Edward Whymper (27 April 1840 – 16 September 1911), was a British illustrator, climber and explorer best known for the first ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865. On the descent four members of the party were killed.
Edward Whymper was born in London, England on 27 April 1840 to Josiah Wood Whymper and Elizabeth Claridge being the second of eleven children including his older brother Frederick Whymper. He was trained to be a wood-engraver at an early...
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Edward Whymper (27 April 1840 – 16 September 1911), was a British illustrator, climber and explorer best known for the first ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865. On the descent four members of the party were killed.
Edward Whymper was born in London, England on 27 April 1840 to Josiah Wood Whymper and Elizabeth Claridge being the second of eleven children including his older brother Frederick Whymper. He was trained to be a wood-engraver at an early age. In 1860, he made extensive forays into the central and western Alps to produce a series of commissioned alpine scenery drawings. Among the objects of this tour was the illustration of an unsuccessful attempt made by Professor Bonney's party to ascend Mont Pelvoux, at that time believed to be the highest peak of the Dauphiné Alps. Whymper successfully completed the ascent of Mont Pelvoux in 1861, the first of a series of expeditions that threw much light on the topography of an area at that time very imperfectly mapped. From the summit of...
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