Statues of Horace-Bénédict de Saussure and Jacques Balmat were dedicated in 1887 to mark the centenary of Saussure's ascent as a symbol of courage united with science. The monument was partly funded by a bequest for a monument to Saussure at Chamonix. Additional funds were raised from mountaineers and scientists. Jean-Jules Salmson's design for the sculpture included two figures, Saussure and Balmat, who points toward Mont Blanc. This photograph from the 1890s on a stereoview card illustrates how widely images of these statues circulated. The title of the scene, "Balmat, the first to ascend Mt. Blanc, pointing out his route to Saussure, Chamonix," is translated on the back of the card into English, French, German, Spanish, Swedish, and Russian.

Creator

• unknown

Year

• 1887

Date created

• 1887

Resource type

• Image

Source

• "Balmat, the first to ascend Mt. Blanc, pointing out his route to Saussure, Chamonix." New York: Underwood and Underwood, 1901. Photographic prints on stereoscopic cards. Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Rights statement

• In Copyright

Last modified

• 2020-08-11