Whymper, EDWARD

Whymper, EDWARD, wood-engraver and traveller, was born in London, 27th April 1840, the son of an engraver and artist. Trained an artist on wood, he became even more famous for his mountaineering than for his book-illustrations. In 1860-69 he scaled several hitherto unscaled peaks of the Alps, including the Matterhorn (q.v.). In 1867 he made valuable geological discoveries in Northern Greenland, and again in 1872. His memorable travels in the high Andes (including the ascent of Chimborazo and other peaks) took place in 1879-80. See his Scrambles amongst the Alps (1871; new ed. 1893); his Travels amongst the Great Andes of the Equator (with appendices, 2 vols. 1892); and Zermatt and the Matterhorn (1897).