Félix Bonfils

French, 1831 - 1885

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Two wrapped mummies stand propped against a rough, earthen wall in this vertical black and white photograph. The mummy on our left is entirely covered with light-colored fabric while the mummy on the right appears to be uncovered or the coverings have melded to the skin and skeleton. A dark-skinned man sits against the wall to the left of the mummies. He wears a cap and a long, loose, light-colored tunic. His bare feet are planted on the dry, cracked dirt ground, his knees bent so he can prop one elbow on a knee to rest his head, sleeping. His arms and head are slightly blurred, and a vessel sits between his feet. Another mummy, wrapped more thickly than the other two, lies across the bottom of the picture. A larger painted vessel with a wide belly and artifacts, including perhaps a wrapped skull and an oil lamp, are displayed around the prone mummy. Cursive text along the bottom of the photograph reads "235 Momies Egyptiennes."
Félix Bonfils, Momies Egyptiennes (Egyptian Mummies), c. 1870, albumen silver print, Gift of Joyce and Robert B. Menschel, 2004.35.1

Momies Egyptiennes (Egyptian Mummies)

Félix Bonfils · c. 1870 · albumen silver print ·  Accession ID  2004.35.1

The image shows the upper half of a person's body. The person is standing with their head slightly tilted to the side, balancing a large clay jug on their right shoulder. The person's face is partially obscured by a long, dark veil that covers the lower part of their face, while their eyes are visible and looking upwards. The person has dark hair that is mostly covered by a headscarf with a patterned design and multiple bands across the forehead. They are wearing a flowing, long-sleeved garment in a dark shade with a layered, textured appearance. Around their waist, there is a broad, wrapped belt, and their left hand is placed on their hip. There is no visible jewelry. The background is plain and neutral.
Félix Bonfils, Porteuse d'eau au Caire [Water Carrier in Cairo], c. 1870, albumen silver print, Robert B. Menschel Fund, 2004.87.1

Porteuse d'eau au Caire [Water Carrier in Cairo]

Félix Bonfils · c. 1870 · albumen silver print ·  Accession ID  2004.87.1