Skira Egypt and the Pharaohs: Pharaonic Egypt in the Archives and Libraries of the Università degli Studi di Milano (Le vetrine del sapere, 9)

The archaeological discoveries of Egypt, the developmental stages in understanding Egyptian civilisation, and the reconstruction of the history of the Pharaohs through original and unpublished documents. This richly illustrated publication presents the reconstruction of the history of the Pharaohs and their people through original documents and observations by some of the most famous Egyptologists of the present and the past. The authors trace the history of the spread of the “myth” of Egypt and the birth of Egyptology and describe the greatest archaeological discoveries between the first decades of the nineteenth century and those of the early twentieth century, to the gold of Tutankhamen and the silver of the Pharaohs of Tanis. A large section of the book retraces the history of the first photographers in Egypt, the first aerial photographs, photographic experimentation and the spread of photographic techniques applied to archaeology. A highly unique chapter is dedicated to Egypt’s “luck” in modern culture: from painting to the decorative arts, to satire and the spread of Egyptomania in twentieth-century magazines. The publication also contains a glimpse into the future: computer applications and modern methods for preserving the archival, photographic and bibliographic heritage. A must for enthusiasts of ancient Egypt and the history of Egyptology, but also a publication for collectors, bibliophiles and those interested in the antique photography and history of culture.