Identity area
Reference code
J. Burton MSS
Title
Date(s)
- 1824-1834 (Creation)
Level of description
Collection
Extent and medium
1 package with 9 photographs and 1 small box
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
British Egyptologist and traveller. Born, London 1788. Died, Edinburgh 1862. Educated Trinity College, Cambridge. BA, 1810. MA, 1815. Worked initially for the architect Sir John Soane, 1819-22. Burton then travelled to Italy where he met Sir W. Gell, E. W. Lane, and Sir J. G. Wilkinson. In 1822 he was engaged to survey for coal as part of the Geological Survey of Egypt. He accompanied Wilkinson on his exploration of the Eastern Desert, 1824, then travelled with Lane, 1825. During his time in Egypt, he cleared parts of Karnak, Medînet Habu, and tombs in the Valley of the Kings, as well as assembling a large corpus of material comprised of drawings, plans, copies of inscriptions, and notes. He collected antiquities, which he sold via Sotheby's in 1836. He remained in Egypt until 1834, returning to England, 1835. Many of Burton's drawings and maps are among the Hay MSS.
Archival history
Not known.
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Not known. Some photographs may have come with the Somers Clarke MSS. The microfilm roll was transferred from the Bodleian Art, Archaeology and Ancient World Library (formerly Sackler Library) Archive Room in November 2018.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
9 mounted photographs made from drawings of el-Kâb, Philae, and Amada.
Microfilm roll with copies of the Burton MSS once in the British Museum and now in the British Library.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Kept as received.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Property of the Griffith Institute. No restrictions. Consultation only.
Conditions governing reproduction
Copyright British Library, London.
Language of material
Script of material
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
The board on which the photographs are mounted is fragile. Must be handled with care.
Finding aids
Catalogue for Burton MSS 25618-25658 in the British Library.
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Manuscript Collections, British Library, London.
Existence and location of copies
Not known.
Related units of description
Publication note
Not published.
Notes area
Note
The 9 mounted photographs were originally kept together with 13 mounted photographs made from R. Hay's MSS. Of the 13 Hay photographs there are 5 images which are either Burton or Hay but have not been marked with an identifying MSS number. At present these 5 photographs are being kept with the Hay group.