Twenty-Seven Large Format Photographs of Egypt By Antoine (Antonio) Beato

Egypt: Antoine Beato, 1870. Twenty-seven (27) original photographs of Egypt, with carefully handwritten descriptions below each plate; photographed by Antoine Beato; (8) of the images have his signature in the plate. Large format, photo size approx. 10 ¼" x 15" (26.25 x 38 cm); the mounts 14" x 18" each on its own guard. Including: Gizeh: The Sphinx and the Great Pyramid of Kheops (2); Karnak: Avenue of the Sphinx; Esneh: Capitals; Edfu: Hypostyle Hall; Edfu: Gallery of the Temple; Edfu: Gallery and Entrance to the Temple; Kom Ombro: Ptolomey before the God Sevick; Kom Ombro: Ptolomey before the Horus; Kom Ombo: The two Cleopatras and Ptolomey; Kom Ombo: Coronation of Ptolomey; The Reservoir at the Great Cataract; Western View; The Kiosk (2); Philae: The Pylons and Colonnades of the Temple of Iris; Colonnades of the Temple of Iris; Gallery of the Temple; Gallery with bas relief; Gallery with entrance to the Temple; Gallery of the Temple; Philae: Hypostyle Hall (2); Philae: Pylon with bas relief of Horus and Iris; Nubia: The Great Rock Temple of Abu-Simbel (2).

Bound in the original album, half black morocco & blue cloth covered boards, leather spine and corners, simple gilt rules, gilt spine titles, all edges gilt, marbled endpapers. Boards detached and very worn, spine covering chipped away at bottom 2". First plate mount split away at hinge, re-attached via archival tissue; another plate's corner chipped away and also re-attached; a couple of mounts with closed edge-tears. Some edgewear & soiling to the mounts (more so for plate # 1) and a little damp-discoloration at edge or corners of some; just a little gentle warping to the cardstock. Overall, the imagery is clean and clear and very good examples of this photographer's work. Antoine (Antonio) Beato (c. 1825 - 1903) "...Established first in Cairo in 1862, at the Rue du Muski, and from 1870 on in Luxor, Antoine Beato was one of Egypt's most prolific photographers....(his photographs) cover all aspects of Egypt: landscapes, architecture, ethnographic images and genre scenes..." (ref. Perez "Focus East: Early Photography in the Near East 1839-1885; 1988 Abrams NY).