Frederick Burlingham

A rich Englishman arrives to Chamonix and finds accommodation in a hotel: here he realizes that he has been robbed along the way and that he no longer has a penny. Abruptly expelled from the hotel, the man wanders through the woods, where he meets a mountain guide. A crazy idea flashes through his mind: with a stone he hits the guide and deprives him of clothes, boots, the ax and all the mountain gear. Then, making himself go for guidance, look for customers to take to the mountains and earn some money. Hired by a group of compatriots, he ventures into a long hike and, having reached the Bossons glacier, he leaves his customers and flees. But the robbed guide reaches him with a revenge purpose...

The ascent of the Matterhorn by the Hornli Ridge, filmed in july 1913 by Frederick Burlingham. The team, composed of Burlingham and four mountain guides from Zermatt, carried the 15-kilo camera and the 10-kilo tripod to the top the mountain to film the summit of the Matterhorn. Frederick Burlingham, known at the time as 'The man who kinomatographed the Matterhorn', was a traveller cinematographer and one of the mountain film pioneers. Continuing the mountain film tradition established by Ormiston-Smith, Burlingham filmed several mountaineering films largely in Switzerland, taking mountain film in a new direction of immediacy and perceived peril.

The ascent of Mont Blanc filmed by Frederick Burlingham in august 1915. A party composed by Burlingham's wife and several guides from Chamonix, climb the Mont Blanc by the normal route of Grands Mulets. Frederick Burlingham was a traveller cinematographer and one of the mountain film pioneers. Continuing the mountain film tradition established by Ormiston-Smith, Burlingham filmed several mountaineering films largely in Switzerland, taking mountain film in a new direction of immediacy and perceived peril. In the early history of factual filmmaking, Burlingham played a substantial role in developing the related genres of the mountaineering and the exploration film.

Rock climbing demonstrations in North Wales filmed by Frederick Burlingham. Burlingham, known at the time as 'The man who kinomatographed the Matterhorn', was a traveller cinematographer and one of the mountain film pioneers. Continuing the mountain film tradition established by Ormiston-Smith, Burlingham filmed several mountaineering films largely in Switzerland, taking mountain film in a new direction of immediacy and perceived peril. In the early history of factual filmmaking, Burlingham played a substantial role in developing the related genres of the mountaineering and the exploration film.

A record of the ascent of the Jungfrau by Frederick Burlingham accompanied by four mountain guides. The film starts with panoramics of the Eiger North Face from Kleine Scheidegg. The party begin the climb from the Jungfraujoch Station crossing the Jungfrau Firn and reaching the summit of the Jungfrau by the steep Roththal Sattel. Frederick Burlingham was a traveller cinematographer and one of the mountain film pioneers. Continuing the mountain film tradition established by Ormiston-Smith, Burlingham filmed several mountaineering films largely in Switzerland, taking mountain film in a new direction of immediacy and perceived peril. In the early history of factual filmmaking, Burlingham played a substantial role in developing the related genres of the mountaineering and the exploration film.

The film collects material from different mountain adventures in the Alps filmed by Frederick Burlingham. From alpine climbing on the slopes of the Jungfrau to mountaineering and rock climbing in the glaciers and rock pinnacles of the Mont Blanc Massif. Frederick Burlingham, known at the time as 'The man who kinomatographed the Matterhorn', was a traveller cinematographer and one of the mountain film pioneers. Continuing the mountain film tradition established by Ormiston-Smith, Burlingham filmed several mountaineering films largely in Switzerland, taking mountain film in a new direction of immediacy and perceived peril.