Vue générale des Spéos de Phré et d'Athor, à Abousembil, prise de l'île 1850

Maxime Du Camp captured this albumen silver print, *Vue générale des Spéos de Phré et d'Athor, à Abousembil, prise de l'île*, while on a trip to Egypt in the mid-nineteenth century. Du Camp’s voyage was sponsored by the French government, and his photographs were intended to document and celebrate France’s colonial ambitions in North Africa. This image, showing the rock-cut temples of Abu Simbel from across the Nile, invites us to consider the power dynamics inherent in such a project. Du Camp's photographs, like many from this era, reflect a Western gaze, framing Egypt as an exotic, timeless land ripe for exploration and exploitation. What does it mean to depict these ancient structures without fully acknowledging the people who built them, or the contemporary communities living nearby? How do these images reinforce a narrative of European dominance, obscuring the complex realities of cultural exchange and historical power? By prompting these questions, Du Camp's photograph offers us the opportunity to reflect on the intertwined histories of photography, colonialism, and representation.