Hops at the History Center: Travels along the Nile River, uncovering history

Along the Nile, In the Footsteps of David Roberts with Robert Craig 

In a departure from his 2023-24 lectures on Atlanta architects, Robert Craig will present on January 21, 2025, a “double feature” illustrated talk on ancient Egypt.  Entitled “In the Footsteps of David Roberts: Travels along the Nile from Giza to Abu Simbel, 1838 and 2023” the presentation is an illustrated account of Professor Craig’s sojourn in December 2023, to the ancient monuments, tombs, and desert sites of pharaonic and Ptolemaic Egypt “in the footsteps” of Scottish artist David Roberts. Although “savants” had accompanied Napoleon’s military campaign in Egypt at the turn of the 19th c., recording Egyptian monuments, David Roberts was the first British artist to measure and document these extraordinary landmarks, at the time half buried in the sand. On his return to London Roberts exhibited oil paintings and published lavish lithographs which “wowed” the public, who had never seen anything like what Roberts recorded. His trip was preceded by almost a century before Howard Carter’s 1922 discovery of King Tut’s tomb. 185 years after Roberts’s excursion, Professor Craig followed in the footsteps of Roberts, recording on camera many of the same sites, from the same perspective and vantage points as Roberts. The comparison of art and photography is fascinating, not only as an illustration of subsequent excavation (literally the uncovering of half-buried or severely flooded monuments) but also to show the remarkable success of efforts of recent years to preserve the monuments. Excerpts from David Roberts’s journal and numerous illustrations of his paintings and lithographs enrich Craig’s story.  This major lecture is a not-to-be-missed presentation full of exciting imagery. 

Please note, this is an extended two hour lecture

There will be a brief intermission 

Details:

January 21  6:30-8:30 PM

DeKalb History Center

Second Floor

101 E. Court Square

Decatur, GA 30030

FREE

Drink Tickets Available

Parking Information:

Plenty of parking is available in Downtown Decatur. Options include, street parking and parking garages. The closest is One West Court Square, located next door. Garage has two entrances, Swanton Way and West Ponce De Leon.

DHC Members receive $5 Parking Voucher, good for all day at One West Court Square.

Handicap:

We don’t have any specified handicap spots, but a few handicap spots are available close by on East Court Square.

Event will be recorded and available on this page and our Youtube Channel after.