First Photographs of Egypt 1849-1879; The Suez Canal & Hippolyte Arnoux (The Mysterious) Old World

Howdy ya’ll. Today is going to be part one of a deeper dive into the first photographs of Egypt. These images will be from the collections of Hippolyte Arnoux, and will date from roughly 1849 through roughly 1879. The main focus of Arnoux’s work appears to be the Suez Canal, of which he may (or may not) have been the official photographer. Currently, little is known of Arnoux’s life, and throughout the next few days (and videos) you’ll come to find this is a similar trend with many of the earliest photographers of Egypt. The photographs, however, seem to speak volumes where the current narrative can not. We will discuss the history of photography in Egypt briefly, focusing exclusively on the images photographed by Hippolyte Arnoux during the mid-1800’s. Due to the dry conditions, many believed photographing Egypt was nearly impossible in the mid-19th century. These images indicate otherwise. Enjoy, leave your thoughts and ideas in the comment section down below, and stay tuned for part two! Topics discussed today; (1858–1997)