Albums by Francis Frith

232 x 159 mm. A view showing the tall and magnificent ruins of the temple with a Nile-boat moored at the left of the print. Frith comments: 'Philae is the most beautiful thing in Egypt; and the temple, absurdly called Pharaoh's Bed, is the most beautiful thing upon the island. I flatter myself, too, somewhat upon the quality of my photograph, - light transparent shadows [always difficult to achieve in the harshness of the Egyptian sun], sweet half-tones, oh discriminating public! It is true that the temple outdoes the Tower of Babel, not only 'reaching unto the heavens', but robbing the picture of well-nigh all its sky - that feature so essential to the picturesque in landscape. But what could I do? I must give that scrap of water, and the Nile boat (a favourite anchorage for travellers' dahibieths, this nook), and I could not falsify the height of the bank, as I see most artists have done to suit the proportions of my picture.'

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