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Creswell's Cairo:
Then and Now
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At the American
University in Cairo's Sony Gallery and at AUC's Rare Books Library visitors
were able to get a glimpse of an older and monumental Cairo they probably
had never seen before. On the December 22, an exhibit entitled "Creswell's
Cairo: Then and Now" was inaugurated to honor the memory and achievement
of the man born in 1879 and widely acknowledged as the founding father
of the discipline of Islamic Art and Architecture. Sir Keppel Archibald
Creswell devoted his life to the study and documentation of Islamic
monuments-a most unlikely mission for someone born into a line of English
Clergymen. Dr. Zahi Hawas, secretary general of the Supreme Council
of Antiquities was joined by Sir
Derek Plumbly, British Ambassador to Egypt , Noha Abu Khatwa, Director
of the Islamic Art Network (IAN) and Philip Croom, Director of the Rare
Books and Special Collections Library (RBSCL) at a press conference
before the opening of the exhibition, which was the product of collaboration
between the IAN and the RBSCL .Each speaker outlined the significance
of Creswell and his work in their comments to the press.
Sir Derek and
Dr. Hawas were later joined by His Excellency the Grand Mufti of Egypt
Sheikh Dr. Ali Gomaa (who had also attended the press conference) and
Dr. David Arnold, AUC's President, at the Sony Gallery where they opened
the exhibition.
On exhibit at
the Sony Gallery were forty items taken from Creswell's collection of
about 11,000 photographs-a product of his diligent fieldwork, which
started 1920 and continued up till 1968-selected by IAN to be re-photographed,
giving additional significance to the already interesting idea of allowing
viewers a glimpse of Creswell's historic record, most of which has never
been published before. Still more photographs as well as personal effects
were exhibited at the Rare Books and Special Collections Library.
"Creswell's
Cairo: Then and Now" thus attempted to highlight the importance
of preserving the monuments of Islamic Cairo, through allowing a comparison
of Creswell's stark black and white photos and their color twins, shot
by the IAN's staff photographers -- the Venezuelans Chemane and Jenny
Arias -- from the same identical perspective, giving a direct view of
the changes-for better or worse-in the state of the monuments over fifty
years. Noha Abu Khatwa, director of IAN, asserts that retracing Creswell's
steps and re-photographing his photos proved to be a more difficult
task than initially envisaged: "As we embarked on it we faced several
problems, which in some cases prevented the re-photographing of some
very interesting shots." Trees, power lines, and new constructions
now block the view that was clear for Creswell long ago, while some
of the architectural jewels embellishing the crown of Cairo have become
dump sites, she complains. Pollution and overcrowding have marred the
once glorious views that Creswell documented.
The IAN, which
boasts an extensive archive of photographs and documents pertaining
to Islamic Cairo counts among its objectives the creation of a comprehensive
reference for scholars, students, the media, and anyone interested in
the field of Islamic Art and Architecture. It can be visited at www.islamic-art.org
At the press conference
prior to the opening,. Hawass praised Creswell's work on Islamic Cairo
as an "indispensable tool for the restoration and conservation
work going on in the city at the moment," thanking the sponsors'
efforts to honor the work of Creswell and stressing the need for "constant
attention to the marvels of Islamic Cairo."
The exhibit, which
has been commended by Prof. Christel Kessler, the renowned art historian
who served as an assistant to Creswell, as a "most interestingly
conceived exhibition honoring the memory of Creswell and an often underrated
part of his historic documentation," ended at the Sony Gallery
on January 29, 2004, and remained open at the RBSCL until February 29,
2004.
Click
here to view the Creswell Cairo: Then and Now virtual gallery.
By
Maha Shahba
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