PERIOD PIECES
THE VICTORIAN MOUNTAINEERS, by Ronald Clark; B. T. Batsford Ltd., English price 18/-. N his previous book Early Alpine Guides, Ronald Clark presented historically interesting vignettes of some of the professional climbers of- Central Europe. Now he serves the guides’ employers from Britain who numbered such notable names as John Ruskin, evangelist for mountains, Michael Faraday the scientist, Albert Smith who was reputed to have made £30,000 from his illustrated talks on Mont Blanc, Edward Whymper of the Matterhorn, the American Miss Brevoort who beat donkey-drivers if they ill-treated their animals, her nephew W. A. B. Coolidge, a quarrelsome Alpine historian, and many foundation members of the Alpine Club, London. Quaint photographs support a scholarly text. Perhaps the most interesting uncertainty faced by the author is why the Victorian age produced mountaineers of such physical toughness. His conclusion is that "The Victorians were always asking questions and they climbed fundamentally because they wanted their questions answered. .. . It is no coincidence that scientists and clergymen were so numerous among the early
mountaineers."
John
Pascoe
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZLIST19540402.2.23.5
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
New Zealand Listener, Volume 30, Issue 767, 2 April 1954, Page 13
Word count
Tapeke kupu
175PERIOD PIECES New Zealand Listener, Volume 30, Issue 767, 2 April 1954, Page 13
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Material in this publication is protected by copyright.
Are Media Limited has granted permission to the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa to develop and maintain this content online. You can search, browse, print and download for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Are Media Limited for any other use.
Copyright in the work University Entrance by Janet Frame (credited as J.F., 22 March 1946, page 18), is owned by the Janet Frame Literary Trust. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this article and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the New Zealand Listener. You can search, browse, and print this article for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from the Janet Frame Literary Trust for any other use.
Copyright in the Denis Glover serial Hot Water Sailor published in 1959 is owned by Pia Glover. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this serial and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the Listener. You can search, browse, and print this serial for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Pia Glover for any other use.
Log in