Add MS 89647

The journal, in a single hand, by an unidentified woman recounts in great detail an extensive walking trip in Switzerland in Jun-Jul 1876, during the golden age of 19th century Alpine mountaineering, just five years after Edward Whymper had made the first ascent of the Matterhorn. The author describes the journey from Colchester to London where she meets two of her travelling companions, on to the overnight ferry from Newhaven to Dieppe with its accompanying discomforts and sea-sickness. A brief description of Dieppe is followed by a more extensive description of Paris, including the Tuilleries, the panorama of the siege of Paris, and climbing the Vendome Column. An overnight sleeper train, complete with a Swiss couple, their two parrots and a dog joining their compartment, is taken to Lausanne. The travellers meet young English climbers from the London Alpine Club, Cox and Jardine, there to climb the Diableret. The author describes the weather; often poor although walks are still undertaken, including one up the Col de Pillon. Further, more challenging excursions are also undertaken. The party visits Aigle and Martigny using carriages to go via the Tête Noir, they also walk on the Mer de Glace and other glaciers. The journal contains descriptions of the clothing and equipment used by the party. Towards the end of the journal is a detailed description of the author and her female companion sea bathing at Dieppe, shedding light on Victorian attitudes of reticence and modesty.

Apart from the travel and alpine aspects of the journal, there are also comments on social matters such as the number of women working in the fields. The journal also contains illustrations and sketches of women working the fields and spinning. Numerous other ink vignettes appear throughout the journal.

The author of the journal is anonymous but clues in the text and captions to the illustrations ('W.P.B', 'S', and 'Say') indicate her travelling companions were newspaper owner and politician, Sir William Pollard Byles and his wife, the suffrage activist, Sarah Anne Byles. The party was also joined by a Mr and Mrs Taylor in Paris.