Foreword reads:
'This set of photographs was taken in the winter 1881-2, while living in my tomb at Gizeh, boating up the Nile to Thebes, and tenting there, and about Memphis. In settling what was worth taking I have left out all that has been done before as far as I know; only taking well know things when I wished to shew what was not well known about them. Hence this is more a set to fill up gaps, than to be thought of as a whole in itself. Nevertheless I have tried always to make sure of having one of the best bits of workmanship of each age, so that more should be left out. For the small size of the plates there is good ground, as I often had to carry the camera with a score of plates, through a long days walk over the sandy desert or climbing the cliffs of the Nile valley; hence a bigger size would have just hindered taking the more out of the way & less known sights. Many of these prints are lighter and paler than photographers always take them, as the darker hues are so untrue to the feeling of the brightness and glare of sun-baked Egypt. Often however I yield the truer shade for the sake of shewing more sharpness in little things. I have no wish as a mere beginner that these should be put beside the work of those who make it a business; and it would have been better for my sake to have kept back many of them; but they are here to shew what is, and not how it might be shewn. Sometimes a sand storm would blow showers of sand on to the stock of plates, spotting them with "pinholes", and thus making black specks all over the prints; but as the outlines are always hurt by blocking out the sky, I thought it best to leave the plates as they are, telling their own tale. So hard is it thought in Egypt to get good skies, owing to heat, sand, & other things, that the best photographers there always block them out; thus losing the sweetest bit of a good photograph.
Many plates have been set upon in the night by some crawling or creeping plague that ate off patches of the gelatine film while moist; and some were marred by the dusty feet of a mouse. The stretches of glaring sand or white stone chips that often fill the foreground are most unhappy to shew in a photograph. Those plates that have water in the foreground were taken from a Nile boat, mostly while going; hence they needed to be instantaneous, as well as those of Arabs. The plates were nearly all Edward's dry plates, a few (of Medûm) being the Uranium dry plates which do not seem quite so good.
The camera was made of sheet tin, joined to a box which held 25 plates; the plates were taken out & put into the camera by hand, inside a dark bag joined to the box and camera: thus no plate holders were wanted, and I got rid of much needless weight. The stop generally used for still objects in the open air was 1/16 inch; and the definition in good plates is sharp to 1/1500 inch.
The plates are best seen in a strong light, and with a magnifier; the proper distance of the eye for true perspective is 6 inches.
W.M. Flinders Petrie.'

Map titled: 'Index Map shewing volume and page of the views at each place.'.

'Dates that have been assigned to dynasties by Wilkinson [and] by Mariette.'.

Contents page for the album listing: photograph number, dynasty and reigning king, subject, and page number.

Saqqara (Saqqâra), Step Pyramid of Neterikhet (Djoser).
Caption reads:
'Step pyramid of Sakkara, from S.W.
Shewing the deepest part now seen.
The smaller stones on the bottom of the south face belong to an older part covered by enlarging the pyramid.'

There are also two arrows labelled 1 and 2 pointing to 'earlier casings'.

Saqqara (Saqqâra). Step Pyramid of Neterikhet (Djoser).

Saqqara (Saqqâra). Step Pyramid of Neterikhet (Djoser).
Caption reads:
'Step Pyramid, South face.
Shewing two earlier casings, 3 & 4, at a steeper angle than the later.
The oldest part shews smaller stones.'

There are also two arrows numbered 3 and 4 and a '5 ft rod' labelled.

Saqqara (Saqqâra). Step Pyramid of Neterikhet (Djoser).
Caption reads:
'Old finished casing of the addition in 482 (No 4 of 480)
covered by the present outside coating.'

There is also a '5 ft rod' labelled.

Saqqara (Saqqâra). Step Pyramid of Neterikhet (Djoser).
Caption reads:
'Two finished casings on South side, near middle of face.
(see 1 & 2 in No 485) Smaller stones by casings, and in lower part of
front step, both covered with larger stones at the last coating.'

There are also two arrows numbered 1 and 2.

Saqqara (Saqqâra). Step Pyramid of Neterikhet (Djoser).

Saqqara (Saqqâra). Step Pyramid of Neterikhet (Djoser).
Notes read:
'The Pyramid of Sakkara has been thought to be of the first dynasty by Mariette, but without any proof; its being so much like the pyramid of Medum, and unlike any other, makes it most likely at least to belong to a time before the fourth dynasty.
The finished coats of casing inside the structure are very important, shewing repeated additions; the innermost now visible is almost in the middle of the South face, and shews the pyramid to have been mainly added to on the West and North, and to have been not half the size at first that it is now; yet as the chamber is under the middle, that seems to have been made later than the pyramid.
None of the final casing remains visible, & all the earlier casings are seen in section.'

Abu Rawash (Abû Rawâsh). Pyramid of Radjedef (Razedef).
Caption reads:
'Profile of West side of Abu Roash pyramid.
with heaps of granite chips around it.'

Abu Rawash (Abû Rawâsh). Pyramid of Radjedef (Razedef). Interior.
Caption reads:
'End of passage and E. side of chamber, 30 ft high.
Just after noon.'

Abu Rawash (Abû Rawâsh). Pyramid of Radjedef (Razedef). Interior.
Caption reads:
'Passage of pyramid cut in the rock.
Formerly lined with stone. Taken at 1 minute before noon
the sides being equally illuminated, or the E. a little more so.
Azimuth therefore about 20'W of N.'

Abu Rawash (Abû Rawâsh). Pyramid of Radjedef (Razedef). Interior.
Caption reads:
'S. and W. sides of chamber, and N. side; and passage end
Remains of blocks which went over the roofing, with 6 or 8 ft of
chips on the top of them. Just before noon.'

Abu Rawash (Abû Rawâsh). Pyramid of Radjedef (Razedef).
Caption reads:
'Remains of pyramid, Abu Roash.
East Side.'

There is also the label 'Ali standing'.

Abu Rawash (Abû Rawâsh). Pyramid complex of Radjedef (Razedef). Causeway.
Caption reads:
'Great causeway leading up to the pyramids from the N.
Weathered rock cliffs in foreground.'

Abu Rawash (Abû Rawâsh). Pyramid complex of Radjedef (Razedef). General view.

Abu Rawash (Abû Rawâsh).

Abu Rawash (Abû Rawâsh). Pyramid of Radjedef (Razedef).
Notes read:
'The pyramid of Abu Roash is perhaps before the fourth dynasty. Its builder was Ramen... [<-N5-mn-//->], probably one of the earlier unclassed Menkara kings, as Menkara of the fourth is known already at Gizeh, the third pyramid being his. the bit of cartouche I found on a scrap of a diorite statue(?) which lay among the chips of granite sarcophagus, &c, just before the doorway. That the pyramid was finished is clear by the finding of traces of sarcophagus & statue, and by the large heaps of chips of worked granite left around it, from cutting the granite casing to pieces at a later time.
The lining of the rock-hewn passage and chamber was torn out 40 or 50 years ago: the chamber, now 30x70 ft, would be narrowed by lining enough to be roofed by slanting slabs [drawing] as usual. That there was granite in part of the inside is shewn by the large heaps of chips reaching some way in front of the entrance.'

Meidum (Maidum). Pyramid of Sneferu (Snefru; Snofru).
Caption reads:
'Pyramid of Medûm from S.S.E.
Shewing heap of rubbish overhanging on E. side (at spot) owing
to casing and masonry being taken away.'

Meidum (Maidum). Pyramid of Sneferu (Snefru; Snofru).
Caption reads:
'Pyramid of Medum from N.N.E.
with doorway'

Meidum (Maidum). Pyramid of Sneferu (Snefru; Snofru).
Caption reads:
'Pyramid of Medum from S.S.W.
Shewing remains of finished casings outside the present pyramid
(at the spots) in rubbish heap: and the rough bands of stone on the
pyramid. Where the steps joined the remaining masonry.'

Meidum (Maidum). Pyramid of Sneferu (Snefru; Snofru).
Caption reads:
'Pyramid of Medum
finished casing of top edge of a step (W end of S. side)
covered later addition. Shewing the way of
fitting the stones where the slope joined the level.'

Meidum (Maidum). Pyramid of Sneferu (Snefru; Snofru).
Caption reads:
'Pyramid of Medum, N. end of W. side.
Shewing where a lower step joined the body.'

Meidum (Maidum). Tomb of Nefermaat (Nefermaet).
Caption reads:
'Outer brickwork of tomb of Nefermat [F35*(U1:a):Aa11:t] Medum.
Shewing panelled or pilastered face outside the tomb,
and a court inside, both covered with white stucco.
The passage up to the stone door in stuccoed & painted.'

Meidum (Maidum). Tomb of Itet, wife of Nefermaat (Nefermaet).
Caption reads:
'Tomb of Atet [i-t:t] wife of Nefermat [F35*(U1:a):Aa11:t] Medum.
Smashed by Arabs in 1881. 3rd dyn.'

Meidum (Maidum). Tomb of Nefermaat (Nefermaet). View showing Facade and Hall.
Caption reads:
'"False door" of stone, seen in No 66.
On the larger figures is seen the method of sinking holes in the
stone, to give a firmer hold to the inlaying of colored plaster
which is now removed.'

Meidum (Maidum). Tomb of Nefermaat (Nefermaet). Hall.
Caption reads:
'Back of "false door" recess.
-his three sons (1) [H&T28&b-mi-st (?)] (2) [M34:a-sw-w] (3) [//-S34-r://:f] (all right to left)
-Nefernat in middle [F35*U1:Aa11:t] (right to left)
-his wife Atet [i-t:t] (left to right)'