Aoraki/Mt Cook, 1875

Aoraki/Mt Cook, 1875

Aoraki/Mt Cook quickly became the focus of early mountaineering in New Zealand. Not only was it the tallest peak, but its spectacular position at the head of Lake Pūkaki made it a magnet for climbers and artists alike. This lithograph is by W. M. Hodgkins, father of the artist Frances Hodgkins. He sketched it on a visit in 1875, showing Aoraki/Mt Cook with the Hooker Glacier in the foreground and the lower slopes of Mt Sefton on the left.