IDENTITY STATEMENT
Reference code(s): GB 0402 REE
Held at: Royal Geographical Society
Title: EVEREST, MOUNT, EXPEDITIONS (General)
Date(s): 1922-1953
Level of description: Collection level
Extent: 56 boxes
Name of creator(s): Various
CONTEXT
Administrative/Biographical history:
CONTENT
Scope and content/abstract:
Correspondence and other papers concerning the planning, personnel, equipment, expenditure, photographs, food and natural history collections of the expeditions to Mount Everest, 1921-1938, including a small notebook containing autographs of the porters of the 1924 expedition; printed leaflet: 'Joint Meeting of RGS and Alpine Club to receive reports of Mt Everest Expedition of 1924'; printed order of service for service held in memory of Mallory and Irvine; postcard sent by John Noel to Mrs Fielding, with Mt. Everest stamp, 1924; letter to the Dalai Lama to Brigadier General C.G. Bruce, 5 Nov 1922; passport issued by the Prime Minister of Tibet, with translation and seal, 1922; letter from the Dalai Lama to Major F.M. Bailey, 1 Jun 1922; Panwana issued by Prime Minister of Tibet to Dzongpens of Kampa etc. for provision of transport and supplies to Mt. Everest expedition; Prime Minister of Tibet’s order to Dzongpens and headmen of Phari etc, with translation and seal; unidentified Tibetan letter with envelope; printed booklet, 'Ascent of Everest' 1953 – the programme for the first performance of the film 'Conquest of Everest'; folder of correspondence relating to the Everest Map, 1957-1960, correspondents include Charles Evans, Norman Hardie, Erwin Schneider, J.C. Bartholomew, Gen R. Llewellyn Bowen, Professor R. Finsterwalder and H.F. Milne; notes describing the stones brought from Everest; letter from George Lowe to Lord Hunt, 29 Feb 1980 with comments on the finding of Maurice Wilson’s body by E. Shipton and Dan Bryant in 1935 and the press reports published March 1980 on a lady’s shoe and a body seen in later years; volume of newscuttings 1922-1923 on Mt. Everest; menu, signed by members of the 1933 expedition and reproduction of group photo of members; letters to Sir Christopher Summerhayes from members of the 1950s Everest expeditions, 1951-1954 and letters regarding the Times code; 9 items retrieved from the body of George Mallory by the 1999 Mallory and Irvine Research Expedition; 13 photographs; some taken by Doug Scott and others taken during official receptions for Hillary and Everest team, 1953-1954; programme for 'Conquest of Everest'; article from Punch, 29 May 1968 regarding Everest journalists' and souvenir menu card of a reception and luncheon of the King and Queen of Nepal in London, 18 Oct 1960 and related invitations and seating plans.
ACCESS AND USE
Language/scripts of material: English
System of arrangement:
As outlined in Scope and Content.
Conditions governing access:
Accessed via the Foyle Reading Room. Free of charge for Fellows, Members and those with valid academic identification. All other users pay a charge and must bring identification in order to register on arrival.
Conditions governing reproduction:
Photocopying at the discretion of the Archivist and subject to completion of 'application for copies' form. No reproduction or publication without permission of the RGS-IBG Archivist.
Finding aids:
Hand list and card index.
ARCHIVAL INFORMATION
Accruals:
Archival history:
Donated from a number of sources including H.W. Griffiths, Mrs Avery and Sir Christopher Summerhayes.
Immediate source of acquisition:
This material was, until recently, in the care of the Mount Everest Foundation.
ALLIED MATERIALS
Related material:
Papers of the Mount Everest Committee, the Joint Himalayan Committee, and the Mount Everest Foundation, (ref: EE).
DESCRIPTION NOTES
Archivist's note: Prepared by an archives volunteer using existing finding aids. Revised by Sarah Drewery.
Date(s) of descriptions: 3 December 2001; Nov 2008.