Adventures in Egypt and Nubia: The Travels of William John Bankes (1786-1855) (None) [Hardcover]

Patricia Usick (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0714118036 | ISBN-13: 978-0714118031 | Publication Date: October 1, 2002 | Edition: 1St Edition

William John Bankes (1786-1855) was a brilliant and remarkable man. In 1812 he went to Spain and Portugal to pursue a Bohemian lifestyle among the gypsies. This was followed by travels in the Near East. Bankes amassed a vast portfolio of notes, manuscripts and drawings by the artists who accompanied him on his Egyptian travels. Their extremely high degree of accuracy makes them a very valuable record of the ancient monuments, many of which have since been damaged or lost. His intuitive detective work and the many copies of hieroglyphic inscriptions he accumulated were instrumental in the struggle to decipher hieroglyphs. This book tells Bankes' story, describing his travels in detail and assessing his contribution to Egyptology.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Patricia Usick received a PhD in 1998 for her thesis on Bankes' portfolio of drawings and manuscripts. She has published a number of articles on Bankes and other early travellers to Egypt.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 244 pages
• Publisher: British Museum Press; 1St Edition edition (October 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0714118036
• ISBN-13: 978-0714118031
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,618,999 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fine legacy of an intrepid explorer, July 21, 2007

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Pieter "Toypom" (Johannesburg) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Adventures in Egypt and Nubia: The Travels of William John Bankes (1786-1855) (None) (Hardcover)

This work of bibliography and history tells the story of pioneer Egyptologist William Banks (1786 - 1855), the heir of the Kingston Lacy estate in Dorset. From 1815 to 1819 he journeyed through Egypt and the Middle East compiling a huge portfolio of manuscripts, notes, drawings and paintings by himself and artists with him. The accuracy of these makes it a unique and valuable record of ancient inscriptions and monuments that are now damaged or lost.

Besides describing his travels with frequent quotes from his correspondence, the book also appraises his substantial contribution to Egyptology. The chapters follow his life from his political career in the UK through his travels in Egypt, Nubia, the Sinai, Syria, Greece, Asia Minor to Jerusalem, Petra, the Dead Sea plus his subsequent explorations down the Nile. The 2nd Nubian voyage reached the second cataract and the third reached the ruins of Meroe. Chapter 12 looks at his collection and his legacy.

The quotes from his notes and correspondence are often humorous, provide insight into the people and places that he visited and open a window on the England of his time and the contacts that existed between various famous explorers of the Near East. The book has a Chronology of Egyptian rulers from the predynastic period to Roman times, a Glossary, copious Notes, an extensive Bibliography and an index.

The real treasure of the book is the plates, a set of about 112 drawings, paintings and photographs. These are in colour and black & white and includes inter alia portraits of Bankes and Lord Byron, drawings by Bankes, Henry Salt and Henry W Beechey and paintings by Louis Maurice Linant and Alessandro Ricci. Not only monuments and inscriptions are depicted; there are also portraits of local rulers and illustrations of village life among the Nubian people.

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