The Alps
1904 · London
by CONWAY, W. Martin
London: Adam & Charles Black, 1904. FIRST EDITION. Complete with half-title, 70 illustrated plates by A.D. McCormick and 4 pages publisher's advertisements. Green publisher's cloth, illustrated front cover and spine, gilt letters; interior hinges starting but sound, text is clean and bright with minor notations in blue pen on list of illustrations. A beautiful copy with an ownership signature on the fly-leaf. First edition of a vivid description of one of the world's most famous and beautiful mountain ranges. Taking a detour from his more typical works recounting expeditions and his various books about art history, Conway details everything about the Alps, including the joy of the snow, the beauty of the glaciers, how the mountains were made, the intimacy of the passes, and even the mood of the mountains. Illustrated with prints of exquisite watercolors by McCormick, this book is a one-of-a-kind glimpse of the Alps as a whole rather than as a narrative of a particular expedition. Much of Conway's knowledge of the Alps, and tje content for this book, comes from his earlier expedition and the resulting publication, The Alps from end to end (1895), where he successfully walked the entire course of the mountain range.
Conway (1856-1937), an expert mountaineer, explorer, and art historian, set several mountaineering records in his lifetime, including the Himalayan climbing record in 1892 where he ascended to 23,000 feet. Additionally, he had the honor of naming several mountains in the Alps, including Wellenkuppe, Windjoch, and Dent du Requin (ODNB). (Inventory #: 15193)
Conway (1856-1937), an expert mountaineer, explorer, and art historian, set several mountaineering records in his lifetime, including the Himalayan climbing record in 1892 where he ascended to 23,000 feet. Additionally, he had the honor of naming several mountains in the Alps, including Wellenkuppe, Windjoch, and Dent du Requin (ODNB). (Inventory #: 15193)