The ever-alluring aspects of Egypt's landscape and monuments in the late nineteenth century

Béchard, Émile. L'Égypte et la Nubie. Grand album monumental, historique, architectural.

€ 35,000.00

A grand collection of collotype photographic plates of monuments, views and other scenes in Egypt and Nubia by the French photographer Émile Béchard. Each of the 150 plates is accompanied by a short description, based on the works of renowned Egyptologists, orientalists, and other scholars such as the philologist Champollion, who deciphered the Egyptian hieroglyphs.

Notable plates in the present series include views of Cairo, the pyramids, the Valley of the Kings, the Karnac temple complex, and many other monuments. The original photographs of the present suite won the "medaille d'or" at the "Exposition Universelle 1878", also known as the third Paris World's Fair, as proudly stated in the preface.

"Working in Egypt from 1870 to 1880, the photographer Émile Béchard (1844-?) is above all known for his genre scenes and cunningly composed Egyptian views, as well as his carefully constructed versions of Egypt's cultural heritage, ancient or medieval..." (M. Volait, Emile Bechard. The New Cairo in 1874). Together with Hippolyte (Délié), Émile and Henri Béchard are often thought to be three different photographers, related by a family and/or business connection (see the Encyclopedia of Nineteenth-Century Photography, p. 131). The Metropolitan Museum suggests another theory, according to which Émile and Henri are the same person, namely Émile Henri Béchard, while Hippolyte was the distributor of Béchard's work in France.

Not bound; half-title somewhat browned and scuffed, edges of the leaves very slightly browned and frayed. The margins leaves show some occasional very slight foxing, but the plates remain very clear. Overall in good condition.