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Remains of Lost Everest Climber Found 100 Years Later

Remains of Lost Everest Climber Found 100 Years Later

Meghan Marino, Associate Manager, Field Marketing, Wiley

October 16, 2024

A 100-year-old mystery has been reawakened among the mountaineering community, bringing it one step closer to being solved: what happened to George Mallory and Andrew Comyn “Sandy” Irvine?

The two climbers set out to become the first to summit Mount Everest in 1924 only to disappear approximately 600 feet from the peak. Climbers have been left with decades-old questions: what happened? Did they ever reach the top? While Mallory’s remains were found in 1999, where were Irvine’s? 

A huge discovery: finding Irvine’s remains

In breaking news , photographer and filmmaker Jimmy Chin reported an old-weathered boot, and a sock tagged “A.C Irvine” on Everest’s north side on October 11, 2024 (over 100 years later). While the discovery gives the mystery a fragment of closure, questions remain surrounding the whereabouts of Irvine’s camera, which may help to explain the tragic fate of the climbers and whether they were the first to summit one of the world’s largest mountains.

What can researchers and enthusiasts find in our archives?

Mallory and Irvine have inspired climbers worldwide. Their expedition, jointly organized by National Geographic and the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), is documented through collateral, photos, and manuscripts housed in the RGS archive, now digitized by Wiley Digital Archives. Let’s trek through some archival documents to see what we can find regarding the legacies of these brave mountaineers:

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Straight from the source: collateral from Irvine and Mallory 

Official expedition materials feature invaluable primary collateral from A.C. Irvine, including mentions of preparations for the upcoming expedition: booking passage to India, oxygen equipment, medical exams, bills, and more. Similar materials exist for G.H Leigh Mallory, including his note of acceptance to take part in the expedition to Mount Everest.

View the collection (with institutional access or a free trial): 

  1. C. Irvine, Joint Secretary, et al., Everest Expeditions, Mount Everest Committee the 1920's Expeditions-1921, 1922 & 1924, October 10, 1923-September 23, 1925. Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) archive.
  2. Hinks, Mallory, et al., Everest Expeditions, Mount Everest Committee the 1920's Expeditions-1921, 1922 & 1924, April 15, 1923-August 13, 1926. Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) archive.

                             

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Collecting headlines and media attention

“If men could be found to besiege Mount Everest year after year, I believe it would surrender at last.” George Mallory’s quote was featured in newspaper cuttings from January 1924 alongside photos of Sandy Irvine and excited statements from various publications regarding the upcoming Everest expedition. 

With over 187 pages of clippings, post-expedition statements are included from publications like Manchester City News which stated, “The world was familiar with the tragedy and the courage associated with their achievement, but the full narratives of the mountaineers showed how the high traditions of British adventure were maintained by their heroic efforts.”

View the collection (with institutional access or a free trial): 

Everest Expeditions, Mount Everest Committee the 1920's Expeditions-1921, 1922 & 1924. Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) archive.

                                  

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    Climbers who inspired the world

    “The Epic of Everest,” was a film created by Captain John Noel, the official photographer of the expedition. In 1925, the Secretary for the Centre Excursionista Els Blaus in Barcelona wrote to the Royal Geographical Society claiming that the film created considerable interest, with viewers inspired by “the courage and resourcefulness of those dauntless men.”

    The secretary also wrote to Leigh Mallory, George Mallory’s wife, attaching a Bulletin expressing the admiration the Catalans had for Irvine and Mallory.

    View the collection (with institutional access or a free trial): 

    Secretary, Clerk to the Mount Everest Committee, et al., Everest Expeditions, Mount Everest Committee the 1920's Expeditions-1921, 1922 & 1924, 1925. Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) archive.

                                   

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      Capturing the journey on camera

      With mention of Captain John Noel, it’s important to note that his work behind the camera helped to document the trek of Irvine and Mallory. Here are some pictures from his collection on Wiley Digital Archives:

      View the collection (with institutional access or a free trial): 

      J. B. Noel, Everest Expeditions, 3/1/1924. Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) archive.

                                      

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