DYADIC | MAPJD 2016/17 | Projects

Whymper, Memory and forgetting

On January 4, 1880, English explorer Edward Whymper became the first person to reach the peak of what was then thought to be the world’s highest mountain: Chimborazo.

During a seven month stay in Ecuador, Whymper climbed for the first time to the peaks of eight mountains, studied the harmful effects of altitude on the human body, and collected samples of highland fauna. Thanks to his collection, 28 members of the Coleoptero Carabidae insect family were discovered by science. Twelve years later, Whymper published his memories of this trip in a book beautifully illustrated by the author himself. It was entitled ‘Travels among the Great Andes of the Equator.’ The Royal Geographical Society awarded Whymper a medal for his contribution to knowledge.

What remains of this today?

Based on testimonies and photographs of places, objects and persons that – consciously or not – are linked to this trip, this paper is a reflection on the relevance of Whymper’s explorations through the traces that remain and the ways in which the English mountaineer’s journey in Ecuador is remembered. More than reviving the figure of a man, these photographs and texts invite reflection on the fragility of memory and the value of forgetting.

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Whymper, Memory and forgetting | Photography by David Coral

The Hotel Whymper is run by six brothers who inherited the business from their father, the doctor Ignacio Gallegos. Riobamba, 2017.
© 2017 David Coral