Table Of ContentVictorians in the Mountains
Sinking the Sublime
Ann C. Colley
Victorians in the Mountains
in her compelling book, ann c. colley examines the shift away from the cult of
the sublime that characterized the early part of the nineteenth century to the less
reverential perspective from which the Victorians regarded mountain landscapes.
and what a multifaceted perspective it was, as unprecedented numbers of the
Victorian middle and professional classes took themselves off on mountaineering
holidays so commonplace that the editors of Punch sarcastically reported that the
route to the summit of Mont Blanc was to be carpeted.
in Part one, colley mines diaries and letters to interrogate how everyday tourists
and climbers both responded to and undercut ideas about the sublime, showing
how technological advances like the telescope transformed mountains into theatri-
cal spaces where tourists thrilled to the sight of struggling climbers; almost inevita-
bly, these distant performances were eventually reenacted at exhibitions and on the
London stage. colley’s examination of the alpine club archives, periodicals, and
other primary resources offers a more complicated and inclusive picture of female
mountaineering as she documents the strong presence of women on successful ex-
peditions in the latter half of the century. in Part two, colley turns to John ruskin,
Gerard Manley hopkins, and robert Louis stevenson, whose writings about the
Alps reflect their feelings about their Romantic heritage and shed light on their
ideas about perception, metaphor, and literary style. colley concludes by offer-
ing insights into the ways in which expeditions to the himalayas affected people’s
sense of the sublime, arguing that these individuals were motivated as much by the
glory of empire as by aesthetic sensibility. her ambitious book is an astute explora-
tion of nationalism, as well as theories of gender, spectacle, and the technicalities of
glacial movement that were intruding on what before had seemed inviolable.
Dedication
For my father, who hiked up Snowdon in a black suit; for Gwen, who
climbed Mt. Kenya in the dark; for Ephraim Massey, who, risking more
than any of us, repeatedly reached far beyond 20,000’ in South America
and the Himalaya; for intrepid Andrea Massey; for Gabriel Massey, who,
as a small child with his sister, mother, and father, reached base camp of
Mt. Everest and climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, and for those who, over the years,
have helped me struggle up to the base camp of Cotopaxi and Chimborazo
as well as through the foothills of the Himalaya, the mountain passes of
Bolivia, and innumerable other high places. The mountains are part of us.
Victorians in the Mountains
sinking the sublime
ann c. coLLey
The State University of New York,
College at Buffalo, USA
© ann c. colley 2010
all rights reserved. no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher.
ann c. colley has asserted her right under the copyright, Designs and Patents act, 1988,
to be identified as the author of this work.
Published by
ashgate Publishing Limited ashgate Publishing company
Wey court east suite 420
union road 101 cherry street
Farnham Burlington
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
colley, ann c.
Victorians in the mountains : sinking the sublime.
1. sublime, the – history – 19th century. 2. British – travel – alps region – history
– 19th century – sources. 3. authors, english – travel – alps region – history – 19th
century – sources. 4. Mountaineering expeditions – alps – history – 19th century
– sources. 5. sublime, the, in literature. 6. Mountains in literature. 7. english
literature – 19th century – history and criticism.
i. title
820.9’353’09034–dc22
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
colley, ann c.
Victorians in the mountains : sinking the sublime / ann c. colley.
p. cm.
includes bibliographical references and index.
isBn 978–1–4094–0633–4 (alk. paper) – isBn 978–1–4094–0634–1 (eBook)
1. english literature – 19t h century – history and criticism. 2. aestheticism
(Literature) 3. sublime, the, in literature. 4. nature in literature. 5. Mountaineering in
literature. 6. technological innovations – history – 19th century. 7. ruskin, John,
1819–1900 – criticism and interpretation. 8. hopkins, Gerard Manley, 1844–1889
– criticism and interpretation. 9. stevenson, robert Louis, 1850–1894 – criticism and
interpretation. 10. nationalism and literature – england – history – 19th century.
i. title.
Pr468.a33c65 2010
820.9’36–dc22 2010025753
isBn 9781409406334 (hbk)
isBn 9781409406341 (ebk)
contents
List of Figures vii
Acknowledgments xi
introduction 1
PArt I: tourIStS, CLIMBerS, AnD the SuBLIMe
1 sinking the sublime 13
2 spectators, telescopes, and spectacle 57
3 Ladies on high 101
PArt II: LIterAry FIgureS In the ALPS
4 John ruskin: climbing and the Vulnerable eye 145
5 toothpowder and Breadcrumbs: Gerard Manley hopkins in
the alps 173
6 snowbound with robert Louis stevenson 201
PArt III: CoDA
7 coda: the himalaya and the Persistence of the sublime 217
Bibliography 229
Index 247
This page has been left blank intentionally
List of Figures
title page to Part i: “a Meeting on the Mountain.” richard Doyle.
The Foreign Tour of Messrs Brown, Jones, and Robinson. London, 1854. 11
1.1 “Lord Pèzefort gravissant le righi.” collection of irving
Massey. 25
1.2 “Punch’s almanack for 1868.” Punch, 31 october 1868. 26
1.3a “Mr. Perks’s Mountain experiences, Part i.” Punch, 27
october 1863. 28
1.3b “Mr. Perks’s Mountain experiences, Part ii.” Punch, 27
october 1863. 29
1.4 “the safest Way of coming Down a Mountain.” richard
Doyle. The Foreign Tour of Messrs Brown, Jones, and
Robinson. London, 1854. 33
1.5 “there i stood, the terrible abyss yawning at my feet.”
Punch, 23 January 1897. 43
2.1 h.G. Willink. “they’re goin’ very slowly!” c.t. Dent’s
Mountaineering. 59
2.2 sketch from thomas Whitwell’s “alpine Log.” Ms 6343
national Library of scotland. courtesy of the trustees of the
national Library of scotland. 61
2.3 Drawing from 1873 Adventures of the Economical Family.
courtesy of the trustees of the national Library of scotland. 61
2.4 advertisement for portable telescope from Guide to Cook’s
Tours in France, Switzerland, and Italy. 1874. 63
2.5 h.G. Willink. “a lengthy observation.” c.t. Dent’s
Mountaineering. 65
2.6 “Malicious.” Punch, 5 september 1857. 70
2.7 elizabeth tuckett. “the return.” How We Spent the Summer:
“Voyage en Zigzag.” 1866. 75
2.8 elizabeth tuckett. “at asiago. an ovation!” Zigzagging
Amongst Dolomites. 1871. 75
2.9 “Passport to egyptian hall, 28 november 1855.” courtesy
of the alpine club, London. 85
2.10 William Beverley. “Dangerous crevice in the Glacier du
tacconay.” A Hand-Book of Mr. Albert Smith’s Ascent of
Mont Blanc. [1858]. 87
viii Victorians in the Mountains
2.11 “albert smith’s Ascent of Mont Blanc.” Illustrated
London News, 25 December 1852. 90
2.12 John Leech. “the st. Bernard Mastiff at the Mont Blanc
Lecture. a happy Dog – rather.” 92
2.13 illustration of mounted camera from h.B. George. “notes on
Photography in the high alps.” The Alpine Journal 4 (1870):
402–10. 97
2.14 elizabeth tuckett. “is there room up there for me and my
camera?” How We Spent the Summer: “Voyage en Zigzag.”
1866. 98
2.15 elizabeth Le Blond. alpine glacier scene. Permission of the
alpine club Photo Library. 99
3.1 H.G. Willink. “Enthusiasm under difficulties.” C.T. Dent’s
Mountaineering. 104
3.2 elizabeth tuckett. “there being no proper side saddles at
Pontresina, L. mounts a raised seat, and finds it hard work to
keep her balance in a rapid ascent.” How We Spent the Summer:
“Voyage en Zigzag.” 1866. 105
3.3 elizabeth Le Blond wearing mask. Permission of the alpine
club Photo Library. 109
3.4 elizabeth tuckett. “F. and e. are due at Bad ratizes at
2 p.m. – 3 p.m. L. becomes anxious.” Zigzagging Amongst
Dolomites. 1871. 112
3.5 “Vue sur la mer de glace, chamonix.” stereoscopic slide
showing skirt with rings. collection of author. 120
3.6 Women in long skirts. stereoscopic slide. collection of author. 121
3.7 “the Walking englishwoman on the alps” [1893]. courtesy
of the alpine club, London. 124
3.8 “the Foot of the Matterhorn: starting from the swiss alpine
club hut to climb the Mountain.” Illustrated London News,
15 august 1901. 125
3.9 elizabeth Le Blond. “Piz Bernina, Piz roseg from Piz
corvatsch.” Permission of the alpine club Photo Library. 130
3.10 Lucy Walker’s climbing list. courtesy of the alpine club,
London. 134
3.11 Mrs. Main [elizabeth Le Blond] after a winter attempt on
Piz Morteratsch. Permission of the alpine club Photo
Library. 138
3.12 Burberry advertisement. scrapbook. courtesy of the alpine
club, London. 141
title page to Part ii: Watercolor sketch with marked route from
Georg hoffman’s 1852 alpine sketchbook. collection of author. 143
List of Illustrations ix
4.1 “a try to draw? coutet going up angle of riffel,” drawing in
“the Diary of John ruskin, 1848–1849.” rF Ms 6. courtesy
of the ruskin Foundation (ruskin Library, Lancaster
university). 149
4.2 “the Diary of John ruskin, 1844.” rF Ms 4. courtesy of
the ruskin Foundation (ruskin Library, Lancaster university). 152
4.3 “the Diary of John ruskin, 1845.” rF Ms 5b. courtesy of
the ruskin Foundation (ruskin Library, Lancaster university). 153
4.4 “John ruskin, c. 1864, by an unknown silhouettist.” Black
ink and gold paint on white card, 11.4 x 7.7 cm. courtesy of
the ruskin Foundation (ruskin Library, Lancaster university). 160
4.5 “the Diary of John ruskin, 1848–1849.” rF Ms 6, 94.
courtesy of the ruskin Foundation (ruskin Library, Lancaster
university). 163
5.1 Gerard Manley hopkins. “side of the rossberg fr. the rigi,
July 8. Huddling and precipitation of the fir-woods down the
cleft.” sketchbook c. courtesy of the Master and Fellows of
Balliol college, oxford and of campion hall, oxford. 179
5.2 Gerard Manley hopkins. “July 15 Little scheidegg.”
sketchbook c. courtesy of the Master and Fellows of Balliol
college, oxford and of campion hall, oxford. 180
5.3 tourists on the Mer de Glace. collection of author. 191
5.4 Gerard Manley hopkins. “July 23.” sketchbook c. courtesy
of the Master and Fellows of Balliol college, oxford and of
campion hall, oxford. 193
5.5 Gerard Manley hopkins. “this is a glacier, though you wd.
not think it. July 13, ’68.” sketchbook c. courtesy of the
Master and Fellows of Balliol college, oxford and of
campion hall, oxford. 198
title page to Part iii: “nanga Parabat, 8,125m. Punjab himalaya”
Geoffrey hastings, 1895. Permission of the alpine club Photo Library. 215
