Photography and Egypt

by Maria Golia

Egypt immediately conjures images of the pyramids, the temples and the Sphinx in the desert. Early photographs of Egypt took these ancient monuments as their primary subjects, and these have remained hugely influential in constructing our view of the country. But while Egypt and its monuments have been regularly photographed by foreigners, little has been known about the early days of photography among Egyptians. Photography and Egypt examines both, considering images from the mid-nineteenth century to the present day, including studio portraits, landscapes and photojournalism. Two forces drove photography’s early development in its link as an essential tool of archaeology and the accelerating effects of archaeological photographs on the burgeoning tourism industry. In this book, Maria Golia examines these twin drives, through the work of Europeans who travelled to Egypt as well as early Egyptian and Middle Eastern photographers. Golia examines how photography was also employed for propaganda purposes, including depictions of celebrated soldiers, workers and farmers; and how studio-based photography was used to portray the growing Egyptian middle class. Today’s young photographic artists, Golia reveals, use the medium to celebrate everyday life and to indict political and social conditions, with photography bearing witness to history––as well as helping to shape it. Illustrated with a rich, sometimes surprising variety of images, many published for the first time in the West, Photography and Egypt is the first book to relate the story of Egypt’s rapport with photography in one concise and highly readable account.

Genres: Photography, Egypt

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[David Rowntree · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up when I was in Cairo last October. Absolutely wonderful to flip through while I was in the country. The book lacked clear organization at times and I would have liked to see more discussion of prominent photographers Zola and Gustave Le Gray. Although I agree with Golia's assessment that "In many ways it is easier to research Egypt's ancient history than its modern one..."

Nevertheless, the book has a great collection of images. The Queen Fawzia photo is gorgeous, Van Leo "Self-portrait as Assassin" is my favorite.

A good introduction to one of the most photographed places in the world. I hope to see more interest in this area.

[Cody]

An exploration of photography, Egypt, and their intertwined histories, Golia teases out the ways in which photographs not only "influenced perceptions of the country" but also "[created] visual paradigms that illuminate only partial truths."