Produced in 1925, this original illustrated panoramic document presents the Mont Blanc massif as seen from Le Brévent, one of the finest viewpoints overlooking the Chamonix Valley. Combining photography, topographical information and Alpine scholarship, it was created during a period when Chamonix was already internationally celebrated as a centre of mountaineering and mountain tourism.
The exceptionally wide composition encompasses the valley of Chamonix, the surrounding villages, mountain paths, glaciers and the principal summits of the Mont Blanc range. Fine lines extend from the skyline to printed captions identifying the many peaks, while additional annotations mark routes, elevations and geographical features throughout the landscape.
The panorama credits the altitudes to Henri and Joseph Vallot, documentation to Maurice Paillon and the photographic image to Wehrli Frères of Kilchberg-Zurich. This collaboration transformed an impressive mountain view into a precise visual guide, allowing travellers and mountaineers to study the structure of the massif and identify its principal landmarks.
Maurice Paillon (1855–1938) was a French mountaineer, writer and influential figure within the Club Alpin Français. He directed the organisation’s journal La Montagne and contributed extensively to the documentation and popular understanding of the Alps. His involvement explains the exceptional geographical detail and mountaineering knowledge incorporated into this panorama.
A fascinating collector’s piece for admirers of Chamonix, Mont Blanc, Alpine history, mountaineering and early twentieth-century travel documents. Its elongated proportions, dense topographical detail and photographic character make it both an informative historical record and a distinctive decorative work.
Original Poster
Panorama - Alps
Panoramic view taken from Brévent - Cliché: Wehrli Brothers
Kilchberg Zurich
Good condition, traces of folds
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