Objects Database

Simond Special Ice Axe (Robert Lawrie)

Accession Number

1714.2023.1

Object Name

Simond Special Ice Axe (Robert Lawrie)

Created

21/06/2023

Creator

Hermione Cooper

Accession Date

21/06/2023

Brief Description

Wooden Shafted Simond Special Ice Axe

Materials

wood, steel

Dimensions

Shaft 71cmd Head 32 cms

Number Of Objects

1

Inscription Description

"CLAUDIUS SIMOND CHAMONIX MONT.BLANC"
"SIMOND SPECIAL B"
"ROBERT LAWRIE LTD. LONDON W1"

Colour

silver, brown

Maker

Simond

Object Production Place

France

Provenance

The Simond brothers were blacksmiths in the little town of Chamonix, beneath Mont Blanc, Europe’s highest mountain.
In the early 1800’s we find them making agricultural tools, bells for cattle and sheep and equipment for the crystal hunters.
Highly skilled at amalgamating metal and wood together, it’s no surprise that Francois Simond started making ice axes when the ‘Golden Age’ of mountaineering came along in the mid 1800’s.
The Simond family continued to produce innovative and functional mountaineering gear for many decades e.g.the Simond Special ice axes which we have here in the collection. Dating from the 1950’s, these axes were popular with British mountaineers, being fairly lightweight. Scotland’s legendary ‘ice-man’, Jimmy Marshall, used one throughout his illustrious career.
This particular axe would have been imported by Alpine Equipment specialist, Robert Lawrie, who was based in London.
Unfortunately, we don’t know who bought it, nor who donated it to us.

Acquisition Date

21/06/2023

Condition Check Date

21/06/2023

Rules

Spectrum : UK Museum documentation standard, V.3.1 2007

Modified

21/06/2023

Go Back