Alfred Gregory first saw Mt Everest in 1952 during an expedition led by Eric Shipton.  In 1953 he was selected as a climbing member of the British expedition led by John Hunt to attempt the first ascent of  the mountain and he reached 8500 metres in support of Ed Hillary and Tenzing Norgay’s successful summit attempt.

He was also the official stills photographer for the expedition and his images convey the incredible beauty of the Himalaya in an era when the area was still a pristine environment.  His awareness of the need to present the story as an art form was always of great importance to him.