Princess Royal Fortress Military Museum > Records

First World War Black and White Photograph of the Interior of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo

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1915 - 1919

Overview

A small black and white photograph showing an ornate room with columns around its edges and arches visible on the second level, where various Egyptian statues and other artefacts are displayed. Central to the room is a large statue of a Pharaoh and Queen seated together. Other large statues are displayed at the edges of the room. The image has been damaged by paper sticking to its left side and there are marks in the bottom border. The reverse of the image has the proforma printing of part of a postcard and an inscription in black ink.

Historical information

The Egyptian Museum was founded in 1858 at Būlāq, moved to Al-Jīzah (Giza), and settled in its present site in downtown Cairo in 1897–1902. The museum is unique in its presentation of the whole history of Egyptian civilization, especially of antiquities of the Pharaonic and Greco-Roman periods.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-12-2022.1.106

Item type

Photographs

Themes

War and Conflict > World War 1

Material

Photo Paper

Width

88 mm

Height or length

67 mm

Inscriptions and markings

On the reverse in machine printing “POST / CORRESPONDENCE” with “Museum Cairo” written in black ink.

Contextual information

In “Ramble Through Cairo” published on 28 April 1915 in the Great Southern Herald, Mr Cyril DOWNE of 1st A.L.H Brigade Headquarters described his visit to Cairo and the Egyptian museum. “We now transferred our attentions to the ground floor, where all the ancient relics, such as statues, &c., are exhibited. All of these were originally buried in the ancient tombs, and excavations have disclosed them in recent years. Some of them are badly damaged; some have been repaired, and others have been left just as they were found to give people an idea of. the workmanship displayed in those times. Among them was a beautiful green statue of " Khephren," the builder of the second Pyramid. Another, I think the most wonderful statue of all, is of Ra-hetep and his wife Nefert. This tremendously huge affair, which stands from 20 to 30 feet in height was found in the "False Pyramid" of Redum.”

Keywords

First World War

10th Light Horse Regiment

Place made

Egypt

Year

1915 - 1919

Primary significance criteria

Historic significance

Comparative significance criteria

Interpretive capacity

Well provenanced