Opgravingen bij Medinet-Habou before 1862

This albumen print of the excavations at Medinet Habu was made by Francis Frith sometime in the mid-19th century. Frith was one of the first British photographers to travel widely in the Middle East, documenting sites like this one in Egypt. Looking at this image, we should consider the Western gaze on ancient Egypt during this period. The image presents the temple ruins as objects of scientific interest and aesthetic wonder. We see in the accompanying text how the ruins are described in terms of their contribution to 'the national language of art and the vernacular of Egypt.' This is a classic example of how European institutions positioned themselves as authorities on global history and culture. Photography played a critical role in this process, lending an air of objectivity to a very subjective endeavor. To truly understand this image, we should turn to resources from the period, like travel logs, survey reports, and ethnographic studies, that can reveal the complex social and intellectual context in which it was made.