Martin Conway, 1st Baron Conway Of Allington
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William Martin Conway, 1st Baron Conway of Allington, (12 April 1856 – 19 April 1937), known between 1895 and 1931 as Sir Martin Conway, was an English art critic, politician, cartographer and
mountaineer Mountaineering, mountain climbing, or alpinism is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas that have become sports ...
, who made expeditions in Europe as well as in South America and
Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...
. Conway occupied several university positions and from 1918 to 1931 was a representative of the
Combined English Universities Combined English Universities was a university constituency represented in the United Kingdom Parliament (from 1918 until 1950). It was formed by enfranchising and combining all the English universities, except for Cambridge, Oxford and London ...
as a conservative member of the
House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...
. In 1872 he took up mountain climbing and went on expeditions to
Spitsbergen Spitsbergen (; formerly known as West Spitsbergen; Norwegian language, Norwegian: ''Vest Spitsbergen'' or ''Vestspitsbergen'' , also sometimes spelled Spitzbergen) is the largest and the only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipel ...
from 1896 to 1897 and the
Andes The Andes ( ), Andes Mountains or Andean Mountain Range (; ) are the List of longest mountain chains on Earth, longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range ...
of
Bolivia Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...
in 1898. He is an author of books on art and exploration, which include ''Mountain Memories'' (1920), ''Art Treasures of Soviet Russia'' (1925), and ''
Giorgione Giorgio Barbarelli da Castelfranco (; 1470s – 17 September 1510), known as Giorgione, was an Italian painter of the Venetian school during the High Renaissance, who died in his thirties. He is known for the elusive poetic quality of his work, ...
as a Landscape Painter'' (1929).


Background and education

Conway was born at Rochester, England, on 12 April 1856, the son of Reverend William Conway, who later became rector of
St Margaret's, Westminster The Church of St Margaret, Westminster Abbey is in the grounds of Westminster Abbey on Parliament Square, London, England. It is dedicated to Margaret the Virgin, Margaret of Antioch, and forms part of a single World Heritage Site with the Pal ...
. He was the youngest of three children, having two older sisters, Elizabeth Ann (1852–1916) and Martha (1854–1938). He was educated at Repton and
Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any ...
, where he studied
mathematics Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...
and became a close friend of
Karl Pearson Karl Pearson (; born Carl Pearson; 27 March 1857 – 27 April 1936) was an English biostatistician and mathematician. He has been credited with establishing the discipline of mathematical statistics. He founded the world's first university ...
. It is also at Cambridge that he met Henry Bradshaw, then a librarian, and
John Ruskin John Ruskin (8 February 1819 20 January 1900) was an English polymath a writer, lecturer, art historian, art critic, draughtsman and philanthropist of the Victorian era. He wrote on subjects as varied as art, architecture, Critique of politic ...
, who introduced Conway to art and the
Alps The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia. ...
. He became interested in
woodcut Woodcut is a relief printing technique in printmaking. An artist carves an image into the surface of a block of wood—typically with gouges—leaving the printing parts level with the surface while removing the non-printing parts. Areas that ...
s,
engraving Engraving is the practice of incising a design on a hard, usually flat surface by cutting grooves into it with a Burin (engraving), burin. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or Glass engraving, glass ar ...
and early printed books; his ''History of the Woodcutters of the Netherlands in the Fifteenth Century'' was published in 1884.


Mountaineering

Conway was a member of the
Alpine Club Alpine clubs are typically large social clubs that revolve around climbing, hiking, and other outdoor activities. Many alpine clubs also take on aspects typically reserved for local sport associations, providing education and training courses, se ...
, of which he was president from 1902 to 1904. In 1892, in the course of an exploring and mountaineering expedition undertaken under the auspices of the
Royal Society The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...
, the
Royal Geographical Society The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), often shortened to RGS, is a learned society and professional body for geography based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical scien ...
and the
British Association The British Science Association (BSA) is a charity and learned society founded in 1831 to aid in the promotion and development of science. Until 2009 it was known as the British Association for the Advancement of Science (BA). The current Chief ...
, he made an ascent of a subsidiary summit of Baltoro Kangri, claiming a world altitude record with a height of 23,000 ft (7,010 m). However, subsequent measurements have revised his height to 22,322 ft (6,804 m). In 1896–97, accompanied by J. W. Gregory and others, he explored the interior of
Spitsbergen Spitsbergen (; formerly known as West Spitsbergen; Norwegian language, Norwegian: ''Vest Spitsbergen'' or ''Vestspitsbergen'' , also sometimes spelled Spitzbergen) is the largest and the only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipel ...
, the first expedition to cross the mainland of the island. The following year he explored and surveyed the Bolivian Andes, climbing "Sorata" (known today as Ancohuma, 21,086 ft / 6,427 m) and
Illimani Illimani () is the highest mountain in the Cordillera Real (part of the Cordillera Oriental, a subrange of the Andes) of western Bolivia. It lies near the cities of El Alto and La Paz at the eastern edge of the Altiplano. It is the second high ...
(21,122 ft / 6,438 m). He also attempted
Aconcagua Aconcagua () is a mountain in the Principal Cordillera of the Andes mountain range, in Mendoza Province, Argentina. It is the highest mountain in the Americas, the highest outside Asia, and the highest in both the Western Hemisphere and the ...
(22,831 ft / 6,959 m), stopping short of the summit by 50 feet; and explored
Tierra del Fuego Tierra del Fuego (, ; Spanish for "Land of Fire", rarely also Fireland in English) is an archipelago off the southernmost tip of the South America, South American mainland, across the Strait of Magellan. The archipelago consists of the main is ...
, attempting Sarmiento. At the Paris Exhibition of 1900, he received the gold medal for mountain surveys, and in 1905 won a
Founder's Medal The Founder's Medal is a medal awarded annually by the Royal Geographical Society, upon approval of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom, to individuals for "the encouragement and promotion of geographical science and discovery". Foundation From ...
of the
Royal Geographical Society The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), often shortened to RGS, is a learned society and professional body for geography based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical scien ...
for his Spitsbergen exploration. He served as president of the Alpine Club from 1902 to 1904, and became the first president of The Alpine Ski Club at its inaugural meeting in 1908, serving until 1911. Conway Island is named for him. In 1924, Conway evaluated evidence from the 1924 British Mountaineering Expedition and believed
George Mallory George Herbert Leigh-Mallory (18 June 1886 – 8 or 9 June 1924) was an English Mountaineering, mountaineer who participated in the first three British Mount Everest expeditions from the early to mid-1920s. He and climbing partner An ...
and Andrew Irvine had summitted Mt. Everest.


Academic career

From 1884 to 1887 Conway was a Professor of Art at University College, Liverpool; and from 1901 to 1904 he was
Slade Professor of Fine Art The Slade Professorship of Fine Art is the oldest professorship of art and art history at the universities of Cambridge, Oxford and University College, London. History The chairs were founded concurrently in 1869 by a bequest from the art collect ...
at
Cambridge University The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...
. He was
knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...
ed in 1895 for his efforts in mapping 5,180 square km of the
Karakoram The Karakoram () is a mountain range in the Kashmir region spanning the border of Pakistan, China, and India, with the northwestern extremity of the range extending to Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Most of the Karakoram mountain range is withi ...
Range in the
Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya ( ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than list of h ...
three years earlier. In 1889 he published a book concerning his research on
Albrecht Dürer Albrecht Dürer ( , ;; 21 May 1471 – 6 April 1528),Müller, Peter O. (1993) ''Substantiv-Derivation in Den Schriften Albrecht Dürers'', Walter de Gruyter. . sometimes spelled in English as Durer or Duerer, was a German painter, Old master prin ...
. He was assisted in this by the polymath Lina Eckenstein who was the sister of a fellow mountaineer. During the early 1900s, he was active within the
Society of Antiquaries of London The Society of Antiquaries of London (SAL) is a learned society of historians and archaeologists in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1707, received its royal charter in 1751 and is a Charitable organization, registered charity. It is based ...
. He gave many presentations at meetings and served multiple terms on its council, once in , and again from as a vice president of the society. He also stood as president of the Kent Archaeological Society for some time in the 1920s and 1930s. He became president of the society in 1923, and announced in 1930 his wish to step down, citing declining health, although he continued as president after a request by the council. He again announced his retirement and stepped down in 1936, though agreed to continue as a vice president. Conway was an art collector; he began collecting in 1887. Conway was the first Director-General of the
Imperial War Museum The Imperial War Museum (IWM), currently branded "Imperial War Museums", is a British national museum. It is headquartered in London, with five branches in England. Founded as the Imperial War Museum in 1917, it was intended to record the civ ...
and a trustee of the
National Portrait Gallery National Portrait Gallery may refer to: * National Portrait Gallery (Australia), in Canberra * National Portrait Gallery (Sweden), in Mariefred *National Portrait Gallery (United States), in Washington, D.C. *National Portrait Gallery, London ...
from 1922 to 1937. His photograph collection formed the basis of the Conway Library at the
Courtauld Institute of Art The Courtauld Institute of Art (), commonly referred to as The Courtauld, is a self-governing college of the University of London specialising in the study of the history of art and conservation. The art collection is known particularly for ...
in London. He was also responsible for the restoration of Allington Castle in Kent.


Political career

Conway had been involved in politics for some time, consorting with both major parties allegedly in pursuit of a knighthood and a barony; he received both. He was mentioned as a possible Liberal candidate for Wolverhampton South in early 1900, but withdrew his candidature 'owing to domestic circumstances'. In 1902 Conway was involved in a deal with
Bolivia Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...
n president José Manuel Pando regarding a tract of land named the Caupolican concession, which was rich in rubber. The concession was divided between Conway and American investors that were interested in the Acre region. In 1907, Conway became a director of The Inambari Para-Rubber Estates Limited, which exported
latex Latex is an emulsion (stable dispersion) of polymer microparticles in water. Latices are found in nature, but synthetic latices are common as well. In nature, latex is found as a wikt:milky, milky fluid, which is present in 10% of all floweri ...
products from the Inambari River in
Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
. He was elected Unionist Member of Parliament for the
Combined English Universities Combined English Universities was a university constituency represented in the United Kingdom Parliament (from 1918 until 1950). It was formed by enfranchising and combining all the English universities, except for Cambridge, Oxford and London ...
in 1918, serving until 1931, when he was raised to the
peerage A peerage is a legal system historically comprising various hereditary titles (and sometimes Life peer, non-hereditary titles) in a number of countries, and composed of assorted Imperial, royal and noble ranks, noble ranks. Peerages include: A ...
as Baron Conway of Allington, of Allington in the County of Kent, in the Dissolution Honours. He died in London on 19 April 1937. The title became extinct on his death.


Works


Scholarly works

* ''History of the Woodcutters of the Netherlands in the Fifteenth Century'', 1884
''Early Flemish Artists''
1887 * ''The Literary Remains of Albrecht Dürer'', 1889 * ''The Dawn of Art in the Ancient World'', 1891, dealing with Chaldean,
Assyria Assyria (Neo-Assyrian cuneiform: , ''māt Aššur'') was a major ancient Mesopotamian civilization that existed as a city-state from the 21st century BC to the 14th century BC and eventually expanded into an empire from the 14th century BC t ...
n and Egyptian art
''Early Tuscan Art''
1902 * ''The Crowd in Peace and War'', 1915 * ''Art Treasures of Soviet Russia'', 1925 * ''Giorgione as a Landscape Painter'', 1929


Mountaineering and travel works


''Climbing and Exploration in the Karakoram-Himalayas''
1894 * ''The Alps from End to End''
1895
an
1900
(Also published as ''The Alps'',
1904 Events January * January 7 – The distress signal ''CQD'' is established, only to be replaced 2 years later by ''SOS''. * January 8 – The Blackstone Library is dedicated, marking the beginning of the Chicago Public Library system. * ...
an
1910
*
The First Crossing of Spitsbergen
', 1897
''The Bolivian Andes''
1901 * ''Aconcagua and Tierra Del Fuego: A Book of Climbing, Travel and Exploration'', 1902 * ''Early Dutch and English Voyages to Spitsbergen in the Seventeenth Century'', 1904 * ''No Man's Land, a History of Spitsbergen from its discovery in 1596 to the beginning of the Scientific Exploration of the Country'', 1906 * ''Mountain Memories'', 1920 *
Palestine and Morocco
', 1923


Autobiography

* ''Episodes in a Varied Life'', 1932 *
The Sport of Collecting
', 1914


References


External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Conway, Martin 1856 births 1937 deaths English mountain climbers Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for the Combined English Universities Presidents of the Alpine Club (UK) Conway of Allington, William Conway, 1st Baron Conway of Allington, William Conway, 1st Baron UK MPs 1918–1922 UK MPs 1922–1923 UK MPs 1923–1924 UK MPs 1924–1929 UK MPs 1929–1931 UK MPs who were granted peerages Directors of the Imperial War Museum Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Academics of the University of Cambridge Knights Bachelor People from Allington, Kent Barons created by George V