Alexandria Bombardment of 1882 Photograph Album

Alexandria Bombardment of 1882 Photograph Album

The Alexandria Bombardment of 1882 Photograph Album digital collection was originally compiled by Italian photographer Luigi Fiorillo. This unique resource documents the British naval attack on 'Urabi Pasha's nationalists, who revolted against Taufik Pasha, the Khedive of Egypt, from 1879 to 1882. Fiorillo’s fifty page album records damage to Alexandria's neighborhoods, particularly the harbor and the fortress district. The images trace the development of episode from the arrival of the British fleet to the destruction of the emerging downtown district. Further, the photographs show the artillery and forts used by the resistance. The album also features portraits of the key players in the bombardment, including 'Urabi Pasha, Khedive Taufik, Admiral Seymour, and Sir Wolseley.

Fiorillo was active from the 1870s to the 1890s. Although his main studio was located in Alexandria, he is known to have traveled widely throughout Egypt and Africa. He is best known for this distinctive album.

Rare Books and Special Collections Digital Library, American University in Cairo