Item TAA iii.25.1.28 - Howard Carter examining the innermost coffin, cigarette card

Identity area

Reference code

TAA iii.25.1.28

Title

Howard Carter examining the innermost coffin, cigarette card

Date(s)

  • 1937 (Creation)

Level of description

Item

Extent and medium

2 cigarette cards

Context area

Name of creator

(1879-1940)

Biographical history

British archaeologist and photographer. Born, Stamford 1879. Died, Asyut 1940. Began his photographic career in Florence with the art historian R. Cust. He was then engaged as a excavator at Thebes by Theodore Davis between 1910-14. Then from 1914 onwards he worked for the rest of his career as a photographer for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. His task was to record many of the royal and private tombs at Thebes. Between 1922 and 1933 he was lent by the Metropolitan Museum to Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter to make a photographic record during the excavation of the tomb of Tutankhamun.

Name of creator

(1874-1939)

Biographical history

British Egyptologist. Born, London 1874. Died, London 1939. Privately educated. Employed by P. E. Newberry in 1891 working for the Archaeological Survey. Assisted in excavations for the Egypt Exploration Fund 1892-3, was with Petrie at Amarna in 1892, and as a draughtsman to the Deir el-Bahri expedition 1893-9. Appointed Chief Inspector of Antiquities of Upper Egypt 1899-1904. Discovered several royal tombs, including those of Hatshepsut, Tuthmosis IV and Amenophis I. Inspector of Lower Egypt 1905. Employed by Lord Carnarvon from 1909 onwards, to excavate in the Theban necropolis, the Delta and Middle Egypt. His most famous discovery, that of the intact tomb of Tutankhamun, was made in 1922. He spent the next ten years recording the tomb's contents. Most of Carter's records for Tutankhamun's tomb remain unpublished.

Archival history

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Presented by Mr Peter A. Clayton in October 2014, at the same time as TAA Archive iii.25.26 and iii.25.27. A second copy, presented by Mr David Wainman in December 2022.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

  • Cigarette card (2 copies) issued by Churchman's Cigarettes from the set titled: 'Treasure Trove: A Series of 50' (1937).
  • No. 28: 'The Gold Coffin of Tut-Ankh-Amen'.
  • Painted version based on Harry Burton photograph P0770.
  • Howard Carter and an Egyptian team member examine the lid of Tutankhamun's innermost coffin (255). This coffin was made of solid gold, with incised decoration inlaid with coloured glass and semi-precious stones.

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Conditions governing access

Property of the Griffith Institute. No restrictions.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copyright originally Churchman's Cigarettes. Permission to reproduce may be sought from the Griffith Institute, University of Oxford.

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Archived scans in Griffith Institute.

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