show at the Egyptian Hall in Piccadilly which ran for 2000 performances between 1852 and 1858, helping to popularise mountain climbing in mid-Victorian Britain and making him very rich.  He was a founding member of The Alpine Club in 1857.