GB 0402 ESH - SHIPTON, Eric (1907-1977)

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0402 ESH

Title

SHIPTON, Eric (1907-1977)

Date(s)

  • 1921-1972 (Creation)

Level of description

Extent and medium

1 box

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Born 1907; as a child he travelled frequently between Ceylon and Europe; became interested in mountaineering in the Alps and Norway; went to Kenya to work on a coffee plantation, 1928; with Percy Wyn-Harris made the second ascent of Batian and the first of Nelion, the twin peaks of Mount Kenya; made the first complete traverse of the twin peaks of Mount Kenya with Harold William Tilman; Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, 1930-1977; joined the expedition led by Francis Sydney Smythe to Kamet in Garhwal Himalaya, 1931; undertook a series of Himalayan ventures throughout the 1930s; Mount Everest expedition of 1933 on which he reached 27,900 feet; with Tilman and three Sherpas he spent three months in Garhwal Himalaya and forced an entry, for the first time, up the Rishi gorge and into the Nanda Devi sanctuary which, with its satellite peaks, they surveyed; expeditions to the north side of Everest, 1935, 1936, and 1938; two journeys of exploration to the remote areas of the Karakoram bordering on Tibet and Sinkiang (Xinjiang), 1937 and 1938; Patron's medal of the Royal Geographical Society, 1938; At the outbreak of the Second World War, Shipton was engaged on the second Karakoram expedition; consul-general at Kashgar; returned to Britain, 1942; Foreign Office posting to Persia; second tour of duty at Kashgar, 1946-1948; consul-general at Kunming, Yunnan, 1949-1951; reconnaissance of the south side of Everest, 1951; warden of the Outward Bound Trust school in Eskdale, 1952-1954; undertook a series of exploratory journeys in Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, 1958-1964; adviser to the Chilean government in the boundary dispute with Argentina; President of the Alpine Club, 1965-1967; died, 1977.

Publications:
Nanda Devi (1936)
Blank on the Map (1938)
Upon that Mountain (1948)
Mountains of Tartary (1951)
Mount Everest Reconnaissance Expedition (1951)
Land of Tempest (1963)
That Untravelled World (1969)
FRGS 1930-1977; .

Archival history

GB 0402 ESH 1921-1972 Collection level 1 box Shipton , Eric Earle , 1907-1977 , explorer and mountaineer

Born 1907; as a child he travelled frequently between Ceylon and Europe; became interested in mountaineering in the Alps and Norway; went to Kenya to work on a coffee plantation, 1928; with Percy Wyn-Harris made the second ascent of Batian and the first of Nelion, the twin peaks of Mount Kenya; made the first complete traverse of the twin peaks of Mount Kenya with Harold William Tilman; Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, 1930-1977; joined the expedition led by Francis Sydney Smythe to Kamet in Garhwal Himalaya, 1931; undertook a series of Himalayan ventures throughout the 1930s; Mount Everest expedition of 1933 on which he reached 27,900 feet; with Tilman and three Sherpas he spent three months in Garhwal Himalaya and forced an entry, for the first time, up the Rishi gorge and into the Nanda Devi sanctuary which, with its satellite peaks, they surveyed; expeditions to the north side of Everest, 1935, 1936, and 1938; two journeys of exploration to the remote areas of the Karakoram bordering on Tibet and Sinkiang (Xinjiang), 1937 and 1938; Patron's medal of the Royal Geographical Society, 1938; At the outbreak of the Second World War, Shipton was engaged on the second Karakoram expedition; consul-general at Kashgar; returned to Britain, 1942; Foreign Office posting to Persia; second tour of duty at Kashgar, 1946-1948; consul-general at Kunming, Yunnan, 1949-1951; reconnaissance of the south side of Everest, 1951; warden of the Outward Bound Trust school in Eskdale, 1952-1954; undertook a series of exploratory journeys in Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, 1958-1964; adviser to the Chilean government in the boundary dispute with Argentina; President of the Alpine Club, 1965-1967; died, 1977.

Publications:
Nanda Devi (1936)
Blank on the Map (1938)
Upon that Mountain (1948)
Mountains of Tartary (1951)
Mount Everest Reconnaissance Expedition (1951)
Land of Tempest (1963)
That Untravelled World (1969)
FRGS 1930-1977; .

MS notes in an exercise book and family photographs donated by Nicolas Shipton (son), 5 Sept 1977; VHS tape donated by Jane Allen, Sep 2002.

Papers of Eric Shipton, 1921-1972, including correspondence, 1952-1967; exercise book containing notes on the Vulim Wolf party describing a visit to a volcanic crater, Galapagos Islands; drafts of publications by Shipton including That Untravelled World, Mountain Conquest and Land of Tempest; drafts of articles by Shipton and typescripts of talks for the BBC; photographic prints, negatives, postcards and press cuttings of Shipton and Shipton in group photographs and VHS cassette of an interview with Shipton, broadcast on Australian television, 1972.

Original order.

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.

Photocopying at the discretion of the Archivist, and subject completion of 'application for copies' form. No reproduction or publication without permission of the RGS-IBG Archivist.

English

Detailed catalogue available in the Foyle Reading Room.

RGS Correspondence Block: 1931-1940 (includes papers on the 1939 Central Asia expedition).

Prepared by an archives volunteer using existing finding aids. Revised by Sarah Drewery.
Sources: Oxford DNB; Obit. Geog. Jnl: Vol. 143, 1977, pp 363-364.

ISAD(G) ed. 2, name authority NRA.

22 March 1977; Jul 2008. Shipton , Eric Earle , 1907-1977 , explorer and mountaineer Mountaineering expeditions Geography Geographical exploration Geophysics Volcanology Volcanoes BBC , British Broadcasting Corporation Galapagos Islands Ecuador South America Land forms Topography Geomorphology

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

MS notes in an exercise book and family photographs donated by Nicolas Shipton (son), 5 Sept 1977; VHS tape donated by Jane Allen, Sep 2002.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Papers of Eric Shipton, 1921-1972, including correspondence, 1952-1967; exercise book containing notes on the Vulim Wolf party describing a visit to a volcanic crater, Galapagos Islands; drafts of publications by Shipton including That Untravelled World, Mountain Conquest and Land of Tempest; drafts of articles by Shipton and typescripts of talks for the BBC; photographic prints, negatives, postcards and press cuttings of Shipton and Shipton in group photographs and VHS cassette of an interview with Shipton, broadcast on Australian television, 1972.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Original order.

Conditions of access and use area

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 completion of 'application for copies' form. No reproduction or publication without permission of the RGS-IBG Archivist.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

RGS Correspondence Block: 1931-1940 (includes papers on the 1939 Central Asia expedition).

Finding aids

Detailed catalogue available in the Foyle Reading Room.

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Royal Geographical Society

Rules and/or conventions used

ISAD(G) ed. 2, name authority NRA.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area