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Joseph Vallot (right)


.... spending 3 nights camped on the summit of Mont Blanc in 1887, Joseph Vallot 's party returned to a hero's welcome, and was greeted with flowers and a brass band by mayor and the inhabitants of Chamonix.

...in 1887, after spending 3 nights camped on the summit of Mont Blanc in 1887, Joseph Vallot constructed a permanent observatory and mountain refuge that are still both in use today.



Bust of Joseph Vallot, by Henri Coutheillas


Joseph Vallot (1854-1925) was a French scientist, astronomer, geographer, cartographer and alpinist. He is known mainly for his work in establishing a high altitude observatory below the summit of Mont Blanc in the Alps. He was a recipient of the Legion of Honour, and the Vallot Hut on Mont Blanc is named after him (or did he actually construct the original one- CHECK).

Personal life

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Vallot was born in Lodève on 16 February 1854, and educated at Lycée Charlemagne in Paris.[1]

He was married to Gabrielle Peron [fr], and together they lived and worked in Chamonix on high altitude research and studied solar radiation during eclipses. They were both active mountaineers and members of the Club Alpin Français.[2]

They had three children: two sons, André and René, and a daughter, Madelaine, who became the wife of painter Paul-Franz Namur [fr].[1]

Main work

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Vallot's scientific interests initially lay in the field of botany, which took him first to the Pyrenees, and then to Chamonix, where he remained for much of his career.[3] In 1875 he joined the Société botanique de France, eventually becoming its secretary[4] and later, vice-president.[5]


Mont Blanc Observatory

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Joseph Vallot's most notable contribution to science was as founder and director of the Mont Blanc Observatory.[1] It played an important part in scientific research on the mountain. It was constructed in 1890 at an altitude of 4,358 m (14,298 ft) on the Rochers des Bosses, although it was subsequently relocated to a more suitable location in 1898, some eight metres lower down the mountain.[6] The observatory was used both by Vallot and by invited scientists for over 30 years. The results were published in seven volumes of Annales de l'Observatoire du Mont Blanc, between 1893 and 1917, and in the Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences. These studies covered topics ranging from astronomy, geology, glaciology, cartography and meteorology, to botany, physiology and medicine.[6]

In one pioneering experiment carried out in 1913, Vallot used squirrels to demonstrate that decreasing physical performance occurred with increasing altitude.[6]

Honours and awards

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Vallot was a corresponding member of the Bureau des Longitudes[1]

He was a recipient of the Legion of Honour.[1] (got it in 1896 according to FRwiki - CN)


He was made honorary president of the French Alpine Club[1]

Recipient of the following honours: Chevalier de l'Ordre des Saints Maurice et Lazare; Officer of the Order of the Medjidie; Officer of the Order of Saint-Charles of Monaco; [1]Other awards included: Grand prix des sciences physiques; prix wilde de Academie des Sciences and gold medal from the Société d'Encouragement.[1]

Also two grand prix and two gold medals at the Exposition Universelle (1900)[1]


PubMed ref[6]

Death

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Vallot tomb at Père-Lachaise Cemetery, Paris

When his health deteriorated, Vallot left Chamonix and moved to Nice, where he eventually died in 11 April 1925.[3] He is interred at Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris.


Publications

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Vallot's Main works: Annales de l'Observatoire du Mont Blanc; plus a large number of memoirs on physics, meteorology, geology, topography, alpinism, cave exploration, physiology, botany, photography and light therapy.[1]


Categories

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Category:Knights of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus Category:French glaciologists Category:French meteorologists Category:French speleologists Category:Patrons of the arts Category:1854 births Category:1925 deaths

Extras

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[[File:Environs de Chamonix - carte 20000eme - 1907.JPEG|thumb|Environs de Chamonix - carte 20000eme - 1907 by H & J He was educated at Lycée Charlemagne[1]

Vallot Hut

French Who's Who ref[1]

Jannsen's summit observatory

Further reading

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  • Vivian, R. (1986) L'épopée Vallot au Mont Blanc, ISBN 9782207232514
  • Vivian, R. (2005) Les glaciers du Mont-Blanc, La Fontaine de Siloé, ISBN 2-84206285X

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Ruffy (ed), G. (1924). Qui êtes-vous? Annuaire des contemporains: notices biographiques. 1908-1908/10, 1924. Paris: Librairie Delagrave. p. 741. {{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  2. ^ Creese, Mary R. S. (2004). Ladies in the Laboratory II: West European Women in Science, 1800-1900: A Survey of Their Contributions to Research. Lanham, Maryland; Oxford: Scarecrow Press. p. 81. ISBN 9781461605812.
  3. ^ a b "Joseph Vallot". Association Paul Helbronner. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  4. ^ "Seance du 28 Decembre". Bulletin de la Société botanique de France. 30: 316. 1883. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  5. ^ "Guide pratique pour les herborisation et la confection generale des herbiers". Bulletin de la Société botanique de France. 41: 232. 1894. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  6. ^ a b c d Richalet, J.P. (Spring 2001). "The scientific observatories on Mont Blanc". High Altitude Medicine & Biology. 2 (1): 57. doi:10.1089/152702901750067936. Retrieved 26 February 2019.


Honours and awards

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