Everest 24

In 1924, the British Mount Everest Expedition led by George Mallory set out to reach the summit of the world’s highest peak. In 2024, documentaries and exhibitions – some sponsored, like the original climb, by the Royal Geographical Society – will commemorate the 100th anniversary of this famous adventure.

Everest 24, published with the RGS, presents a newly curated portfolio of images from the expedition and those that preceded it. These include John B. Noel’s hand-coloured lantern slides and film stills; retouched black-and-white photographs; artefacts discovered on George Mallory’s body in 1999; mountain cartography; and the original expedition correspondence.

The book casts new light on this exceptional archive through ‘from the collection’ features; and narrates the story of Mallory and ‘Sandy’ Irvine’s final 24 hours and the enduring mystery of whether they reached the summit. It presents commissioned essays from leading authorities who consider new views on Everest; restore the forgotten voices of the Indigenous participants; and provide fresh perspectives on the cultural and ecological meanings of the mountain, and the urge to ‘conquer’ uncharted worlds.