Pyramids And Temples Of The Nile

These spectacular views of some of the best-known Egyptian monuments were recorded on 11 X 14 glass plate negatives. Unfortunately, neither the photographer nor the year(s) involved are known. Nevertheless, the images represent the work of a skilled photographer, particularly when one considers the logistical challenges of working in such a format. In the last century, large plate cameras, a wooden tripod, heavy glass negatives, heat, dust, flies, and blinding sunshine all combined in Egypt to challenge both the photographers and equipment alike.

The images shown here range from the famous Old Kingdom Pyramids at Giza, with the Sphinx still buried (it was not excavated completely until 1925), dating to the third millennium BCE, to the New Kingdom temples of the Ramesside pharaohs, at the end of the second millennium BCE. Taken together, the images attest to both the monumental vision of ancient Egyptian civilization, and the phenomenal detail captured by large format photography of the twentieth century.