UKC

My grand father was a prolific climber and photographer in his life and I have been given a mass of photographs and slides, mainly of climbing in the lakes and the Isle of Skye, also the Dolomites. Mainly of climbing but also of the six day motorcycle rallies which he and his wife Millie undertook (They won in 1928!). I even have early slides (colour!) of his father on Scarfell dressed in tweed with hobnail boots!

The question is there a nation climbing photo archive? It seems such a shame they are sitting in boxes in my basement. I have scanned the entire paper photo in to digital format, and I would consider doing the same for the slides (literally thousands!).

There are some classic shots, of climbing in the lakes in the 1930-1940 on Gable and even a photo of his car driving on a gravel road through Glencoe.

There is also a diary of the climbing club, with stories of climbing and drinking!

Any advice welcome.

In reply to Jamie Simpson - Alpine Dragons:

get the digitals on UKC, id love to see them! sorry, i dont know about a national archive.

In reply to Jamie Simpson - Alpine Dragons: I can't help either but I admire your sense of .....can't think of the word but I'm sure you get the point.

In reply to Jamie Simpson - Alpine Dragons:

What climbing club was he in? Maybe if it is a stable club they could become custodians of the diaries and copies of the pictures if titled and dated if possible.

Well done on the scanning the pictures, now just a couple of years work doing the slides.

In reply to Jamie Simpson - Alpine Dragons: I haven't a clue what the answer is, but I think it is an important question. There must be several important collections of historic photographs, what has happened to them/going to happen to them in the future.
Surely some form of National Archive is needed.

In reply to Jamie Simpson - Alpine Dragons: You will be wanting the Mountain Heritage Trust

http://www.mountain-heritage.org/

Unfortunately, with the demise of the National Mountaineering Exhibition, I guess they don't have much scope for displaying their items.

I would be very interested in seeing the photos as well.

In reply to James Moyle:

Thanks for the advise and support, I'll try and get some offering on to my own web page and then try the mountain heritage site.

In reply to Jamie Simpson - Alpine Dragons:

Your gradnfather wasn't called Jim, was he?!

jcm

In reply to johncoxmysteriously:

His brother was, but he didn't climb but hung around with them. My grandfather was called Armystead (!) we called him Army for short his Brother was James (Jim for short). The climbing club was based in Middlesbrough and used to drink out of a pub called the Miners Arms. The club was called the Bergers (It had a Germanic name but when they found out what the Nazi were doing to the Jews they dropped it quick). It was called I think the Bergsteiners and is a word for Mountains (I think). I'll dig out the club diary, as there is a list of club members in the front cover, there is also an essay written on the ascent of Pillar rock.

In reply to Jamie Simpson - Alpine Dragons: If the essay is not copyrighted ot owt, it would make a great article on UKC.

Would love to read it.

In reply to Jamie Simpson - Alpine Dragons:
Why not set up a Pro Flickr account and put the scanned stuff in there at web resolution, and you could maybe sell hi res copies which could finance the pro Flickr account?

In reply to Jamie Simpson - Alpine Dragons:
I'd suggest either the Royal Geographic Soc, Alpine Club or FRCC library (at lancaster uni).

Would love to see them though!

In reply to hindu:

A small selection has been added to my profile.

In reply to Jamie Simpson - Alpine Dragons:

Some more offerings!

In reply to Jamie Simpson - Alpine Dragons:

Beautiful Jamie

http://www.ukclimbing.com/photos/author.html?id=60545

In reply to Jamie Simpson - Alpine Dragons:

Fantastic Jamie,
I can't help anymore than above but whatever you do please don't let them go to waste. You would be surprised how few (or at least published) old photos like these there are around. They are a fine record of your Grandfathers (and friends ) spirit.

In reply to Darron:

Add a few more. 2 x Armsteads wife (might have been girl friend at that point) Millie on Striding Edge, Helvellyn Aur 29th 1927 and again Millie on kirkstone pass (gravel road!) Aug 31st 1927.

Also Armstead's father on Scarfell pike possible late 1930's but I am not sure about the date, may be some photo people can advise on the date of the first colour slide films?

In reply to Jamie Simpson - Alpine Dragons:

Sounds a fantastic collection, love to see it on ukc. Have you thought of the National Mountaineering thingy at Rheged in Penrith. Other than that the FRCC archive at Lancaster Uni would be a good bet.

In reply to Jamie Simpson - Alpine Dragons:

What interesting photos. Thanks for sharing them.

In reply to Jamie Simpson - Alpine Dragons:

email Alison S to see if the Alpine Club want to put them in with their archives. or I can ask at the RGS if you wish

In reply to dave wearing:

As mentioned above, and recently on here, it is closing.

In reply to Jamie Simpson - Alpine Dragons: Great photos-thanks for putting them up here, really fascinating.

In reply to Jamie Simpson - Alpine Dragons:

Great - thanks.

jcm

In reply to Jamie Simpson - Alpine Dragons:

Spiffing photos, old bean.

Really enjoyed them! If there is not an archive, there ought to be.

Y.

In reply to Jamie Simpson - Alpine Dragons: Thanks for the photos Jamie, fascinating. I remember Ken Wilson judging a climbing club slide competition years ago, dismissing all the action shots and telling us what we should be taking was pictures of people at the crag, before and after climbs. The beggar was right again! So we'll all have to remember to take this sort of photo as well, so that our kids and theirs will know 'How it used to be'.
Thanks again, Mark.

In reply to Mark HW:

Your probable right. What gets me the most is how innocent all the people in the photo look. Considering the fact how difficult going climbing then would have been. When Armstead drove to Skye it was an epic journey, taking days and days, often on gravel roads. I will up load some more pictures of some gravel roads in Glencoe and Skye as well as picture of the early ferry from main land to Skye if people like?

I also have a cinefilm of Armstead climbing on DVD I might try and load that as well on my private sight and then may be UKC could link it or out it through youtube or something?

In reply to Jamie Simpson - Alpine Dragons:

Added some more 1930's photo's

TFN

Jamie

In reply to Jamie Simpson - Alpine Dragons: Hi Jamie, thaks for posting this stuff up - I'd like to echo the comments that some other people have made on this thread, I think it's a great contribution.

The National Libraries of Scotland have a "polar" archive that includes mountaineering stuff, and even if the focus might be better suited to an ENglish or UK collection the NLS contact at the bottom of the page in the link might be able to advise:

http://www.nls.uk/collections/foreign/mountains/index.html

Thanks again for posting these pictures,

Andy

It would be worthwhile contacting the Mountain Heritage Trust. They used to be inolved in supporting the NME and are still going. They are in the process of establishing a national mountaineering archive and will be able to help, or advise on archiving. They had also organised exhibitions separate from the NME - such as The Crux at Kendal Mountain Film Festival a couple of years back - and may well be exhibiting elsewhere into the future.

Call 01768 840911.

In reply to Jamie Simpson - Alpine Dragons: If there was an archive I could transfer my pix from my gallery to it. Yes please.

In reply to Jamie Simpson - Alpine Dragons:

Abbott Hall Gallery in Kendal used to be the custodians of the Abraham Bros collection. They would probably be able to advise you.
Nice pictures.

In reply to Jamie Simpson - Alpine Dragons:

Hi Jamie

I'm the Archivist with Mountain Heritage Trust - www.mountain-heritage.org

Feel free to call if you wish to discuss.

Maxine - 01768 840911

In reply to Maxine MHT:

Thanks for the info. I will contact you soon. I have just returned form working at sea and will be away again this week on an ice-climbing trip. Life is very hectic at the moment, so please be patient.

There must be many photos like these, lying in boxes, possible owned by none climbers, and it seems a shame they could be lost.

May be UKC could have a historical photo archive section?

TFN

Jamie

In reply to Jamie Simpson - Alpine Dragons:

I have added to my private web page some early cinefilm of Millie and Army

Millie is gearing up while Army is just out for a walk. I have some more of Army actually climbing but it needs some more work. These two clips also need more work but I am off to Geneva tomorrow so its all a bit hectic right know!
http://web.mac.com/jamieiansimpson/iWeb/Den%20Frosne%20Nord/Climbing%20Movi...

tfn

j

In reply to Jamie Simpson - Alpine Dragons:

Has anyone had a look at the short cinefilm clips on the website. Do they work?

In reply to Jamie Simpson - Alpine Dragons:

I was about to suggest the National Library of Scotland but Andy Macpherson got there first. (Hello Andy.)

I'm sure they'd be interested in the Scottish photos if not all of them. If you want I could go and ask them about it in person, but you'll have to wait for May for that as I'm a bit busy until then and not in Edinburgh much. In fact I'll be passing through Bergen on may way to the Jotunheimen in a few weeks...

Thanks a lot for sharing the photos with us all. They're amazing to look at.

Mehmet