Sir Edmund Hillary, Tenzing Norgay and Mount Everest

Daily Express ALL THIS AND EVEREST TOO Briton First On Roof Of The World. Hillary, aged 34, does it.  1953 2nd. June  pp8.  illus. complete issue of this original newspaper signed by Ed Hillary, George Band, George Lowe, Charles Wylie, Michael Ward, Mike Westmacott and by Jan Morris The TIMES Special Correspondent.

Signed First Day Cover commemorating the 25th Anniversary of the First Ascent of Mount Everest.  Nepal Philatelic Bureau, G.P.O. Building, Kathmandu. 1978, 29th May.  with pict. cold. vignette of Mount Everest and crossed ice-axes. envelope signed by E.P. Hillary. 2 Nepalese stamps of Mount Everest postmarked G.P.O. Kathmandu 29-5-79 also signed by Charles Wylie, George Lowe, Michael Ward, Mike Westmacott, Alf Gregory, Jan Morris and George Band. 1st class 2003 commemorative Everest stamp on verso.

AUTOGRAPH SIGNATURE on card 6.5 x 10 cms.  1953  an interesting early signature obtained at a reception given by the Overseas League in Singapore, September 1953. Then sent to E.J. Enstice Esq., Redruth, Cornwall via Air Mail in envelope with 6 Singapore stamps inc. the 10 cents Coronation stamp.

AUTOGRAPH SIGNATURE on original colour portrait photograph 12 x 9 cms.  

CAMP FIVE, LOOKING DOWN THE CWM. cold illus. 18 x 12.5 cms. page from a book? signed by Ed Hillary in later years.

EVEREST L'assaut final. La Montagne Numero Special - Everest 1953 1st. pp 28. pict. cover Hillary et Tensing au Camp IV apres la victoire. printed soft covers. signed by E.P. Hillary, John Hunt and A. Gregory. This would have been on the lecture tour in Paris 1953. Rare.

12 x 8 inches colour Photograph of Everest signed by Ed Hillary, George Band, George Lowe, Mike Westmacott and Alf Gregory.  

Photograph signed by Ed Hillary who stands next to Tenzing on their return from the ascent of Everest. a copyright photo print 20 x 25 cms.

Signed Postcard 25th Anniversary of the Coronation. Ascent of Everest 25th Anniversary - Manchester postmark. issued by the Post Office on 31 May 1978  St. Edward's Crown stamped at Sandringham Estate Office 31 May 1978. signed by E.P. Hillary and George Lowe (Everest 1953)

THE QUEEN HONOURS THE CONQUERERS OF EVEREST : A Royal Garden-Party and Government Reception. Illustrated London News. 1953 July 25.  p129. 5 illus., a single page signed by Ed Hillary (twice), John Hunt, Michael Ward, Mike Westmacott, Charles, Wylie, George Lowe and Jan Morris. A quite unique item.

Liebig LA CONQUISTA DELLE GRANDE CIME. Monte Bianco. Cervino. Lavaredo. Petit Dru. Everest. K2. Liebig. Compagnia Italiana Liebig - Milano. 1961 1st. cold. illus. showing ascents and mountaineers. 6 cards in serie n. 247 signed by Ed Hillary, Walter Bonatti, Lino Lacedelli, Achille Compagnone and Reinhold Messner. A fine and rare collectable item.

John Morris. Bulldog Tenacity Beats EVEREST The 'Unconquerable'. It Will Never Be Climbed Again! The Evening News. 1953 2nd June. pp8. illus. rare newspaper signed by Ed Hillary, George Lowe, George Band, Charles Wylie, Michael Ward, Mike Westmacott and Jan Morris.

James Morris EVEREST COLOUR SUPPLEMENT.  The Times. 1953 1st. pp24. cold. and b/w illus. sketch map. signed by Ed Hillary, George Band, George Lowe, Charles Wylie, Michael Ward, Mike Westmacott, Alf Gregory and by Jan Morris The TIMES Special Correspondent who wrote this original newspaper supplement

James Morris THE FIRST ASCENT OF MOUNT EVEREST. Supplement. with a full page photo 'On The Summit' Tensing, photographed by his companion Hillary, at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, May 29, 1953. The Times. 1953 July pp32. fully illustrated with photos and diagrams, adverts. sl. st. along outside edge. original newspaper signed by Ed Hillary, Wilfred Noyce, Griffith Pugh, Alf Gregory, George Band, George Lowe, Charles Wylie, Michael Ward, Mike Westmacott and Jan Morris.

James Morris THE TIMES June 2, 1953 - reprint page 6  signed by Ed Hillary, George Band, George Lowe, Charles Wylie, Michael Ward, Mike Westmacott, John JACKSON and by Jan MORRIS Special Correspondent for The Times who wrote the original article.  

Hugh Ruttledge EVEREST: THE UNFINISHED ADVENTURE.  Hodder & Stoughton. 1937 1st. pp288. 63 plates. 2 fold. maps. pencil-head sketches. signed by Ed Hillary, John Hunt, George Lowe, George Band, Michael Ward, Mike Westmacott and Charles Wylie. recased in original cloth  in laser copy dw

Eric Shipton THE MT EVEREST RECONNAISSANCE EXPEDITION 1951.  Hodder & Stoughton. 1952 1st. pp128. many b/w photo illus. signed by Ed Hillary, John Hunt, Michael Ward, George Band, Charles Wylie, George Lowe, Mike Westmacott and Charles Warren.      in laser copy dw

Tensing Norgay, E.P. Hillary, John Hunt. SUITE OF signed PHOTOGRAPHS. a very rare trio of original signed portrait photographs       c. 13 x 8 cms. Tenzing signature unusually in capitals, early signature of E.P. Hillary and John Hunt in ink c1965? Tenzing stands at the Planters Club on the same spot as he did in 1935 when Shipton selected him to join the Reconnaissance expedition.

Tenzing A newspaper photo portrait [11 x 7.5 cms.] of Tenzing, signed and dated by him 9/4/63, when he visited Australia. 1963 also signed by Ed Hillary, George Band, George Lowe, Charles Wylie and Mike Westmacott..

Tenzing A set of three individual signed cards signed by Tenzing, E.P. Hillary and John Hunt.  

Tenzing A Tenzing signature. A special piece of Everest memorabilia.  with a Postcard of Tenzing signing autographs in the street in Grindelwald, Switzerland. The view shows the female admirer for whom he is signing and her treasured original TENZING signature of 22nd. July 1953 is in a hand written envelope. The postcard is also signed by Ed Hillary across the image of Tenzing and by Charles Wylie, Michael Ward, Mike Westmacott, George Lowe, George Band and Alf Gregory on the verso.

Tenzing First Day Cover of the 25th Anniversary of the First Ascent of Mount Everest and Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II 2nd. June 1978. with 2 sets of 2 stamps 3p and 1/2p. also with 2003 50th anniversary Everest 1st. class stamp. The Mount Everest Foundation. 1978 signed by Tenzing, John Hunt, George Lowe, George Band, Charles Wylie, Alf Gregory, Mike Westmacott and Jan Morris.

Tenzing Indian Posts & Telegraphs First Day Cover commemorating the Conquest of Everest envelope signed by Tenzing. 3 'Conquest of Everest' stamps. 29-5-53 2nd. Oct. 1953. with violet 2As. Conquest of Everest and 1Rs. stamps. Postmark (showing Mt. Everest) 11-Nov-53 Silguri Road sent to A.H. Pascal, 35, Enterden Close, Woodcock Park, Harrow, Middx. England) signed by George Lowe, George Band (2), Jan Morris and Mike Westmacott. Rare

Tenzing TENZING SHERPA. A very rare signed original portrait postcard. Gevaert. 1962 signed by Tenzing on head and shoulders pose of Tenzing Sherpa. signed and dated 24/2/62. 14 x 9 cms.

Tenzing Three pages from an autograph album signed by Tenzing, E.P. Hillary and John Hunt.  

Tenzing Norgay and Hillary A signed First Day of Issue Cover commemorating the 25th Anniversary of the First Ascent of Mount Everest. signed by Tenzing and Hillary, bearing 2 commemorative postage stamps issued by the Kingdom of Nepal, postmarked at Namche Bazar with cancellation 29.5.1978. 1978 with the specially stamped Mount Everest medallion, showing Hillary and Tenzing on the summit, in the centre of the envelope. Complete in original presentation wallet and with the original letter to the collector.

Tenzing Autograph letter signed by Tenzing Norkay Sherpa to Mr. Hollingworth in Indian Posts & Telegraphs First Day Cover commemorating the Conquest of Everest. in envelope with Tenzing signature and 3 'Conquest of Everest' stamps. 29-5-53 2nd. Oct. 1953. pp1

Tenzing SOUVENIR PHOTOGRAPH ALBUM. c1953 signed by TENZING, a postcard of Tenzing Sherpa in high altitude clothing and oxygen equipment and Mt. Everest from Sandukphu. with 24 photo views [6 x 9 cms.] of Himalaya, Everest, Kinchenjunga and Darjeeling etc.

Tenzing Tenzings BUSINESS CARD signed by him! printed with the picture of Tenzing on the summit of Everest. signed by Tenzing and Ed Hillary and dated 15/4/82? Tenzing Trekking & Mountaineering (P) Ltd. size 3.5 x 2 ins.

Tenzing First Day Cover of the 25th Anniversary of the First Ascent of Mount Everest and Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II 2nd. June 1978. with set of 4 stamps and 3p. Silver Wedding stamp. to which a 2003 50th anniversary Everest 1st. class stamp is added. The Mount Everest Foundation. 1978 signed by Ed Hillary, Tenzing, Michael Ward, George Lowe, George Band, Charles Wylie, Alf Gregory, Mike Westmacott and Jan Morris. This is quite unique.

The First Ascent of Mount Everest 29th May 1953

Rare and fine Mount Everest mountaineering books for sale and collectable memorabilia signed by Hillary and Tenzing - the first men to climb to the summit of Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world. Mount Everest 70th. Anniversary!

Had it not been for Dan Bryant and his ‘delicious brand of humour’, then Shipton may not have answered that ‘any two’ may join his 1951 Mount Everest Reconnaissance, in reply to a request from the New Zealand Alpine Club. The First Ascent of Everest might not have been achieved by Hillary and Tenzing in 1953. And had it not been for George Lowe it is true to say that Ed Hillary would not have been invited to join the N.Z. Garhwal Himalaya Expedition in the first place. More prominent New Zealand mountaineers had been invited, joined and dropped out. George Lowe didn’t know Hillary well but suggested that he would make a suitable replacement. First ascents in New Zealand from 1947 had mostly been achieved by a handful of men, George Lowe, Geoff Milne, Earle Riddiford, Norman Hardie, Bill Beaven, Jim McFarlane et al. Hillary had for the most part been climbing with professional guide Harry Ayres and it was at the Hermitage that he had met aspiring guide George Lowe. They had forged a strong friendship as mutual trust and respect grew whilst climbing together on Elie de Beaumont. Ed returned the favour and spoke favourably to Shipton about his climbing partner George who now got his Everest chance when invited by Shipton to join the Cho Oyu Expedition 1952.

All the time George Lowe was getting along well despite his left arm which had been broken when he was nine. It was never set properly and it’s muscles wasted over time, but George overcame this very successfully, becoming a superb ice climber. His solo adventure on the Lhotse Face of Everest in 1953 is legendary, even though he thought that he had let John Hunt down. It is difficult to cut ice steps at altitude especially when hampered by an arm that was ‘set’ at an angle of 90 degrees and could only flex 15 or so in either way from that. This injury may have been hidden from Shipton, certainly John Hunt was not aware of it. Both Hillary and Lowe escaped a medical examination undertaken by the other team members in London. Hillary had poor hearing, his ears having been blasted in a terrible explosion on his home made boat in the Pacific before he had taken up mountaineering.

Should Hillary and Lowe been examined at the London medical which other team members undertook, these injuries without much doubt, would have prevented them both from being involved in the Everest party and the mountain may well not have been climbed?

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