[Mountaineering] - Exceptional set from the collection assem - Lot 795

Lot 795
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Estimation :
800 - 1200 EUR
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[Mountaineering] - Exceptional set from the collection assem - Lot 795
[Mountaineering] - Exceptional set from the collection assembled by René Mailleux (1906-1995), a major figure in Belgian mountaineering in the XXᵉ century. This lot brings together around 1,500 old photographs (silver and sepia prints, various formats), as well as items of correspondence, magazines, biographical documents and miscellaneous items. Part of this collection is devoted to the alpine passion of Prince, then King of the Belgians Albert I, documented through numerous photographic prints dating mainly from 1906 to 1939. These include views of expeditions, summits and roped parties, testifying to the practice of mountaineering in the Belle Époque and between the wars. There are also several photographs illustrating climbs and stays in the mountains, some of them in the company of his friend and climbing companion, the industrialist Ernest Solvay (1838-1922). There are also signed portraits of King Albert I and his wife Queen Elisabeth. The lot also includes photographs of René Mailleux himself on expeditions (Belgium, France, Italy), as well as various documents relating to his sporting career and activities, shedding valuable light on the Belgian alpine scene of the time. This set is a first-rate historical testimony to the history of mountaineering in Belgium, and to the figure of the "King Knight" in the exercise of his passion for the mountains. A rare lot, with high documentary and iconographic value.
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