Everest through the lens

The Society’s new exhibition marking the centenary of the Everest expeditions in the 1920s explores how Captain John Noel’s films shaped the popular image of the mountain while sometimes obscuring the role of local intermediaries.

At the heart of the exhibition are the visually stunning films that Noel produced of the 1922 and 1924 expeditions. The exhibition goes behind the scenes of Climbing Mount Everest (1922) and The Epic of Everest (1924) to unpick the uncomfortable and complex social, racial and geopolitical dynamics that shaped the expeditions – from their beginning to enduring legacy.

The exhibition also includes a large number of photographs, film stills and manuscripts from the unique Mount Everest Collection and Noel Collection which are being exhibited for the first time. Other items never previously shown on public display include a vivid blue programme from the cinematic release of Climbing Mount Everest, a postcard sent from Everest Base Camp to promote The Epic of Everest, and a promotional banner poster that advertises the 1924 film as ‘a wonder film of adventure on the roof of the world’.