Expéditions

TWO AUTOGRAPH LETTERS SIGNED by PEREGRINE FELLOWES the air commodore who planned & led the FIRST AVIATION EXPEDITION OVER MOUNT EVEREST to the American impressario and lecture manager James B. Pond planning a series of American lectures by him and his colleagues. Together with Pond's brochure announcing his series of lectures for the 1933 - 1934 season which includes lectures on "The Mount Everest Flight" by Fellowes.

1934 · 100273 — <p>New York March 29th and April 11th 1934. 1934. Fine. - Two letters the first dated "March 29th/34" is a 4 page letter "written from 1112 Park Avenue New York" with the return address of "22 Chester Street London SW. 1" It consists of over 240 words penned on 4 sides of 6-1/2 inch high by 5-1/8 inch wide creamy white paper. In this first letter Fellowes expresses his conviction that "I think I shall be able to get my colleagues to accept your offer of closing down the contract" for a series of lectures. As he will expect to make a profit he states that he "would not come over unless you could let me know when you had been able to secure a fairly full list of engagements." He mentions that his wife would have to arrange for the expenses of Lieutenant Colonel Stewart Blacker's wife. "We are both particularly anxious to visit the West Coast & if the majority of my engagements lay in that direction I should avoid circumscribing Blacker's i.e. Lieut.-Col. Stewart Blacker activities. I feel there is a great chance he may be coming over too." Signed "Peregrine Fellowes".</p><p>The second letter dated "April 11th/34" is a 5-1/2 page letter consisting of over 320 words penned on 6 sides of two 7 inch high by 5-1/2 inch wide sheets of "Peover Hall Over Peover Cheshire" stationery. Following up with Pond Fellowes writes that "We are now negotiating with Gaumont British to obtain a definite agreement as to our lecture rights over the main film." He informs Pond that his colleagues are agreeable to the terms and says that "Colonel Etherton Colonel Percy T. Etherton who is a very good & amusing lecturer would be willing to bring over some really excellent Indian short films of Nepal & Sikkim & lecture under your aegis for the whole season." He closes with a postscript stating that "Blacker won't be coming over until 1935 & has not yet definitely settled anything." Signed "Peregrine Fellowes".</p><p>Both letters are in near fine condition and are offered together with Pond's 50-page illustrated brochure "Announcement of Attractions 1933.1934" for lectures under the aegis of the Pond Bureau. The brochure includes a full-page announcement of a lecture titled "The Mount Everest Flight. The official story of Man's Conquest by Air of the last of the world's unexplored areas told by Air-Commodore P.F.M. Fellowes".</p><p>Air Commodore Peregrine Forbes Morant Fellowes 1883-1955 led the expedition and planning for the first flight over Mount Everest in 1933. He co-authored with Stewart Blacker and Percy Thomas Etherton "First Over Everest! : The Houston-Mount Everest Expedition 1933" published by John Lane in that year. Although Fellowes led the expedition he did not actually fly in it except for his reconnaissance flights. The flights themselves were piloted by Douglas Douglas-Hamilton Lord Clydesdale and David McIntyre with Stewart Blacker and Sidney Bonnett in the observer seats.</p><p>As an airman Peregrine Fellowes led a raid against the lock gates at Zeebrugge in the First World War during which he was wounded crash landed in the North Sea and rescued by the Germans. He spent the remainder of the war as a POW. He later served in the Middle East and opened the first regular air route between Cairo and Baghdad. He was selected to lead the first Everest Air Expedition in 1933. Making use of specially designed Westland Wallaces the expedition made the first successful flight over Mount Everest and though Fellowes didn't fly himself his organizational and diplomatic skills were crucial to the success of the challenging expedition. The main difficulties resided in keeping the crew alive in the low pressure and cold temperatures at this elevation. Fellowes and Stewart Blacker who flew in one of the observer seats obtained the necessary papers from the various governments including those of India and Nepal. Tibet refused permission. They convinced the Royal Geographical Society that they'd provide valuable information for the subsequent 1933 British Mount Everest Expedition to the summit and also seek evidence as to George Mallory and Andrew Irvine's disappearance during their 1924 climb. Requiring clear weather over the mountains Fellows reconnoitered on a daily basis by flying a Puss Moth plane every morning for 9 days before conditions were found to be reasonably suitable. The expedition set milestones for development in aviation technology and photography. Though the aerial photographs were too late to assist the 1933 British climbers they were later used by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay to plan their route to the top of Everest in 1953.</p> New York, March 29th and April 11th, 1934.