‘Photographing Tutankhamun’ exhibition reveals historical context behind pioneering images

sjr81 — Thu, 14 Jun 2018 08:30:06 +0000

̽��ֱ��exhibition Photographing Tutankhamun has been curated by ̽��ֱ�� of East Anglia (UEA) Egyptologist Dr Christina Riggs and gives a different view on the ‘golden age’ of archaeology and photography in the Middle East.

̽��ֱ��exhibition highlights the work of famous Egyptologist and archaeological photographer Harry Burton and the iconic images he captured during the lengthy excavation of the Pharoah’s tomb in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings. Dr Riggs is the first person to study the entire archive of excavation photographs, as well as the first to consider them from the viewpoint of photographic history in the Middle East.

She said: “ ̽��ֱ��exhibition gives a fresh take on one of the most famous archaeology discoveries from the last 100 years. It questions the influence photography has on our perception and provides insight on the historical context of the discovery – a time when archaeology liked to present itself as a science that only Europeans and Americans could do.

“Through the eyes of the camera lens, the exhibition demonstrates the huge input from the Egyptian government and the hundreds of Egyptians working alongside the likes of Harry Burton and Howard Carter. This refreshing approach helps us understand what Tutankhamun meant to Egyptians in the 1920s – and poses the important question of what science looks like and who does it.”

As part of her project, Dr Riggs studied some 1,400 photographs by Burton in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Burton worked for the museum for most of his life, and his personal correspondence in their archives has offered important new insights into his work on the tomb of Tutankhamun – including some of the technical problems, personal tensions, and political issues behind the scenes.

Dr Chris Wingfield, Senior Curator (Archaeology) at MAA, said: "With strong collections of historic photographs documenting the history of archaeology and anthropology, we at MAA are excited about hosting an exhibition that explores the important ways in which photography contributed to – you could even say created – the field. We continue to train Egyptologists and archaeologists here in Cambridge, so this exhibition is an opportunity to think about how these disciplines were practised in the past, and to help shape their futures."

More than two dozen images have been created especially for the exhibition using digital scans from Burton’s original glass-plate negatives, including some never seen before. Also on display are newspaper and publicity materials from the 1920s and beyond, which show how the photographs were used in print. ̽��ֱ��scans have been made by ̽��ֱ��Griffith Institute at the ̽��ֱ�� of Oxford, which is home to excavator Howard Carter’s own records of the excavation, including around 1,800 negatives and a set of photo albums.

̽��ֱ��exhibition comes to Cambridge from ̽��ֱ��Collection in Lincoln, where it debuted in November 2017. It runs from June 14-September 23, 2018. Entry is free.

Iconic photography taken during the decade-long excavation of King Tutankhamun’s tomb has gone on display at Cambridge ̽��ֱ��’s Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (MAA).

̽��ֱ��exhibition gives a fresh take on one of the most famous archaeology discoveries from the last 100 years.

Christina Riggs

Credit: Copyright ̽��ֱ��Griffith Institute, ̽��ֱ�� of Oxford

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Breaking Boundaries: Higher Education Getaway

sjr90 — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 09:20:26 +0000

Twenty students from Cambridgeshire and Peterborough schools recently enjoyed a two-day Higher Education Getaway, organised by the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge and UEA around the theme of “Breaking Boundaries.”

̽��ֱ��HE Getaway takes local teenagers away from school routines and encourages them to tackle physical and intellectual challenges - starting with some extreme team-building in Thetford Forest.

“Outdoor LaserTag was great,” said Sollie, from Sir Harry Smith Community College, Whittlesey. “It helped everyone get to know each other.”

̽��ֱ��social theme continued in the evening once the students were settled into their accommodation at UEA. A talk on university finance was followed by two traditional undergraduate favourites, a quiz and a film night.

“ ̽��ֱ��news has made student fees seem worse than they actually are,” commented Isaac, from Cromwell Community College, Chatteris. “ ̽��ֱ��talk made it really clear – you’ll pay 9p in the pound once you’re earning enough. That’s much less scary.”

Day two of the Getaway saw the students exploring the campus, guided by current UEA undergraduates Hope and Joseph, before tackling some undergraduate-style seminars.

“ ̽��ֱ��campus is much bigger than I thought,” said Jade, who came on the Getaway from Thomas Clarkson Academy, Wisbech. “I prefer this to somewhere like Cambridge, where the university buildings are spread through the town.”

Isaac and Sollie appreciated the opportunity to see undergraduate accommodation, which at UEA can include groups of study-bedrooms arranged round a shared kitchen. “Everything you need is provided,” said Isaac. “It looks really social.”

̽��ֱ�� ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge HE Partnership programme organises several HE Getways each year. This event was for students interested in the Humanities, so having seen the campus and key facilities such as the library and the Sainsbury Institute for Art, the students took part in several classes led by UEA academics.

Dr B J Epstein from the School of Literature, Drama & Creative Writing led a class on Picture Books and the Boundaries of Literature. “That was unexpected,” said Jodie, from Peterborough’s Voyager Academy, whose group was set the task of critically analysing ̽��ֱ��Red Tree, by Australian illustrator and author Shaun Tan.

Other groups tackled Green Eggs and Ham by Dr Seuss, Grandfather’s Journey by Allen Say, and Dr Xargle’s Book of Earthlets, by Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross.

How did the students feel about reading children’s books? “I thought it showed how different and varied the things you can study at university can be,” Sollie said.

Prof. Catherine Rowett led a session on ‘Heaps, Classes and Other Tricky Borders,’ which considered classic Greek philosophical dilemmas including Zeno’s Paradoxes, and Dr Wendy McMahon finished the day with a discussion on ‘ ̽��ֱ��United States of America: Borders of Identity.’

“We design the HE Getaway to give students an experience of university life in microcosm,” explains Matt Diston, HE Partnership Co-Ordinator for the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge. “We hope that over the two days participants will have some of their worries about university addressed, whether it’s the cost of tuition fees, the fear of being left out in the rush to make new friends, or worries about keeping up with the course, and that they will head home with renewed confidence in their abilities.”

“This has shown that I will be able to make friends really easily,” said Isaac, who hopes to study History and Politics. “I’m looking forward to the social side of ̽��ֱ��. And I’m not daunted by the idea of spending 20 hours a week in the library either.”

“This HE Getaway event with Cambridge ̽��ֱ�� is a great partnership opportunity and one which we’re proud to host,” said Liz Ferguson, UEA Outreach Officer. “We aim to work collaboratively with other Higher Education Institutions in our region to help local young people make an informed choice about their HE options.”

“We are excited to welcome students from Cambridgeshire to experience our campus and get a taste of university life,” she added.

̽��ֱ��challenge: provide an experience of university in just two days - with the help of ̽��ֱ��Cat in the Hat, a millet seed and Thetford Forest.

it showed how different and varied the things you can study at university can be

Sollie

Outdoor Laser Tag breaks the ice

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̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge - UEA

‘Photographing Tutankhamun’ exhibition reveals historical context behind pioneering images

Breaking Boundaries: Higher Education Getaway