New Excavation at Medinet-Haboo Possibly 1860 - 1862

Francis Frith made this photograph of the New Excavation at Medinet-Haboo using the collodion process, a painstaking technique that required coating a glass plate with chemicals, exposing it in the camera while still wet, and then developing it immediately. Look at the even, diffused light Frith has captured. This tonal range is partially a result of the collodion process itself, which is highly sensitive to light and capable of rendering fine detail. Frith was one of the first photographers to document ancient sites in the Middle East, and the sheer labor of transporting bulky equipment and chemicals to remote locations speaks to his commitment. Consider the social context. Frith's photographs were made at a time when European interest in Egyptology was rapidly growing, fueled by colonial expansion and archaeological discoveries. His images not only documented these sites but also shaped the Western perception of ancient Egypt, reflecting the complex interplay between exploration, commerce, and cultural representation.