It was in the year 1897 when an Italian expedition promoted and guided by the 24 year-old duke of the Abruzzi, Luigi Amedeo di Savoia, reached the top of Mt. Saint Elias, the 5600 metres high peak in the icy wastes of Alaska. The exploit gained the admiration of mountain climbers the world over, and the achievement was followed with interest in both America and Italy. Vittorio Sella was the official photographs recording all the stages of the achievement up to the peak of Mt. Saint Elias.