Koum Ombo, Upper Egypt 1857

This photograph of Koum Ombo in Upper Egypt was taken by Francis Frith sometime in the 19th century. Frith was part of a wave of European photographers who traveled to the Middle East to document ancient sites and cultures. Photography at this time was as much a tool of empire as it was of art. The photographs such as this were not merely neutral records but were imbricated in the cultural and political project of colonialism. Egypt, with its visible ancient past, offered a powerful symbol of a land both magnificent and, by implication, in need of Western stewardship. The inclusion of local figures in the frame, diminished by the scale of the ruins, reinforces the perceived dominance of Western culture and technology. To fully appreciate Frith's photograph, we need to consider the complex history of 19th-century Egypt and the ways in which images played a role in shaping perceptions of the East. Accessing archives and studying colonial history provides a deeper understanding of this interplay.