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Betsy Cowles Partridge papers, 1933-1996

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Cowles Partridge, Betsy, 1902-1974
Title
Betsy Cowles Partridge papers
Dates
1933-1996 (inclusive)
1933-1972 (bulk)
Quantity
2.60 cubic feet (5 boxes)
Collection Number
02082
Summary
Photographs, scrapbooks, and articles documenting the career of a woman mountaineer.
Repository
American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
American Heritage Center
University of Wyoming
1000 E. University Ave.
Dept. 3924
Laramie, WY
82071
Telephone: 3077663756
ahcref@uwyo.edu
Access Restrictions
Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes, and the collection is open to the public.

Languages
English
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Historical Note

Betsy Cowles Partridge (1902-1974) was a mountaineer, writer, photographer, and lecturer. Born Elizabeth Strong, she graduated from Vassar in 1923 and married Alfred Cowles in 1924, whom she divorced in 1939. In 1958, she married Air Force General Earle E. Partridge. Her mountaineering career began with ascents of Colorado and Swiss mountains in 1933, and continued until a 1970 trip to Nepal. She also climbed in the Grand Teton and Wind River ranges in Wyoming, and in Colombia, the Canadian Rockies, the Himalayas, and East Africa. She was a member of Charles Houston's 1950 expedition to Mount Everest. Partridge wrote numerous mountaineering articles and gave lectures and slide shows on her expeditions.

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Content Description

The collection includes articles (mostly written under the name Elizabeth S. Cowles); diaries of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (Colombia, 1941), Mount Everest (1950), Africa (1967-1968), Caribbean Circle (1969), and Himalayan (1970) trips; seven photograph albums of her trips; color slides of Mount Everest, Kathmandu, and the Swiss Alps; and scrapbooks.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

Copyright Information

The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.

Preferred Citation

Preferred Citation

Item Description, Box Number, Folder Number, Collection Name, Collection Number, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

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Administrative Information

Related Materials

Related Materials

There are no known other archival collections created by Betsy Cowles Partridge at the date of processing.

Acquisition Information

Acquisition Information

The collection was received from Elizabeth Strong Cowles Partridge between 1966 and 1973. Letters to Mieczyslaw Horszowski were donated by Emilie Strong Smith (sister) through Janet Robertson (biographer) in 1997. Robertson's transcriptions of the letters are also included in the collection.

Processing Note

Processing Information

The collection was organized and described by Steven Yeager in October 2018.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Container List

  • Series I. Expeditions

    • Description: List of Climbs by Elizabeth Cowles Partridge (1933-1970)
      Dates: Undated
      Container: Box 3
      Location: Series I. Expeditions
    • Description: Tetons (Photographic stills)
      Dates: 1940s
      Container: Box 1
      Location: Series I. Expeditions
    • Description: Tetons (Publications "Trail and Timberline")
      Dates: May-June, 1948
      Container: Box 3
      Location: Series I. Expeditions
    • Description: Colorado, Tetons, Wind River, and Canada (Color slides)
      Dates: 1940-1950, Undated
      Container: Box 3
      Location: Series I. Expeditions
    • Description: Houston Expedition and Kathmandu (Photographic stills)
      Dates: 1950
      Container: Box 1
      Location: Series I. Expeditions
    • Description: Houston Expedition and Kathmandu (Color slides)
      Dates: 1950
      Container: Box 3
      Location: Series I. Expeditions
    • Description: Houston Expedition to Mount Everest, Volume 1-2 (Photographic stills)
      Dates: 1950
      Container: Box 1
      Location: Series I. Expeditions
    • Description: Houston Expedition to Mount Everest (Original journal, Speeches, Publication "Trail and Timberline," "North to Everest I. Eastern Nepal")
      Dates: 1950
      Container: Box 3
      Location: Series I. Expeditions
    • Description: Houston Expedition to Mount Everest ("North to Everest," Copy of journal, Round Robin letters)
      Dates: 1950
      Container: Box 3
      Location: Series I. Expeditions
    • Description: Houston Expedition to Mount Everest 1-2, (Color slides)
      Dates: 1950
      Container: Box 3
      Location: Series I. Expeditions
    • Description: Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia (Photographic stills)
      Dates: 1941
      Container: Box 2
      Location: Series I. Expeditions
    • Description: Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia (Journal, Speech, Publication "The American Alpine Journal")
      Dates: 1941-1942
      Container: Box 3
      Location: Series I. Expeditions
    • Description: Switzerland, Various Climbs, Volume 1-2 (Photographic stills)
      Dates: 1933-1962
      Container: Box 2
      Location: Series I. Expeditions
    • Description: Switzerland, Various Climbs (Speech, Publication "Trail and Timberline")
      Dates: 1937, Undated
      Container: Box 4
      Location: Series I. Expeditions
    • Description: Switzerland, Various Climbs (Color slides)
      Dates: 1933-1962
      Container: Box 4
      Location: Series I. Expeditions
    • Description: Journal and Speech of Trip to West Africa
      Dates: 1967-1968
      Container: Box 4
      Location: Series I. Expeditions
    • Description: Journal of Himalayan Trek
      Dates: 1970
      Container: Box 4
      Location: Series I. Expeditions
    • Description: Articles about Mountaineering by Elizabeth Cowles Partridge
      Dates: 1937-1950
      Container: Box 4
      Location: Series I. Expeditions

  • Series II. Personal

    • Description: Diary of Vacation around Caribbean Circle
      Dates: 1969
      Container: Box 4
      Location: Series II. Personal
    • Description: Scrapbook of Letters and Other Memorabilia
      Dates: 1936-1971, Undated
      Container: Box 4
      Location: Series II. Personal
    • Description: Scrapbook Articles about Betsy Cowles Partridge (1950 Houston Expedition to Mount Everest, including articles, letters and other memorabilia)
      Dates: 1950-1951, Undated
      Container: Box 4
      Location: Series II. Personal
    • Description: Scrapbook Articles about Betsy Cowles Partridge (1950 Houston Expedition to Mount Everest, including photograph of expedition)
      Dates: 1950-1952
      Container: Box 4
      Location: Series II. Personal
    • Description: Scrapbook Articles about Betsy Cowles Partridge
      Dates: 1952-1957, Undated
      Container: Box 4
      Location: Series II. Personal
    • Description: Scrapbook Articles about Betsy Cowles Partridge and General Earle E. Partridge
      Dates: 1955-1972
      Container: Box 5
      Location: Series II. Personal
    • Description: Artifact (Leather scrapbook cover, inscribed with "Betsy," and flowers, with metal fasteners)
      Dates: Undated
      Container: Box 5
      Location: Series II. Personal
    • Description: Speeches to the Tuesday Club and Fine Arts Center
      Dates: 1972, Undated
      Container: Box 5
      Location: Series II. Personal
    • Description: Speeches to Colorado College, ENT Air Force Base and Air Force Academy
      Dates: Undated
      Container: Box 5
      Location: Series II. Personal

  • Series III. Letters to Mieczyslaw Horszowski from Betsy Cowles Partridge

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Mountaineering -- Africa.
  • Mountaineering -- Canada.
  • Mountaineering -- China.
  • Mountaineering -- Colombia.
  • Mountaineering -- Colorado.
  • Mountaineering -- Nepal -- Kathmandu.
  • Mountaineering -- Nepal.
  • Mountaineering -- Switzerland.
  • Mountaineering -- Wyoming.

Personal Names

  • Horszowski, Mieczyslaw
  • Partridge, Earle E., 1900-

Corporate Names

  • Mount Everest Expedition, 1950.

Geographical Names

  • Alps, Swiss (Switzerland)
  • Caribbean Area.
  • Everest, Mount (China and Nepal)
  • Santa Marta Range (Colombia)
  • Teton Range (Wyo. and Idaho)
  • Wind River Range (Wyo.)

Form or Genre Terms

  • Diaries.
  • Photograph albums.
  • Scrapbooks.
  • Slides.

Occupations

  • Mountaineers.

Other Creators

  • Personal Names

Processed by Steven Yeager
2013; 2018

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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