Icons of the 19th Century - photos of Egypt

Maxime Du Camp

(page 28-29)

Sphinx, giza, december 9,1849

Ancient Egypt was fascinating for 19th century photographers.

The blaring sun made short exposures however it was tiring carrying the equipment need to process negatives on site.

Every image taken of Egypt was considered a success.

He used the person in the image so demonstrate the size of the statue:

Francis Frith

(page 30-31)

Crocodile on a bank of the Nile, 1857

" he declared that his first view of the pyramids marked a new era in his life. " (page 31)

Temple on the Island of Philae, 1857

" a symbolic statement regarding the dark, dangerous , and disquieting side of african life. " (page 31)

took hundreds of photographs in Egypt and published them in albums, this helped the Egypt-mania craze.

His images "shaped our visual conceptions of many of these historical sites" (sites such as the sphinx, monuments, temples and sculptures)