Description de L'Egypte

Description de L'Egypte is the outcome of the collaboration of more than 150 prominent scholars and scientists who accompanied Bonaparte to Egypt in 1798. It presents a systematically examinination of almost every aspect of contemporary and ancient Egyptian civilization.

Sponsored by Biblioteca de Alexandrina, it resulted of a 20 years process, dependent on the talents and industry of some 2,000 mechanics, draftmen, cartographers, typographers and engrevers as an ilustrated account of Egypt's historic, cultural, artistic and religious treasures; it also describes the topography and provide a detailed descirption of the flora, fauna and mineralogy of the country. Every aspect of the Egyptian life known during that period was precisely and accurately described.

In 1802, Bonaparte ordered the Imperial Press to begin publishing the visual record. The monumental work was published, in parts, between 1809 and 1822, in 20 volumes, known as the Imperial edition.

Collection Principles

It included over 900 plates hand-colored copperplate-engravings and some 3000 illustrations representing an exhaustive record of Egyptian history, architecture, antiquity, geography, natural history, botany and the humanities. It was found in various editions of varying numbers of volumenes: often at least 9 volumes of text and 11 volumes of plates.

The first edition proved so popular that the second edition, also known as the Royal edition, was published in Paris, by C. Panckoucke from 1821-1829 comprising 26 text volumes and 11 plates volumes.

The impact of this masterpieces was enourmous. It directed the attention of the world to ancient Egypt, and led to the modern study of its records and early history. Superbly illustrated and accurately documented, this bibliographical rarity had the effect of awakening the interest of the West in Egypt and drawing attention to the Pharaonic and Muslim civilizations which had flourished there.
It hence served as a turning point in the Western study and perception of Egypt
and paved the way for the birth of modern egyptology.
As a result, the country's daily life, natural history and antiquity had a lasting influence on the srts in Europe and the world.

Objects Characteristics - Images available in Adobe Flash Player 9. On the right side of the screen a Navigation Tools will allow thw image to be zoomed, saved , shared with friends by e-mail, and added to bookmark.

Images can be printed from the web, and viewed in three qualities to choose from: Low, Medium, and High.

The entire book can be browsed on-line, in high quality for images; although that texts are difficult to be read, even when maximized.

A Search bottom on the top of the page will allow the user to navigated through the web and search for an item.

Page can be viewd in English and French, and DVD is available for sell.

Metadata - The webpage presents a friendly and animated interface; although it is poor in metadata. Materials can be accessed from two categories: Plates Volumes and Text Volumes.

Audience - I believe historians, anthropologists; archaeologists; researchers, and curious are those who would constitute groups interested in this collection.