The Great Pyramid and the Great Sphinx 1858

Francis Frith made this photograph of the Great Pyramid and the Great Sphinx in 1857. It’s a salted paper print, an early photographic process that gives the image a soft, almost painterly quality. The sepia tones and subtle gradations emphasize the massive scale and texture of these ancient monuments. Look closely, and you will see the individual blocks of the pyramid and the weathered surface of the Sphinx. Frith was one of the first photographers to document the Middle East on such a large scale, braving difficult conditions to capture these images. Think about the labor involved in creating this image: from mining the silver needed for the photographic chemicals, to the work needed to transport the equipment to Egypt and then developing the prints. Photographs like this one were highly sought after by Europeans eager to see the wonders of the ancient world. The image speaks not only to the grandeur of ancient Egypt but also to the burgeoning industry of photography and its role in shaping perceptions of faraway lands. This photograph bridges the gap between ancient monumentality and 19th-century industrial processes.