Egypt and the pharaohs. From conservation to enjoyment. Egypt in the archives and libraries of the Università degli Studi di Milano. Ediz. illustrata

texts by Sergio Donadoni, Zahi Hawass, Glauco Mantegari, Laura Marucchi, Fernando Mazzocca, Antonello Negri, Christian Orsenigo, Patrizia Piacentini, Elmar W. Seibel, Marta SironiThis richly illustrated publication presents the reconstruction of the history of the Pharaohs and their people through original documents and observations by some of the most famous Egyptologists of the present and the past. The authors trace the history of the spread of the “myth” of Egypt and the birth of Egyptology and describe the greatest archaeological discoveries between the first decades of the nineteenth century and those of the early twentieth century, to the gold of Tutankhamen and the silver of the Pharaohs of Tanis. A large section of the book retraces the history of the first photographers in Egypt, the first aerial photographs, photographic experimentation and the spread of photographic techniques applied to archaeology. A highly unique chapter is dedicated to Egypt’s “luck” in modern culture: from painting to the decorative arts, to satire and the spread of Egyptomania in twentieth-century magazines. The publication also contains a glimpse into the future: computer applications and modern methods for preserving the archival, photographic and bibliographic heritage. A must for enthusiasts of ancient Egypt and the history of Egyptology, but it is also a publication for collectors, bibliophiles and those interested in the antique photography and history of culture.