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The Valley of the Kings (Wadi Bībān al-Mulūk). Necropolis of Thebes, Egypt

African Art Museum

Object Details

Photographer

Elisofon, Eliot

Collection Photographer

Elisofon, Eliot

Collection Citation

Eliot Elisofon Field Collection, EEPA 1973-001, Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution

Scope and Contents

"Hidden behind the Theban Hills, on the West Bank of the Nile, lies the Valley of the Kings. It was chosen as the burial place for most of Egypt's New Kingdom rulers for several reasons. As the crow flies, the Valley is very close to the cultivated banks of the river. It is small, surrounded by steep cliffs, and easily guarded. The local limestone, cut millions of years ago by torrential rains to form the Valley, is of good quality. And towering above the Valley is a mountain, al Qurn ('the horn' in Arabic), whose shape may have reminded the ancient Egyptians of a pyramid, and is dedicated to the goddess Meretseger." [The Theban Mapping Project]. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for Life magazine and traveled to Africa from August 18, 1959 to December 20, 1959.
sova.eepa.1973-001_ref35095

GUID

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/xo7eeee807f-5b25-413a-b7ca-959846ed3e92

Local Numbers

Negative number 1959 C-3, 24.

General

Title source: Index card based on photographer's notes.

Local Note

Typed index card reads, "U 6 Egy. Egypt. near Thebes. The hills on the right bank of the Nile. 1959. EE. neg.no. 1959 C-3, 24." The card was written in 1977-79 by Archives staff using source provided by photographer.

Place

Africa
Egypt

Topic

Natural landscapes

Photographer

Elisofon, Eliot

See more items in

Eliot Elisofon Field collection
Eliot Elisofon Field collection / Egypt

Extent

1 Negatives (photographic) (b&w, 35mm.)

Date

1959

Archival Repository

Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art

Identifier

EEPA.1973-001, Item EEPA EENG 08017

Type

Archival materials
Negatives (photographic)
Black-and-white negatives
Negatives

Collection Rights

Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. Where noted, some images remain under the copyright of Life/Shutterstock. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.

Genre/Form

Black-and-white negatives
Negatives

Collection Restrictions

Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.
EEPA.1973-001_ref35095
Large EAD
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/xo7eeee807f-5b25-413a-b7ca-959846ed3e92
EEPA.1973-001
EEPA

Record ID

ebl-1536870822481-1536871013652-4

Showing 1 result(s)

Eliot Elisofon Field collection

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