David Roberts' Egypt

In the 1960s, the world marveled at the engineering feat which saw the dismantling and raising, block by block, of the two vast temples at Abu Simbel. Commemorating the might of Pharaoh Ramesses II, the temples were constructed in the thirteenth century BC. By the 1960s they were under threat from the rising waters of the Nile. This was the result of the building of the nearby Aswan Dam.

Over one hundred years earlier, the Scottish artist David Roberts had visited the original site while travelling through the Middle East. At that time, the temples had only been uncovered from the sands for a few years. From sketches made on the spot, Roberts later compiled a series of incredibly fine lithographs. The published works, besides now being quite valuable, are a favourite collection gem of the Library's Coordinator of Cataloguing.

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