In ‘The Story of Mont Blanc’ by Albert Smith records that Julius Behrens (of Manchester)
made the 37th ascent of Mont Blanc in Sept. 1851. This ascent had an unfortunate
termination. Apart from this there appears to be no contemporary written record and
so this album must be only surviving one. The sketches are in two states. Firstly
those of an amateur artist and thereafter by a more accomplished artist. For further
details astill.tony (at) gmail.com
Julius Behrens (1828 - 1888), the Manchester merchant, son of Solomon Levi Behrens
(1788-1873), and brother of Emma, Georgina, Charles, Hannah, Adolph, Lionel, Edward,
Francis (Frank) and Horatio Behrens. studied at Rugby School and Oxford University
The two female figures being escorted to the Grands Mulets below could possibly be
his sisters. And one of them may well have been the amateur artist who recorded
the ascent.
Behrens [1827-1888] (of Manchester) J. ASCENT OF MONT BLANC includes views of Dente
Geante and Courmayeur. pencilled notes give date of 1851 there are 21 watercolour
sketches of the ascent. bound in the original album.
No notice seems to have been taken of his ascent of Mont Blanc in any Manchester
newspapers; although Albert Smith in ‘The Story of Mont Blanc’ 2nd edn, p. 178, ‘one
of the guides, Payot, had his feet frost-bitten on the climb, and the fore-parts
of them were amputated later. Smith adds that Payot then kept a little châlet for
the sale of refreshments on the path to Montanvert’. ‘Apart from his ascent of Mont
Blanc, Julius Behrens is not known to have done any other mountaineering’. (Blakeney
- Alpine Journal 1961 p.322)
