Cervino 1901
On September 28th, 1903, the Urban Mountaineering Expedition, headed by Frank Ormiston-Smith, left Zermatt to attempt the conquest of the Matterhorn. On the 29th, the conquest was completed by the filming of the panorama from the actual summit of the mountain. The film consists of 20 scenes and illustrates the whole ascent from Zermatt through the Hornli Ridge. A copy of the film was found in Zermatt in 1953 and was was erroneously attributed to Frederick Burlingham and dated 1901. Since then, the film has been widely publicized as the first mountain film under the title of 'Cervin 1901', but this is incorrect. Ormiston previously had made 'Alpine series' (1901), 'The ascent of Mont Blanc' (1902), 'Climbing the Great Schreckhorn' (1902) and 'Ascent of the Jungfrau' (1903). The pictures and descriptions of the Charles Urban Trading 1903 film catalogue show without any doubt that 'Ascent of the Matterhorn' and 'Cervin 1901' are the same film.
Southern Peaks
Second part of the film 'River of ice', a mountaineering tour on Franz Josef Glacier in New Zealand. After spending the night in the Deficance Hut, two women and a mountain guide ascend up to Mount Moltke. From Defiance Hut, past the Unser Fritz Falls, across the Franz Josef Glacier, past Castle Rock, to the Summit. On the way, they encounter a friendly Kea, New Zealand's mountain parrot. Finally, the group reaches the summit and admire the magnificent vistas. The films are part of a series of films produced at the end of the twenties by the New Zealand Government Publicity Office to promote the beauty and attractions of the country.
Happy Altitudes in New Zealand's Southern Alps
Along New Zealand’s South Islands runs the mighty chain of the Southern Alps, where large and beautiful glaciers and Ice-falls abound among the towering peaks... That's how the film presents different leisure activities in the Southern Alps of New Zealand, and more specifically around the Hermitage Hotel. Activities include snow activities like snowball fights, dog sledding, ski lessons, and hunting of European chamois; and summer activities like golf practice in front of the hotel, rock climbing, and sight-seeing trips and picnic outings amid scenery of outstanding beauty.
The Grépon Traverse
In 1923, André Sauvage produced his first film La Traversée du Grépon. Dedicated to mountaineering in the Mont Blanc massif, this documentary is a performance that earned him the recognition of his peers. André Sauvage and his companions decide to climb the Grépon, the best known of the Aiguilles de Chamonix, in the Mont Blanc Massif. Early in the morning, they cross the Mer de Glace, climb rocky peaks, abseil summits, cross crevasses, snowfields and long seracs. After sixteen hours of effort, the climbers return to the refuge. With his camera, Sauvage documents the difficult undertaking, also showing his strong passion for the mountains. "The deepest perception of mountains begins where intelligence ends." (A. Sauvage). Two long versions of the film have disappeared, one of 90 and the other of 51 minutes and only eight minutes are preserved.
Snowdrift
A winter vintage ascent to Mount Ruapehu by a large group of mountaineers composed of about 11 men and women. Mount Ruapehu, 2797 meters high, is an active stratovolcano at the southern end of the Taupo Volcanic Zone in New Zealand, in the North Island. The film follows the march of the group through the vast snowfields up to the top of the mountain and shows magnificent vistas of the adjacent peaks. The film is part of a series of films produced at the end of the twenties by the New Zealand Government Publicity Office to promote the beauty and attractions of the country.
Sebastopol
A mountain guide and a young woman make an ascent to Mount Sebastopol in New Zealand's Southern Alps. The couple leave from Mount Cook's Hermitage Hotel and after following an easy path by foot, they rock climb a sheer rock face. After reaching the top of the rock pinnacle, they follow by snowy terrain up to the top of Sebastopol, completing a precarious passage across the steep snowfield. The film is part of a series of films produced at the end of the twenties by the New Zealand Government Publicity Office to promote the beauty and attractions of the country.
Northwestern Mountains
An early silent color film of Glacier National Park and Mount Rainier. The film is part of the 'Our Colorful World' series, produced by Bell & Howell. It shows a drive up to the Logan Pass in Glacier National Park, and a two-day ascent to Mount Rainier through Nisqually Glacier by two men and a woman. This Filmosound Library series produced in the early 1940s initially included thirty-seven single reels, for the most part silent, bringing beauty spots and wildlife of America and the world to the school screen in full natural color.
Franz Josef Glacier
An alternative version of the film 'Southern Peaks', shortened in this case to be included in an episode of the series 'Glimpses of New Zealand'. 'Southern Peaks' continues the story of 'River of ice', a mountaineering tour on Franz Josef Glacier in New Zealand. In the film, two women and a mountain guide ascend up to Mount Moltke. From Defiance Hut, past the Unser Fritz Falls, across the Franz Josef Glacier, past Castle Rock, to the Summit. On the way, they encounter a friendly Kea, New Zealand's mountain parrot. Finally, the group reaches the summit and admire the magnificent vistas. 'Glimpses of New Zealand' were a series of films produced at the end of the twenties by the New Zealand Government Publicity Office to promote the beauty and attractions of the country.
The Ascent of Mont Blanc
Joseph Vallot and his team of guides and porters climb Mont Blanc in 1906. Their ascent will take three days. They spent their nights at the Grands Mulets refuge and the Grand Plateau refuge. This is the very first successfully filmed ascent. Joseph Vallot (1854-1925), rich heir of Lodève in Occitania. He devotes part of his fortune to the observation of the Alps, sometimes opposing the scientific community. He built an observatory, still standing today.
An Ascent of the Cevedale Massif
An alpine ascent around the snow-covered area of Monte Cevedale by a large group of mountaineers equipped with crampons and ice axes. The group departs from the old refuge 'Capanna Casati' and begin the climb through the glaciers. Finally, they camp on a rocky expanse. The film was produced in 1932 by the Instituto Nazionale Luce during the Italian Fascist regime.
Piccoli Alpini
The film is a kind of docu-fiction about a boy who enrolls in a battalion of young mountain troops. The film follows his daily life in the military school and pays special attention to maneuvers and training exercises in the mountain, which include mountaineering and rock climbing lessons. The film, by Giovanni Vernuccio, was produced in 1942 by the Instituto Nazionale Luce at the end of the Italian Fascist regime, and was made with the collaboration of the 36th group of Alpine battalions 'Fabio Filzi' of the federal command GIL of Turin during the preparatory course for the festive camp of Balme.