Alfred Gregory

Alfred Gregory (b.1913), FBIPP, Hon FRPS, is a mountain climber, explorer and professional photographer. A member of the successful British team which made the first ascent of Mount Everest in 1953, he was in charge of stills photography and, as a climbing member of the team, reached 28,000 feet (8,500 metres) in support of the successful Hillary-Tenzing assault on the Summit.Hillary, Edmund, "High Adventure: The True Story of the First Ascent of Everest"] [http://imagingeverest.rgs.org/Units/35.html]

Early life

Gregory was educated at Blackpool Grammar School in the UK. Before the war he climbed extensively in the Lake District, Scotland and the Alps and during the 1940s he led several new routes in Britain.During World War II he was an officer in the Black Watch, serving in North Africa and Italy. In 1952 he joined Eric Shipton’s Cho Oyu expedition and throughout the 1950s he led several expeditions to Rolwaling and the Gauri Shankar massif where 19 peaks were climbed and a plane table survey was made; and to Ama Dablam, Distigil Sar, Karakoram and Cordillera Blanca in Peru [http://imagingeverest.rgs.org/Units/35.html] .

Photography

For 20 years he worked freelance for Kodak UK, lecturing on photography and presenting his pictures to large audiences throughout Britain and Europe.

He has spent a lifetime travelling on photographic assignments around the world and his pictures are still regularly syndicated to 35 countries. Along with his wife Sue he has produced many photojournalistic picture stories through the famous Tom Blau Camera Press News Agency in London. His work has been exhibited throughout Britain, France, Belgium, America, Africa, Poland and Australia [http://website-archive2.nt-online.org/?lid=4203] [http://www.labx.com.au/AlfredGregory.htm] . Gregory and his wife Suzanne now live near Melbourne, Australia. In 2002 they held a joint exhibition at the 80 gold street gallery, in Collingwood, Victoria, with photographs of 'Walls, Doors and Windows' [http://www.goldstreetstudios.com.au/Alfred%20Gregory.htm] .

Publications

*"The Picture of Everest" in 1953
*"Alfred Gregory’s Everest" published for the 40th anniversary of the first ascent
*"Blackpool: a Celebration of the 60s"
*"Alfred Gregory: Photographs from Everest to Africa"

References

External Links

Imagining Everest, The Royal Geographic society [http://imagingeverest.rgs.org/Units/35.html] Extract from his book, "Alfred Gregory: Photographs from Everest to Africa" at Penguin: [http://www.penguin.com.au/lookinside/spotlight.cfm?SBN=9781920989613&page=extract] Transcript of interview with Gregory from ABC's [7:30 Report] : [http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2007/s2119449.htm]