Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives

Sir Edmund Hillary Autograph

Summary

Collection ID:
FSA.A1998.09
Creators:
Hillary, Edmund, 1919-2008
Dates:
November 16, 1998
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
1 Sheet
31 x 38 cm.
Repository:
Container:
1

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
One sheet bearing Hillary's signature, along with a line drawing of two figures climbing a mountain, both in black ink.

Arrangement

Arrangement
Organized in one file folder.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Sir Edmund Percival Hillary (1919-2008) was New Zealand mountaineer and explorer. As part of the ninth British expedition to Everest, Hillary and his Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay were the first men to reach the summit of Mt. Everest, the highest point on Earth, on May 29, 1953. For this feat, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, while Tenzing received the George Medal, one of Britain's highest civilian awards. Hillary would go on to participate in other expeditions in the Himalayas, as well as an expedition to the South Pole. In 1985, he was appointed New Zealand High Commissioner to India. Hillary also devoted much of his time and energy to various philanthropic causes, particularly those dedicated to preserving the ecology of the Himalayas and improving the living conditions of the Sherpa people. In 1998, Hillary was the recipient of the James Smithson Bicentennial Medal in honor of his "monumental explorations and humanitarian achievements." This autograph drawing was made by Hillary during a press conference at the Freer Gallery on November 16.

Administration

Custodial History
Gift of Sir Edmund Hillary, 1998.

Digital Content


Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.
Preferred Citation
Sir Edmund Hillary Autograph. FSA.A1998.09. National Museum of Asian Art Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.

More Information

Local Numbers

Local Numbers
FSA A1998.09


Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Mountaineering Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Nepal Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Washington (D.C.) Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Ink drawings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Drawings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Signatures (names) Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
USA -- District of Columbia -- Washington Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives
National Museum of Asian Art Archives
Washington, D.C. 20013
AVRreference@si.edu