Maxime Du Camp
1849-1851
Small Speos, left section of the facade, Abu Simbel, Nubia, Southern Egypt. Gide et Baudry. [1849-51]

Calotype, printed by Louis-Desire Blanquart-Evrard
16 x 21 cm (6 x 8.5 ins)
 
Roland Belgrave Vintage Photography
Maxime du Camp began his career in photography before a planned trip to Egypt, Nubia, Palestine, and Syria, having discovered on previous travels that his time was often wasted by attempting to sketch and describe the sites he saw. He turned to Gustave Le Gray to learn photography to better document his tour. Once in Egypt, du Camp found Le Gray's teaching insufficient, and learned the Blanquart-Evrard process from Alexis de Lagrange. Travelling with his friend and fellow writer, Gustave Flaubert, the journey is well-documented, and resulted in the publication in 1852 of an album of 125 images and entitled Egypte, Nubie, Palestine et Syrie. This photograph is plate 47 from that work. Despite its success (it won him the Legion d'Honneur), du Camp never published another collection of photographs.
 
LL/44094