Ca. 1934. 189 loose gelatin silver photographs, including thirteen large square photos from ca. 18,5x17 cm (7 ¼ x 6 ¾ in) to ca. 17x17 cm (6 ¾ x 6 ¾ in); sixteen large photos from ca. 13x22 cm (5 ¼ x 8 ½ in) to ca. 12x14,5 cm (4 ½ x 5 ¾ in); thirty-one square photos ca. 13,5x12 cm (4 ¾ x 5 ¼ in); the rest 129 photos are from ca. 9x14 cm (3 ½ x 5 ½ in) to ca. 6 ½ x 11 cm (2 ½ x 4 ¼ in). All but about twenty-five photos with period pencil numbers or captions on verso (some photos with typewritten captions on paper labels attached to verso). Most photos (over 110) with period pencil/typewritten notes or ink stamps on verso identifying the photographers: “Phot. R. Angst” (or “Angst”), “G.O. Dyhrenfurth” (or ink stamp “Prof. Dr. G.O. Dyhrenfurth”), “H. Dyhrenfurth,” “Ertl” (or ink stamp “Phot. Hans Ertl”), “Photo Belaieff,” “Phot. Höcht,” “Photo Ghiglione,” “Franz Meyer,” etc. Over fifty photos with period pencil captions “Dämon. Orig. Fig. [number from 1 to 113]” on verso. Over twenty photos with the photo studios’ ink stamps on verso (“Atelier Sandau, Berlin” or “Keystone View Co., Paris”). With five period envelopes for housing the photographs. Period ink notes on the envelopes: “F. v. Friedl” (also an ink stamp “Prof. Dr. Günter Dyrhenfurth, Zürich”); “Ghiglione;” “Dämon, Original Fig. 1-40;” “Dämon, Original Fig. 41-60;” “Dämon, Original Fig. 61-80.” A few images very mildly faded, a couple with minor creases on the corners, but overall a very good collection of strong interesting photos.

Historically significant extensive collection documenting the 1934 “International Himalaya Expedition” led by notable German mountaineer Günter Dyhrenfurth. The party intended to explore and ascend the Karakoram peaks surrounding the Baltoro glacier and to shoot the location footage for the German motion picture “Der Dämon des Himalaya,” which was released in 1935. The expedition was largely funded by the movie studio and included both mountaineers, Günter’s wife Hetti Dyhrenfurth, Marcel Kurz and André Roch (both from Switzerland), Hans Winzeler, Hans Ertl and Albert Höcht (all three from Germany), Piero Ghiglione (Italy), James Balayeff (UK), and the film crew – actors Gustav Diessl (Austria) and Jarmila Marton (USA), operators Richard Angst (Switzerland) and Fritz von Friedl (Germany), and others.
The party arrived in Bombay (Mumbai) onboard the “Conte Rosso” steamer, took the “Frontier Mail” train of the “Bombay, Baroda & Central India Railway,” to Rawalpindi, and then drove to Srinagar (Kashmir). Then they proceeded north-west via the Zoji La pass, Matayan, Kargil, Deosai plains, Skardu, and Shigar, reaching the Baltoro glacier area. The film crew shot the “Himalaya scenes” on the Conway Saddle. At the same time, the mountaineers made the first ascent of the Queen Mary Peak (Sia Kangri, 7422 m), with Hetti Dyrhenfurth setting the altitude world record for women, which stood until 1955. The party also managed to make the first ascent of the east summit of the Golden Throne (Baltoro Kangri, 7260 m). On the way back, several party members visited the Lamayuru Buddhist monastery in western Ladakh.
This extensive collection of photographs includes images taken by at least seven expedition members - Günter and Hetti Dyhrenfurth, Hans Ertl, Albert Höcht, Piero Ghiglione, James Belayeff, professional cameraman Richard Angst, and others. The photos document the entire expedition, starting with the unloading of the “Conte Rosso” in Bombay. About fifty photos (among the captioned ones) depict the Karakoram mountains, glaciers, moraines and ice formations, including Masherbrum peak, Gasherbrum range and glacier, Bride peak (Chogolisa II), Mitre Peak, Conway Saddle, an avalanche going down the Golden Throne (Baltoro Kanghi), a general view taken from the Kondus Glacier, mushroom-shaped ice, etc.
Over sixty images are individual or group portraits of most, if not all, expedition members. The photos show the mountaineers in base and high-altitude camps, hiking, riding, crossing mountain rivers, floating down rivers on goatskin rafts, climbing mountains and glaciers, adjusting their crampons, talking with guides and porters, painting or taking photos, washing in a mountain lake, cutting hair, shaving, resting, cooking in a tent, etc. Several photos clearly show their mountaineering equipment and goggles. On one group portrait, four expedition members, including Gustav Diessl and Jarmila Marton, pose with Buddhist monks wearing masks, one of which depicts the demon from the movie. Other interesting portraits show three cameramen filming a scene in Srinagar, a cameraman shooting a movie scene while wearing a full mountaineering outfit, Dr. Winzeler examining a porter with a stethoscope, etc. A group portrait depicts Günter and Hetti Dyhrenfurth, Albert Höcht and Hans Ertl shortly after their first ascent of Sia Kangri. About ten photos show expedition tents and camps, some with clearly seen signs of a Munich sports equipment company “Schuster A.S. Mü.” on the sides of the tents.
About forty photos (some taken by Hettie Dyhrenfurth) portray native guides and porters - riding horses, driving cargo carts, moving the cargo on foot, crossing the Dumordo river on the rope bridge, having a meal at a campfire, listening to a gramophone, wearing mountaineering glasses, posing with Hetti Dyhrenfurth next to the boxes of “Maggi’s Suppen,” running away from a stone fall, getting ready to go up the Baltoro glacier on the fresh snow, etc. There are also several photos of the Lamayuru Buddhist monastery, native children, a shepherd with his sheep, a woman with pack mules, etc. About twenty photos taken on the way to the Karakoram show the “Conte Rosso” steamer unloading in Bombay, Srinagar (Dal Lake, Shalimar Bagh gardens and Marble Pavilion, houseboats, rice fields and Hari Parbat Fort in the background), a “Ladies Only” car of the “Frontier Mail” train; portraits of several party members in the train, etc. Over fifty photos bear pencil captions “Dämon. Orig. Fig. [number from 1 to 113]” on verso. These are either the snapshots from the “Der Dämon des Himalaya” motion picture (1935), or the illustrations to Dyhrenfurth’s account of the expedition (Dämon Himalaya. Bericht der Internationalen Karakoram-Expedition 1934. Basel: Schwabe, 1935). Overall an excellent content-rich visual source on an early high-altitude mountaineering expedition to the Karakoram.
Some of the captions:
“Prof. Dyhrenfurth im Klosterhof von Lamayuru (Klein-Tibet). Phot. R. Angst, Internationale Himalaya-Expedition 1934;” “Diessl vor seinem Zelt. Phot. Angst;” “Ertl und Höcht auf dem Pritt;” “Auf dem Pritt durch Baltistan. Gustav Diessl, Ghiglione. Phot. Angst;” “Gustav Diessl und unsere “Diva” von Srinagar. Phot. Ertl;” “In der “Küche” von Camp 7. Photo. H. Ertl;” “Hans Ertl muss in jedem Dorf die hohen Würdenträger photographieren;” “Dr. Winzeler;” “Von links nach rechts: Belaieff, Ghiglione, Roch;” “Höcht;” “Jarmila Marton wird durch einen Fluss getragen;” “Ein Bungalow von Skardu;” “Memsahib (Fr. Dyhrenfurth) auf einem Ziegenbalg-Floss;” “le gauche à droite: Belaieff, Ghiglione, Roch. Photo Ghiglione;” “Dr. Winzeler.”
“Zoji Pass, 3500 m. Angst;” “In Dras, nach der Ueberschreitung des Zoji La, drängen sich die Kulis – sie möchten alle in die Dienste der Expedition treten. Phot. R. Angst;” “Deosai. Ertl;” “Am Indus;” “Lager 5 gegen die Gasherbrum-Gruppe, I.H.E. 1934. Phot. Prof. Dr. G.O. Dyhrenfurth;” “Bride Peak;” “Ein namenloser Siebentausender, in Vordergrund der Gasherbrum-Gletcher…;” “Aufstieg zum Convoy-Sattel;” “Auf dem Baltoro-Gletscher gibt es und stattliche Seen;” “Auf dem mittleren Baltoro-Gretscher;” “Namenloser Kalkberg (über 6000 m) am mittl. Baltoro-gletscher;” “Tiefblick auf den Kondus-Gletcher;” “Blick auf Kondus-Gletcher vom Aufstieg zum Queen Mary Peak;” “Unterwegs zum Siachen Glacier.”
“Geheimnisvoller alter Hindu-Tempel im Jhelum-Tal (auf dem Wege von Murree nach Srinagar). Phot. R. Angst;” “Wasserspiele in der Moghulgarten von Srinagar. Phot. Hans Ertl;” “Arbeit im Packhof von Srinagar;” “Brot-Bäker in Rodokas bei der Arbeit;” “Junger Balti-Träger. Phot. Hans Ertl;” “Mohamed;” a group of porters “Auf dem Baltoro bei Neuschnee;” “Miss Marton between Europe and Asia” (actors Jarmila Marton and Gustav Diessl with a Tibetan); “Eislawine am Golden Throne” (Baltoro Kangri), etc.

Item #404

Price: $3,250.00 USD