Napoleon and Egypt

Above: Two plates from Vol. 1 of the set. Top: Edfou (Apollinopolis Magna) a general view. Bottom: an interior view of the main grotto at El Kab (Elethyia)

The library recently received a first edition of the famou Description de l'Egypt (Paris: 1809-1828). Considered the first modern archaeological survey, this monumental work consists of 13 volumes of text, 11 folio volumes of plates, and six elephant folio volumes of plates and maps.

In 1798 Napoleon invaded Egypt and brought with him the members of the newly formed Commission of Arts and Sciences. In their shcolarly ranks were gifted architects, artists, cartographers, astronomers, historians, geographers, chemists and engineers, including the artist Dutertre, the engineers Duvilliers and Jollois, and the chemist Berthollet. They explored from Alexandria to the Sudan, investigating all aspects of Egyption life and history. Their reserach was later published as the description de l'Egypte, praised by a contemporary admirer as "the most immortal conception and glorious performance of a book ever realized by man." The work is divided into three sections--ancinet Egypt, modern Egypt and the natural history of Egypt--and among its 900 engravings is the first published depiction of the Rosetta stone.

Georgetown's copy of the Description de l'Egypte, in a contemporary royal binding, has an interesting provenance: it was orgginally presented to bernard Drovetti (1776-1852), aide-de-camp during the Egyptian campaign to General Murat and later Consul General in Egypt. Subsequently it was owned by M. Rene Querenet, an eminent Parisian jurist and grandfather of Francine Buffet Johnson, who together with her husband, Alfred Grima Johnson, donated the set to Georgetown. With this gift, Mr. Johnson continues a family tradition. It was his close kinsman, Joseph Florimand, duc d'Loubat, who in 1896 began to present books to Georgetown for the newly constructed Riggs Library. Lauinger Library is indebted to the Johnsons for their great generosity.