The Ladies' Alpine Club was founded in London in 1907 and was the first mountaineering club for women. It merged with the Alpine Club of Great Britain in 1975.
The Great Central Hotel, Marylebone (now the Landmark London), where the club had rooms and held its annual dinner
In December 1907 a group of ladies who were climbers in the Alps met in London and agreed to form a new club, similar to the long-established Alpine Club, which at the time did not accept women members[1] on account of their supposed physical and moral deficiencies in the matter of mountain climbing.[2] The club's first president was the Bishop of Bristol, the second was Elizabeth Le Blond in 1908,[3] who had been praised by T. G. Bonney when he became president of the Alpine Club as one of those "whom our stern Salic law prevents us from numbering among our members", and it was the first club specifically for women mountaineers.[4] Initially, it was the Alpine Section of the Lyceum Club, an intellectual women's club,[5] to which Elizabeth Le Blond belonged, but in 1908 it established an independent existence.[4][6] The club had its base at the Great Central Hotel, Marylebone,[1] but was seen as affiliated to the Alpine Club and junior to it.[3]
As well as arranging climbing expeditions, the Ladies' Alpine Club organised a monthly lecture and provided rooms where members could meet for tea. For the duration of the First World War, the club's rooms were taken over by the War Department, but they were restored in 1919. The Alpine Club itself was at first sceptical about the Ladies' Club, but it soon began to take it seriously and to co-operate with it, especially after Queen Margherita of Italy accepted the position of Honorary President.[6] According to Ann Bridge, a friend and climbing partner of George Mallory, the Ladies' Club held an annual dinner at the Great Central Hotel:
This was a large affair, 250 people at least; the Alpine Club came to it en masse, and the speech of the evening was always the one proposing the toast of "The Alpine Club", which one of the ladies had to make.[7]
At the first such annual dinner, on 7 December 1908, the President of the Alpine Club, Herman Woolley, spoke supportively of the new organisation and noted that ladies could make "ascents of the very first order". A former president of the Alpine Club then added that in his time he had wanted to admit women to membership, and indeed had found that a majority of other members supported this, but he had decided not to force the issue on an "unwilling minority".[8]
Despite this apparent rapprochement, a certain animus towards women climbers from their colleagues in the senior club remained for many years. Ellen Pigeon stated: "In days gone by many A.C.s refused to speak to us," and one of the leading women climbers of the age, the American Fanny Bullock Workman, found male mountaineers in Britain to be less than friendly to her.[9] In his obituary of Workman, Captain J. P. Farrar remarked:
It is possible that some unconscious feeling let us say of the novelty of a woman's intrusion into the domain of exploration so long reserved to man, may in some quarters have existed ... there tended to arise ... an atmosphere shall we say of aloofness.[9]
In 1921 a rival organisation called the Pinnacle Club was founded by the wives of two members of the Climbers' Club. When the British Mountaineering Council was constituted in 1945, both clubs for women, the Ladies' Alpine Club and the Pinnacle Club, were represented on its committee.[3]
Merger with Alpine Club
The Alpine Club had long resisted admitting women members, and in 1973 an attempt to have this policy reversed was defeated, the necessary two-thirds majority not being achieved.[10] In May 1974, however, another vote was held and, despite the continued opposition of the influential Bill Tilman, women were at last allowed to join the club.[10] This made the existence of a separate women's club unnecessary, and in 1975 the Ladies' Alpine Club merged with the Alpine Club, the latter gaining 150 new members. The merger was not universally popular, and 37 women resigned in protest in 1975 or soon thereafter, including Joyce Dunsheath, Miriam Underhill and Monica Jackson.[10] The first two women to be elected to membership of the Alpine Club in their own right were Sally Westmacott, wife of Mike Westmacott, who had been on the 1953 Everest expedition, and Betty Seifert.[10]
Ladies' Alpine Club Journal
Between 1920 and 1975 the club issued a yearbook, which was absorbed into the Alpine Journal on the merger of the two clubs. Until 1960 the title of the yearbook was simply Ladies Alpine Club, then from 1961 to 1975 it was called Ladies Alpine Club Journal.[11] All issues were indexed in 2000 by Johanna Merz, former editor of the Alpine Journal.[10]
^Thompson, Simon, Unjustifiable Risk? The Story of British Climbing, Cicerone Press, 2010, p. 74
^ abDavid Doughan, Peter Gordon Women, Clubs and Associations in Britain (2007), p. 111
^Bridge, Ann, Moments of Knowing, London: Bloomsbury, 2013, Chapter 2. ISBN9781448211500.
^Ann C. Colley, Victorians in the Mountains: Sinking the Sublime (2013), p. 116
^ abColley, Ann (2013). Victorians in the Mountains: Sinking the Sublime. Aldershot: Ashgate. pp. 116–17. ISBN9781409476269.
^ abcdeBand, George (2006). Summit: 150 Years of the Alpine Club. London: Collins. pp. 236–7. ISBN9780007203642.
^Neate, Jill (1998). Mountaineering Literature. The Mountaineers Books. p. 244. ISBN9780938567042.
^Peter H. Hansen, 'Le Blond, Elizabeth Alice Frances (1860–1934)', in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford University Press, September 2004)
^Janet Adam Smith, 'Walker, Lucy (1836–1916)', in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford University Press, 2004)
^Ladies Alpine Club Archive at alpine-club.org.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2012
^Carol A. Osborne, 'Cameron, Una May (1904–1987)', in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford University Press, 2004)
^Lois Voller, 'Lorimer, Margaret' in Dictionary of New Zealand Biography (1996), online edition. Retrieved 25 March 2014
^Carol A. Osborne, 'Morin, Nea Everilda (1905–1986)', in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford University Press, 2004)
^Kathryn Bridge, A Passion for Mountains: the Lives of Don and Phyllis Munday (2006), p. 8
Further reading
Johanna Merz, Index to Ladies' Alpine Club Year-books, 1910–1975 (Alpine Club, 2000)
External links
Club expedition reports#495 Ladies Alpine Club Minute Books at nationalarchives.gov.uk
January 02, 2023
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The Ladies Alpine Club was founded in London in 1907 and was the first mountaineering club for women It merged with the Alpine Club of Great Britain in 1975 The Ladies Alpine ClubMerged intoAlpine Club 1975 Formation1907TypeMountaineers Contents 1 History 2 Merger with Alpine Club 3 Ladies Alpine Club Journal 4 Presidents 5 Notable members 6 See also 7 References 8 Further reading 9 External linksHistory Edit The Great Central Hotel Marylebone now the Landmark London where the club had rooms and held its annual dinner In December 1907 a group of ladies who were climbers in the Alps met in London and agreed to form a new club similar to the long established Alpine Club which at the time did not accept women members 1 on account of their supposed physical and moral deficiencies in the matter of mountain climbing 2 The club s first president was the Bishop of Bristol the second was Elizabeth Le Blond in 1908 3 who had been praised by T G Bonney when he became president of the Alpine Club as one of those whom our stern Salic law prevents us from numbering among our members and it was the first club specifically for women mountaineers 4 Initially it was the Alpine Section of the Lyceum Club an intellectual women s club 5 to which Elizabeth Le Blond belonged but in 1908 it established an independent existence 4 6 The club had its base at the Great Central Hotel Marylebone 1 but was seen as affiliated to the Alpine Club and junior to it 3 As well as arranging climbing expeditions the Ladies Alpine Club organised a monthly lecture and provided rooms where members could meet for tea For the duration of the First World War the club s rooms were taken over by the War Department but they were restored in 1919 The Alpine Club itself was at first sceptical about the Ladies Club but it soon began to take it seriously and to co operate with it especially after Queen Margherita of Italy accepted the position of Honorary President 6 According to Ann Bridge a friend and climbing partner of George Mallory the Ladies Club held an annual dinner at the Great Central Hotel This was a large affair 250 people at least the Alpine Club came to it en masse and the speech of the evening was always the one proposing the toast of The Alpine Club which one of the ladies had to make 7 At the first such annual dinner on 7 December 1908 the President of the Alpine Club Herman Woolley spoke supportively of the new organisation and noted that ladies could make ascents of the very first order A former president of the Alpine Club then added that in his time he had wanted to admit women to membership and indeed had found that a majority of other members supported this but he had decided not to force the issue on an unwilling minority 8 Despite this apparent rapprochement a certain animus towards women climbers from their colleagues in the senior club remained for many years Ellen Pigeon stated In days gone by many A C s refused to speak to us and one of the leading women climbers of the age the American Fanny Bullock Workman found male mountaineers in Britain to be less than friendly to her 9 In his obituary of Workman Captain J P Farrar remarked It is possible that some unconscious feeling let us say of the novelty of a woman s intrusion into the domain of exploration so long reserved to man may in some quarters have existed there tended to arise an atmosphere shall we say of aloofness 9 In 1921 a rival organisation called the Pinnacle Club was founded by the wives of two members of the Climbers Club When the British Mountaineering Council was constituted in 1945 both clubs for women the Ladies Alpine Club and the Pinnacle Club were represented on its committee 3 Merger with Alpine Club EditThe Alpine Club had long resisted admitting women members and in 1973 an attempt to have this policy reversed was defeated the necessary two thirds majority not being achieved 10 In May 1974 however another vote was held and despite the continued opposition of the influential Bill Tilman women were at last allowed to join the club 10 This made the existence of a separate women s club unnecessary and in 1975 the Ladies Alpine Club merged with the Alpine Club the latter gaining 150 new members The merger was not universally popular and 37 women resigned in protest in 1975 or soon thereafter including Joyce Dunsheath Miriam Underhill and Monica Jackson 10 The first two women to be elected to membership of the Alpine Club in their own right were Sally Westmacott wife of Mike Westmacott who had been on the 1953 Everest expedition and Betty Seifert 10 Ladies Alpine Club Journal EditBetween 1920 and 1975 the club issued a yearbook which was absorbed into the Alpine Journal on the merger of the two clubs Until 1960 the title of the yearbook was simply Ladies Alpine Club then from 1961 to 1975 it was called Ladies Alpine Club Journal 11 All issues were indexed in 2000 by Johanna Merz former editor of the Alpine Journal 10 Presidents Edit1907 1913 Mrs Aubrey Le Blond 1860 1934 12 1913 1916 Lucy Walker 1836 1916 13 Margaret Meyer 1862 1924 14 1957 Una Cameron 1904 1987 15 Notable members EditAnna Pigeon 1832 1917 vice president from 1910 16 Margaret Lorimer 1866 1954 New Zealand member 17 Nea Morin 1905 1986 18 Phyllis Munday 1894 1990 created honorary member in 1936 19 See also EditList of alpine clubsReferences Edit a b Jones Susanna 26 March 2012 For the female mountaineering pioneers it was an uphill struggle The Guardian Retrieved 26 March 2014 Beattie Andrew 2006 The Alps A Cultural History Oxford Oxford University Press p 210 ISBN 9780195309553 a b c Derek Walker The Evolution of Climbing Clubs in Britain pdf at alpinejournal org uk Retrieved 25 March 2014 a b Ronald Clark The Alps 2011 p 129 Thompson Simon Unjustifiable Risk The Story of British Climbing Cicerone Press 2010 p 74 a b David Doughan Peter Gordon Women Clubs and Associations in Britain 2007 p 111 Bridge Ann Moments of Knowing London Bloomsbury 2013 Chapter 2 ISBN 9781448211500 Ann C Colley Victorians in the Mountains Sinking the Sublime 2013 p 116 a b Colley Ann 2013 Victorians in the Mountains Sinking the Sublime Aldershot Ashgate pp 116 17 ISBN 9781409476269 a b c d e Band George 2006 Summit 150 Years of the Alpine Club London Collins pp 236 7 ISBN 9780007203642 Neate Jill 1998 Mountaineering Literature The Mountaineers Books p 244 ISBN 9780938567042 Peter H Hansen Le Blond Elizabeth Alice Frances 1860 1934 in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Oxford University Press September 2004 Janet Adam Smith Walker Lucy 1836 1916 in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Oxford University Press 2004 Ladies Alpine Club Archive at alpine club org uk Retrieved 24 October 2012 Carol A Osborne Cameron Una May 1904 1987 in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Oxford University Press 2004 Peter H Hansen Pigeon Anna 1832 1917 in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography 2004 online edition Retrieved 25 March 2014 Lois Voller Lorimer Margaret in Dictionary of New Zealand Biography 1996 online edition Retrieved 25 March 2014 Carol A Osborne Morin Nea Everilda 1905 1986 in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Oxford University Press 2004 Kathryn Bridge A Passion for Mountains the Lives of Don and Phyllis Munday 2006 p 8Further reading EditJohanna Merz Index to Ladies Alpine Club Year books 1910 1975 Alpine Club 2000 External links EditClub expedition reports 495 Ladies Alpine Club Minute Books at nationalarchives gov uk Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ladies 27 Alpine Club amp oldid 1111699929, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
