Knowles Guy John Fenton

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Biografie:
Guy John Fenton Knowles (1879-1959)
The late Guy Knowles joined the Alpine Club very late in life, being elected in June 1954, his proposer being Dr. Longstaff. He was the last remaining member of the first climbing expedition to K2, in 1902,
when he accompanied Eckenstein, Jacot-Guillarmod, Wesseley, Pfannl and the notorious Aleister Crowley, where they attained a height of about 21.400 ft. a remarkable effort when it is remembered that their equipment would be considered very rudimentary today. The presence of Crowley did not make for a smoothly-running party, and Knowles retained to the end of his life the revolver with which Crowley threatened him on one occasion.
Knowles's first visit to the Alps was in 1893, when he climbed Piz Roseg and several smaller mountains at the head of the Roseg Glacier. In I895 he climbed the Wetterhorn and Jungfrau; in 1896 Matterhorn, Gabelhorn and Wellenkuppe; in 1898, accompanied by Oscar Eckenstein, he accounted for the Weisshorn, Lyskamm, Dent Blanche and Matterhorn by the Zmutt arete, the last-named being an early ascent by this route. Then came the Karakorum visit in 1902,-and in 1904 Knowles made several climbs in the Mischabel group, as well as Monte Rosa and the Weisshorn.
This completes his mountaineering career and we are indebted to Mr. Carl Winter, Director of the Fitzwilliam Museum, for the following information about Knowles :
Guy Knowles will be remembered as one of the principal benefactors of the Fitzwilliam Museum, to which he had been a generous friend during his lifetime and to which he left in his will a remarkable collection of paintings, drawings, bronzes and miscellaneous works of art. His parents were both deep lovers of the arts, particularly sculpture and drawing, and had many friends in France, to which country Guy Knowles had a great affection and which he knew intimately.
Born July 1, 1879, he was educated at Rugby and Trinity College, Cambridge, and took a Second Class in Pt. I of the Mechanical Sciences Tripos in 1901. He settled down to a very successful career as an Engineer, in 1905 being one of the principals in the Iris Car Company and later in aeronautical engineering. From 1914 to 1919 he served in the Royal Garrison Artillery (Captain), was twice mentioned in despatches and awarded the French Croix de Guerre and the Greek Military Cross.
From 1921 to 1949 he was Supervisor of the Copyright Agency for the Copyright Libraries; and he also managed his family estates at Linkenholt on the borders of Rants and Wilts.
By land, sea, air or on foot, he was a keen traveller, especially in France, where he seemed to be acquainted with every city, chateau, museum or vineyard throughout its length and breadth. A connoisseur of wine and food and a first-rate conversationalist, he was never happier than when entertaining his friends, of which he had the widest of circles. The extent of his interests and the fullness of his information on all he talked about, made him an ideal host. He spent a long and happy life and was glad to know that the works of art he had collected and which had given him so much pleasure, would go to his university for the enjoyment of future generations.
Quelle: Alpine Journal Vol. 64. Nr. 298, 1959, Seite 288-289


Geboren am:
01.07.1879
Gestorben am:
1959