Fellwalking with a Camera

Fellwalking with a Camera was published in December 1988:

“This book is dedicated to the man who made it possible: Ken Shepherd, a photographer friend who applied his skill to my indifferent snapshots, gave them life and revealed in them a merit I had not suspected”

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“Andrew, I have an idea for a book,” shouted Alfred Wainwright from the kitchen as he poured two mugs of steaming coffee.

Andrew Nichol, the General Printing and Book Publishing Manager at the Westmorland Gazette, was taken aback by the remark. Another book? The overflowing shoebox filled with old photographs on the coffee table suddenly raised questions in his mind.

“Is this anything to do with these old pictures, AW?” he asked.

The tall figure of the legendary fellwalker came into the living room and carefully set the mugs down on the table.

“It’s called Fellwalking with a Camera,” he said, “and yes, those photographs are the focus of the project. Have a look through them all and see what you think.”

Wainwright eased into his seat, a contented expression on his face. He observed Andrew as he delved into the extensive stack of old black-and-white photographs. As Andrew sifted through the images that played a crucial role in crafting the Lake District guidebooks, propelling Wainwright to fame, he leisurely lit his pipe. Many of these photographs served as references for Wainwright’s distinctive pen and ink illustrations, contributing significantly to the seven volumes of guidebooks initially published between 1955 and 1966. When Andrew finally concluded his exploration of the shoebox, he looked up.

“How can you make a book out of these? There are no names on them to identify which is which. There’s only a skyline.”

“I don’t need names on them,” replied Wainwright. “I know which is which.”

Andrew drank his coffee as his host looked at him expectantly.

“What about your eyesight, AW? Your writing… these days it’s not as –”

“I’ve got just the thing,” Wainwright cut in as if expecting the question.

“The Underwood!”

His words were spoken with such assurance that Andrew immediately discerned that this wasn’t the routine Friday morning visit to Wainwright’s Kendal Green residence for the usual exchange of fan mail received by the publisher. The day was unfolding as unexpectedly significant.

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Wainwright envisioned a landscape-format book akin to the numerous sketchbooks he had crafted following the success of the Pictorial Guides. In response, Andrew returned to the Gazette’s office and tasked one of the bookbinders with assembling a blank dummy book for Wainwright to use for his manuscript. Over the next three weeks, Wainwright diligently worked in his study, typing away on his old Underwood typewriter. With his eyesight deteriorating, he grappled with reading each key, devising a solution by writing each letter on a large piece of paper and affixing them to all the keys on the typewriter.

Wainwright envisioned a landscape-format book akin to the numerous sketchbooks he had crafted – featuring the Lake District, Scotland, various regions of the north of England, and a couple of Welsh volumes – following the success of the Pictorial Guides. In response, Andrew had one of the bookbinders assemble a blank dummy book for Wainwright to use for his manuscript. Over the next three weeks, Wainwright diligently worked in his study, typing away on his old Underwood typewriter. With his eyesight deteriorating, he grappled with reading each key, devising a solution by writing each letter on a large piece of paper and affixing them to all the keys on the typewriter.

After three weeks, Andrew gathered the finalised manuscript and the shoebox of photographs, now numbered on the reverse for proper sequencing and alignment with the typed text. He then entrusted them to Ann Clarke, a Gazette’s book publishing department member. In her role, Ann edited and arranged the layout of the manuscripts, preparing them for the subsequent typesetting process.

Wainwright contributed an uncommon photograph featuring his smiling portrayal for the front cover. This black and white image, captured in late October 1988, was the work of Wainwright’s longtime friend, Ken Shepherd, taken during a photoshoot in Kentmere. The book bore a heartfelt dedication to Ken Shepherd, acknowledging his instrumental role in making the project a reality.

Ken, a local friend of Wainwright, was known for his wedding and portrait photography expertise. During the Pictorial Guide days, Wainwright was dissatisfied with the prints from the local chemist. Opting for a different approach, he entrusted his negatives to Ken, who skillfully brought them to life in his darkroom. See Wainwright Memories for the full story behind their friendship.

Not all the images provided by Wainwright to Andrew could be enhanced; some suffered from issues like being out of focus or over/underexposed. Consequently, some of these pictures and Wainwright’s corresponding text were excluded from Fellwalking with a Camera during the editing process.

Approximately 40% of the original manuscript’s content remained unpublished. While Wainwright preferred everything to be published as he produced it, he acknowledged the necessity of omitting certain portions. Several decades later, the definitive edition of this title still awaits publication.

The book hit the shelves in December 1988, with a single print run of 3,000 copies, making every copy a First Edition. Andrew recollects Wainwright’s contentment with the final product, even though it deviated from his initial vision, being in portrait format instead of landscape. Beyond the format, Wainwright took pride in conceiving the idea itself.

Original order forms for Fellwalking with a Camera are scarce, with Derek Walker, a renowned independent book representative for the Westmorland Gazette, possessing many surviving copies. Surprisingly, these order forms contain errors in the description. There is confusion in the timeline, suggesting Wainwright left Blackburn as an accountant assistant in 1941 when he received the camera and retired as Kendal’s Borough Treasurer in 1967. In the first paragraph, Wainwright’s job title was inaccurately stated as Borough Treasurer at the time of receiving the camera. Additionally, the second paragraph incorrectly asserts that the Gazette persuaded Wainwright to write the book when, in fact, it was the other way around.

During this period, Titus Wilson, a printing company, had taken over the Gazette’s general print works. Andrew was in the process of relocating to a smaller office on the newspaper side of the building. While clearing his office, he stumbled upon the manuscripts for Ex-Fellwanderer, Fellwalking with a Camera, and a hand-drawn Three Peaks Walk Certificate tucked away in his drawer. Later that day, he brought all three items to Wainwright in Kendal Green.

“Oh, I don’t want them; they are no good to me,” said Wainwright.

“Well, put them in the cellar to keep them safe,” replied Andrew.

“No, the cellar is full. You have them if you want.”

Andrew didn’t need telling twice and quickly changed the subject. He was now the owner of two original Wainwright manuscripts and a certificate.

In 1992, when Michael Joseph took over from the Westmorland Gazette as the publisher, a stipulation of the agreement was purchasing all existing Wainwright book stock from the Gazette. This encompassed the remaining copies of Fellwalking with a Camera. Several years later, as Wainwright book sales decelerated, Michael Joseph, in 1999, initiated the bulk sale of the unsold Gazette stock. They approached bookselling partners David Stockley (Kirkland Books, Kendal) and Anthony Vickers from Selby, offering them all 12,000 remaining copies. However, both declined the offer.

Following the decline of the previous bookselling partners, Michael Joseph turned to wholesalers PR Books Ltd in Kendal, who acquired the complete remaining stock. These books were subsequently distributed across Cumbria, and the last copy of Fellwalking with a Camera found its buyer at Henry Roberts in Bowness-on-Windermere in 2014.

What distinguishes this book is the substantial amount of unpublished material by Wainwright. Presently, the manuscripts for Fellwalking with a Camera and Ex-Fellwanderer are believed to be the only two complete Wainwright manuscripts under private ownership.

It was a surreal experience when Andrew Nichol shared Wainwright’s manuscript with me a few years ago. Holding a complete piece of Alfred Wainwright’s work in my hands was astonishing; I was surprised they weren’t trembling! A few months later, I acquired the manuscript from Andrew. As a dedicated Wainwright collector, it is one of the most cherished pieces in my collection.