An exhibition exploring Everest has been officially opened at a Cumbrian gallery.
Everest Revisited is in the main Art Gallery at Rheged, near Penrith.
Stimulated by the centenary of the tragic disappearance of Mallory and Irvine near the summit, the exhibition was officially opened by Irvine’s niece, Julie Summers.
A launch event was attended by over 150 invited guests including Sir Chris Bonington, whose first of four summits of Everest was by the South West face in 1975.
Julie, an author, broadcaster, historian and biographer, gave a very personal account of how she felt when she received the phone call from National Geographic’s Jimmy Chin in September.
Jimmy shared the remarkable news that after 100 years, Sandy Irvine’s remains had finally been found, identifiable from a name tag on his sock.
This story has been captured in the Everest Revisited exhibition which also presents 100 years of Everest exploration, through art, photography, film and rare artefacts.
The launch was also attended by relatives of significant Everest individuals such as the Wakefield and Norton families, representatives of the Alpine Club, Royal Geographical Society and Mountain Heritage Trust, exhibiting artists such as Julian Cooper, Alexander Heaton and Susan Dobson, photographers and filmmakers, and local climbers and mountaineers including John Porter, who first approached Rheged with the idea for the exhibition and has been instrumental in bringing it to fruition.
Everest Revisited is now open daily in Rheged’s Gallery until February 23, and is £5 to enter with under-16s free.
Visitors can discover the stories of Everest pioneers, Cumbrian connections and themes of mountain waste, motivations and spirituality.
They will also have the chance to see a range of rarely seen artefacts on loan from the Alpine Club, Royal Geographical Society and Mountain Heritage Trust, including Mallory’s boot and Irvine’s ice axe found on Everest, as well as contemporary artworks and sculptures by UK artists and a chance to purchase original Nepalese paintings, photos and clothing in support of charities based both in Nepal and the UK.
Plus original artworks by Somervell and William Heaton Cooper, historic photographs from the Wakefield Family archives, images from renowned photographer Mani Lama and Everest films from award-winning filmmakers are also part of the exhibition.
Julie will return to Rheged on Friday January 10 for a talk on the life and achievements of Sandy Irvine and will be selling and signing a selection of her books, including Fearless on Everest: The Quest and her latest book British Vogue: The Biography of an Icon.
There is a programme of Everest themed talks and films at Rheged in January and February.
