[CLUB ALPIN FRANÇAIS] Section de l'Isère. Taillefer, Trièves, Dévoluy, Vercors

The rare first edition, produced by the Club alpin français de l'Isère. Copy number: No. 55. On the title page, mention of Album No. 1. It is likely that this notion of first album refers to a project by the Club alpin français for each section, Dauphiné, Savoie, Haute Savoie, Vosges... However, we find in the catalogues of the Bibliothèque Nationale, other albums noted as number 1 of the Isère section, but which are entitled "Chartreuse" and "Grandes-Rousses, Sept-Laux, Belledonne"; these two other albums also contain 50 photographs like ours.
These albums have a distinctly artisanal character and do not constitute a printed edition in the classical sense, they were made by and for the Club. No printer's name is found anywhere. The number of copies was therefore certainly very limited, and intended for a few members and institutions, and not for the general public.
Contemporary half chocolate shagreen binding with corners. Spine with raised bands decorated with 3 ornaments, gilt titles. Red edges. Rubbing to head and tail caps, edges and corners. After a few leaves intended for descriptions of the photographs, 50 mounted card plates on tabs with 50 photographs pasted down (9.5x14cm), with a number and caption. Stamp on title page: Club alpin français, section de l'Isère, Grenoble.
The Club alpin français was founded in 1874 with a center in Paris. Its mission was to introduce the mountains through practice and knowledge, by promoting scientific work, mountaineering, hiking... Each section would distribute numerous periodicals. The Club alpin would become a sports federation in 1996.
The photographs taken seek to give the most faithful representation possible of the mountains in Isère, with views of peaks, gorges, waterfalls, bridges, tunnels, hermitages, roads, lakes... This is one of the first photographic missions on the mountains. High-contrast silver prints in very fine condition.