Robert Lawrie (1903-1982) was born in Burnley and became a bootmaker under the tutelage of his father in the family firm. His career expanded into Alpinism and motor racing – taking part in several Le Mans 24hr races.

He started his own business, Robert Lawrie Ltd, in 1935 working out of several different locations in London, though latterly at his home in Seymour Street, where stories are told of visitors being welcomed to tea in the front room while feet were measured for Robert to make them new boots.

Apart from making and selling his own boots, Lawrie was a major supplier of climbing and mountaineering equipment and we are lucky to have a pair of Robert Lawrie crampons here in the collection.

There were very few companies, if any, making crampons in the UK back then and Robert Lawrie made boots not crampons, so it’s pretty certain he would import crampons from the continent, put his stamp on and sell them on. We know for sure he bought axes from Stubai in Austria (check out the Robert Lawrie Stubai ice axe elsewhere in the collection) so it could be that the crampons came from there too, though there are other candidates.

Either way we have an excellent pair of crampons here in the collection that don’t look to have been used and are there in mint condition. They were kindly donated by Ian Cooper on behalf of his late aunt and uncle Ellen & John Cooper.