Figure 1.--This is an illustration entitles 'An Egyptian peasnt and family' from a book published by Luigi Mayer (1755–1803) in London duing the Naploeonic Wars (1802-05). It was part of the orientlism which Napoleopn's invasion of Egypt help make extremely fashionable in Europe. We are unsure about the accuracy of the depiction. We know the face covering is entirely accurate because there are photographs verifying exactly the sane face covering. What we are unsure about is the bodice of the woman's garment. We have not seen actual photographs showing this in Egypt. We suspect that this may have been a drawing designed more to increase book sales than to acurately depict Egyptian dress, but we are not positive. Notice that the women's garments in the background are more modest. Prehaps readers will know more about this.
Egypt at the turn of the 19th century was a province of the Ottoman Empire. It was nore difficult to control than the more sparsely populated Arab lands of the Levant and Mesopotamia. It was Ottoman Vizir Muhammed Ali that established defacto independence as the Khedivate. While we have some information about family life in Egypt during the ancient era, we know next to nothing about Egyptian family life again until the 19th century. For this we can thank none other than Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon launched an offensive in of all places Egypt--an effort to break British commerce with India. Thanks to Lord Nelson and the British Royal Navy it was an utter disaster, but Napoleon managed to elude Nelson and got back to France before news of the disaster and suceeded in spinning the story. While rather a footnote of history, it let to the translation of hieroglyphs (Rosetta Stone) and the launch of orientalism in the West. The West was fascinating by the East, meaning primarily the Ottoman Empire and Arab world. We see all kinds of images, both drawings and paintings. Many but not all emphasized the exotic. It was a way of presenting what was esentially soft porn in a largely uptight Europe. Harem imagery was particularly popular. You might say that orientalism played the role often played by scence fiction in the 20h century. Along with all of this we also get some family depictions. And the invention of photography (1839) made possible some actual images for the first time. This only begun in the second half of the 19h century because Egypt was no technologically backward that only with the arrival of Europeans do we begin to get photography in Egypt. Another problem was that most Egyptian men did not want their families photographed, especially the women. This changed only gradually. Europeans brought photography to the Middle East in the second half of the 19th century. The British because of the Suez Canal, established a protectorate over Egypt. This did not mean colonial control. The Khedivate was left in power and the British exerted theor influence through it. Other than abolishing slavery, the British did not seek to change Egyptian society. As a result of Suez and the Protectorate there was a substantial influx of Europeans in Alexandria and Cairo. This mean urban Egytians were exposed to Western culture. European photographers set up in the cities and thus you see portraits of the urban population including Europeans who settled in Alexandria and Cairo. Many urban Egyptian families adopted Western dress. We do not see many portraits of the rural population -- Fellahin. They were the great bulk of the Egyptian population. They were both fully Islamicized and retained many conservative traditional values. We see families that show no sign of change since the days of the medieval Caliphate. Few ever entered a photographic studio, especially with their families. Some of the early European photographers took posed ethnographic photographs for sale in Europe. We begin to get some more family photographs with the appearance of the snapshot (20th century). Most at first were taken by tourists. And we begin to see more studio portraits, but at first only of the rather modern looking urban population. The countryside and the familes there appear little changed.
History
Egypt at the turn-of-the 19th century was a province of the Ottoman Empire. Egypt was a heavily populated country. As it is today, the most populace Arab country. It was nore difficult to control than the more sparsely populated Arab lands of the Levant and Mesopotamia. It was Ottoman Vizir Muhammed Ali that established defacto independence as the Khedivate.
Family Life
While we have some information about family life in Egypt during the ancient era, we know next to nothing about Egyptian family life again until the 19th century. For this we can thank none other than Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon launched an offensive in of all places Egypt--an effort to break British commerce with India. Thanks to Lord Nelson and the British Royal Navy it was an utter disaster, but Napoleon managed to elude Nelson and got back to France before news of the disaster and suceeded in spinning the story. While rather a footnote of history, it let to the translation of hieroglyphs (Rosetta Stone) and the launch of orientalism in the West. The West was fascinating by the East, meaning primarily the Ottoman Empire and Arab world. We see all kinds of images, both drawings and paintings. Many but not all emphasized the exotic. It was a way of titalating, presenting what was esentially soft porn in a largely uptight Europe. Harem imagery was particularly popular. You might say that orientalism played the role often played by scence fiction in the 20th century.
Imagery
Along with all of this we also get some family depictions. And the invention of photography (1839) made possible some actual images for the first time. This only begun in the second half of the 19th century because Egypt was no technologically backward that only with the arrival of Europeans do we begin to get photography in Egypt. Another problem was that most Egyptian men did not want their families photographed, especially the women. This changed only gradually. Europeans brought photography to the Middle East in the second half of the 19th century.
British Protectorate
The British because of the Suez Canal, established a protectorate over Egypt. India was the most iportant possession of the British Empire. And cutting the shipping This did not mean colonial control. The Khedivate was left in power and the British exerted their influence through it. Other than abolishing slavery, the Britih did not seek to change Egyptian society. As a result of Suez and the Protectorate there was a substantial influx of Europeans in Alexandria and Cairo. This mean urban Egytians were exposed to Western culture and technology. Almost all of Egypt's modern technology dates from the British protectorate. And one of the many impacts ws that we begin to have a photographic record, including family portraits.
European photographers set up in the cities and thus you see portraits of the urban population including Europeans who settled in Alexandria and Cairo. Many urban Egyptian families adopted Western dress. We do not see many portraits of the rural population -- Fellahin. They were the great bulk of the Egyptian population. They were both fully Islamicized and retained many conservative traditional values. We see families that show no sign of change since the days of the medieval Caliphate. Few ever entered a photographic studio, especially with their families. Some of the early European photographers took posed ethnographic photographs for sale in Europe. We begin to get some more family photographs with the appearance of the snapshot (20th century). Most at first were taken by tourists. And we begin to see more studio portraits, but at first only of the rather modern looking urban population. The countryside and the familes there appear little changed. Interestingly, along with xonservative Islamic dress, we see more Egyptian women wearing Weestern than is the case today with the rise of Islamic fundamentalism.
Sources
Mayer, Kuigi. Views in Egypt, Palestine, and Other Parts of the Ottoman Empire (London: R. Bowyer, 1802-1805).
