[Egyptian Obelisk, "Cleopatra's Needle," in Alexandria, Egypt]

Art Historical Context

Step into the sun-drenched sands of 19th-century Alexandria with Francis Frith's albumen silver print,Egyptian Obelisk "Cleopatra's Needle in Alexandria, Egypt* (ca. 1870). This 15.5 x 20.8 cm photograph captures one of ancient Egypt's towering granite obelisks—nicknamed "Cleopatra's" by Victorian travelers—standing sentinel amid a cluster of figures, likely local men, evoking the timeless allure of pharaonic monuments against a modern backdrop. Frith, a pioneering British, documented Egypt's archaeological wonders during his expeditions in the 1850s and 1860s, bringing the mysteries of the Nile to Western audiences through his detailed glass negatives. This image holds historical significance as a record of the obelisk shortly before its dramatic relocation to London's Victoria Embankment in 1878, preserving a moment when ancient grandeur met colonial curiosity. Obelisks like this, inscribed with hieroglyphs from the reign of Thutmose III (ca. 1479–1425 BCE), symbolized Egypt's enduring cultural legacy. Crafted via the albumen process—where egg whites coated paper for sharp, luminous tones—this print exemplifies mid-19th-century photography's technical triumph, blending artistry with scientific precision. Now at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, it invites us to ponder the obelisk's journey from sacred relic to global icon.

About the Artist

Francis Frith · 1822–1898

Francis Frith (1822–1898) was born on 7 October 1822 in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, into a prosperous Quaker merchant family as the second child and only son of Francis Frith Sr. and Alice Walker. Educated at Quaker schools including Ackworth and Camp Hill in Birmingham from around 1828 to 1838, he apprenticed in the cutlery trade before establishing himself as a wholesale grocer in Liverpool, suppl...