HF The History of Photography 600pág

286 The collodion period
despaired of success. Seeking the coolness of rock tombs for coating and developing
the plates proved an unsatisfactory expedient, for these places were full of dust which
settled on the plates, causing numerous spots. Frith travelled in his photographic van
which he had brought out with him from England : a wicker-work carriage which
served both as darkroom and sleeping quarters.
This carriage of mine, being entirely overspread with a loose cover of white
sailcloth to protect it from the sun, was a most conspicuous and mysterious-looking
vehicle, and excited amongst the Egyptian populace a vast amount of ingenious
speculation as to its uses. The idea, however, which seemed the most reasonable,
and therefore obtained the most, was that therein, with right laudable and jealous
care, I transported from place to place-my harem ! It was full of moon-faced
beauties, my wives all !-and great was the respect and consideration which this
view of the case procured for me. '14
After Frith's return to England in July 1857 Negretti & Zambra published one
hundred stereoscopic views, and Agnew a selection of both the larger sizes. The
public, who had been enabled by the paintings of David Roberts and Vivant Denon
to gain some idea of what the great Egyptian monuments were like, were amazed
by the revelations of photography which, The Times declared, 'carry us far beyond
anything that is in the power of the most accomplished artist to transfer to his
,
canvas .
Encouraged by the excellent reception of these Egyptian photographs, Negretti
& Zam bra commissioned Frith to take another set of stereoscopic views in Palestine
and Syria, believing that their historical and biblical interest would create a demand
even greater than for the Egyptian series. So at the end of November 1857 Frith set
out again, first to Cairo, whence he travelled in his photographic van via Mount
Sinai to Palestine and Syria, taking pictures of Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Damascus,
Baalbek, and many other famous places, returning to England in May of the following
year. A selection of the best 8 in. x IO in. negatives of both journeys were printed
at Frith's establishment at Reigate, Surrey in an edition of 2,00015 and published by
James Virtue in parts with accompanying text by Frith. When subscribers' requirements
had been fulfilled, the remainder were published in two volumes (in 1858-9)
entitled Egypt and Palestine photographed and described by Francis Frith.
The demand for views of the Near East seemed insatiable, and despite the arduous
journey and extreme discomforts, Frith set off once more with his three cameras in
the summer of l 859. On this trip he went farther up the Nile than any photographer
had been before, travelling beyond the Fifth Cataract, about 1,500 miles from the
Nile Delta. A hundred years ago few travellers ventured beyond the Second Cataract,
which could be reached by boat. The continuation of the journey to the most remote
ancient remains, some 500 miles farther south, had to be made on dromedaries.
Accompanied by his dragoman, cook, two guides, and a boy, Frith covered the
distance in eighteen days, taking as little baggage as possible, apart from the photographic
outfit.
On account of their extreme novelty, Frith was able to exploit his Near Eastern
views to an extent which would be impossible today. The results of these three
journeys appeared in no fewer than seven book publications, in addition to sets of
stereoscopic and loose photographs. The finest of these books, Egypt, Sinai and
Palestine, with text by Mr and Mrs Reginald Stuart Poole (c. 1860) is probably the
largest photographically illustrated book ever published : the text pages measure
21 in. x 29 in., the photographs being 20 in. x 16 in. The most expensive was The