Egypt.- Lane (Edward William, Arabic scholar and Egyptologist, 1801-1876) Album comprising 23 fine original studies from the artist's tours of Egypt, photographic portrait of a sculptural bust of Lane, two fully worked drawings with watercolour, 11 monochrome watercolour with pen and ink landscapes and views of the pyramids, Great Sphinx of Giza and other colossal sculptures, and with 10 pencil studies of wall reliefs, many with pencil inscriptions identifying locations verso, each approx. 175 x 95 mm (6 7/8 x 3 3/4 in), all neatly mounted on thick card album leaves, on stubs interleaved with Whatman wove paper, Whatman watermarks visible to some card leaves with possible dates '[18[?3]8', some scattered spotting and browning, minor finger soiling, later handsome half green morocco, gilt, spine lettered erroneously by binder 'C.W. Lane', g.e., in green cloth presentation box, 4to, probably late 1820s

Provenance:
Mrs May C. Buckton (according to note found with book)
Private collection, Buckinghamshire; from whom acquired by the present owner

⁂ Fine presentation album containing detailed and precise drawings from Lane's tours of Egypt undertaken in the late 1820s; almost certainly produced with the aid of a camera lucida. The two watercolours appear to relate to other similar highly finished but apparently unpublished illustrations produced by Lane for his "Description of Egypt". Other examples of Lane's sketchbooks and comparable camera lucida drawings are held in the British Library. Of the many locations and views included in the present album, there are several highlights: 'The Southern Entrance to Rosetta'; 'Profile view of the Great Sphinx of Giza', 'Sunset over the Pyramids'; and many detailed studies of sculptural reliefs found in the Karnak Temple Complex.