Elizabeth Hawkins-Whitshed, commonly known after her third marriage as Mrs Aubrey Le Blond and informally among climbing peers as Lizzie Le Blond, was an Irish mountaineering pioneer, author, and photographer celebrated for documenting alpine landscapes.
17 Facts About Elizabeth Hawkins-Whitshed
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Elizabeth Hawkins-Whitshed was born in Dublin on 26 June 1860 into an upper-class Anglo-Irish family.
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Elizabeth Hawkins-Whitshed was the daughter of Anne Alicia and Captain Vincent Hawkins-Whitshed.
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At eighteen, Elizabeth Hawkins-Whitshed entered London society and married her first husband, Captain Frederick Burnaby, a British Army intelligence officer and adventurer, in 1879.
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Elizabeth Hawkins-Whitshed gained renown for ascending peaks in long skirts, a practice documented in widely circulated photographs.
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Elizabeth Hawkins-Whitshed published her mountaineering writings under her marital surnames: Mrs Fred Burnaby, Mrs Main, and Mrs Aubrey Le Blond.
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Elizabeth Hawkins-Whitshed authored the autobiography Day In, Day Out, chronicling her life and adventures.
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Frederick Burnaby 8.
Elizabeth Hawkins-Whitshed died on 27 July 1934 and was buried at Brompton Cemetery in London.
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Elizabeth Hawkins-Whitshed authored works under both her maiden name, Elizabeth Hawkins-Whitshed, and her later married name, Mrs Aubrey Le Blond.
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Elizabeth Hawkins-Whitshed employed the pseudonym Jean Ville for select publications.
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Over two decades, Elizabeth Hawkins-Whitshed summited Mont Blanc twice and conquered numerous challenging Swiss peaks.
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In 1907, Elizabeth Hawkins-Whitshed co-founded the Ladies' Alpine Club, serving as its inaugural president.
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Elizabeth Hawkins-Whitshed's achievements demonstrated extraordinary resilience, inspiring generations of women to challenge gendered norms in mountaineering and adventure sports.
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Elizabeth Hawkins-Whitshed became an early innovator in snow photography, pioneering techniques to record glacial landscapes.
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Elizabeth Hawkins-Whitshed produced thousands of photographs, approximately 400 of which illustrated publications such as Water, its Origin and Use by William Coles Finch.
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Elizabeth Hawkins-Whitshed developed and printed her own work, often in challenging field conditions, distributing prints as charitable fundraisers, personal gifts, or prizes at mountaineering events.
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Elizabeth Hawkins-Whitshed's legacy was celebrated in a 2003 exhibition at Pontresina Alpine Museum, Switzerland.