Call Number:

PH-00916

Collection Name:

Sinai and Palestine

Creator:

No. of Items:

37 albumen prints in 1 bound volume

Span Dates:

1862–1863

Description:

Sinai and Palestine (London: William Mackenzie, 1862–1863) is a photographically illustrated book containing 37 photographs by Francis Frith (British, 1822–1898), made between 1857 and 1860. It is volume I of the second, enlarged edition of the four-volume series Egypt, Palestine, and Nubia. While the first edition issued each title in two separately bound volumes (eight volumes total), the second edition consolidates each into a single bound volume. Each volume in the series corresponds to a distinct region photographed by Frith during his three expeditions to the Middle East and Egypt.

The volume is bound in quarter green leather with green cloth-covered boards, gilt lettering, and gilt edges, and contains 37 mounted albumen prints, including 36 interior plates and an illustrated title page, each accompanied by descriptive letterpress. The front pastedown bears the armorial bookplate of the Bridgewater Library.

The photographs depict landscapes and architectural sites of historical and religious significance, particularly those associated with biblical narratives. Locations include the Sinai Peninsula; Hebron (Al-Khalil); Gaza; Jerusalem (Al-Quds); Nablus (Shechem); Nazareth; Tiberias; Banias (Caesarea Philippi); Damascus; Baalbek; and Mount Lebanon. The photographs are accompanied by Frith’s descriptive text, which combines historical commentary with personal observations, reflecting both documentary intent and appeal to the Victorian “armchair traveler.”

This volume is part of the Gernsheim Collection, acquired in 1963.

Accession No(s):

964:0508:0001-0037

Location(s):

f DS 108.5 F7 HRC-P (964:0508:0001-0037)
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Item(s):

See Also:

Francis Frith Photography Collection