As Gaston Rébuffat says in his book Neige et Roc: "Climbing is an instinct. Children like to climb windows, walls and trees. The pleasure of climbing is the pleasure of seeing further and higher".
Rébuffat, with his slender figure, was photographed many times. He was one of the winners of the Annapurna and a climbing companion for several photographers. His book was printed in rotogravure at the end of the 1960s by Arthaud. The graphic images illustrating it are by JJ Lanquepin, Tom Frost, Bradford Washburn, Maurice Jarnoux, André Roch, Janine Niepce, Maurice Baquet, Marcel Ichac, Georges Tairraz and Gaston Rébuffat, himself a photographer.
Unfortunately, when it comes to artistic "climbing" photography, there are very few good images of pure climbing. In contrast to mountain, mountaineering or skiing photos, which are very numerous. One exception is the photos by Bruce Weber in All American VI: Larger Than Life, published in 2006 by Little Bear Press in New York. In this book, the great American fashion photographer magnifies the bodies and movements of climbers.
With the current craze for climbing as an Olympic discipline, the Librairie des Alpes wants to try, with this exhibition, to translate this feeling of technical perfection and body language. We are pleased to present a selection of photos ranging from the Tairraz to Marcel Thomas, from Hans Steiner to Julien Lacroix. And also situational portraits of famous climbers, climbers to be classified as cats...
These images of Catherine Destivelle, Lynn Hill or Patrick Edlinger all show the need for absolute freedom.
Climbing is also about being free to think of others, as well as to make life more beautiful.
Librairie des Alpes
Rare books, nowhere-to-be-found guides, ancient maps, original engravings, curious objects, vintage or contemporary prints... the "Librairie des Alpes" is the base camp for mountain-lovers since 1933.