Sandro Vannini

The Italian photographer has shot stunningly detailed images that document legendary pharaoh Tutankhamun’s tomb and ancient Egyptian artifacts. Steve Fairclough discovers the amazing story behind this mammoth project

- Steve Fairclough

Archaeologist Howard Carter’s eight-year-long excavations in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings culminated on 4 November 1922, with the historic discovery of the steps to the tomb of Tutankhamun. Carter began taking photographs himself, but quickly realised he required a professional photographer to document the excavation of the tomb and its artifacts. Harry Burton, who had been working in Egypt for 12 years, was loaned to Carter’s team. Burton shot straight on to glass-plate negatives, coated with silver nitrate, with a large-format camera. His imagery included establishing shots within the tomb to note the positions of the treasures, close-ups of each artefact and documentary images, such as Carter inspecting the casket of Tutankhamun.

While working in the tombs, Burton illuminated them with electric bulbs rather than flash and positioned reflectors and mirrors to create special lighting effects. He used a neighbouring tomb, KV55, as a makeshift darkroom, and had to meet Carter’s rigorous demands for photographic quality. Carter wouldn’t move on to the next stage of the excavation until he’d approved each image. Over 10 years, Burton shot around 1,400 images, many of which remain iconic. Given the conditions Burton worked in, and the comparatively primitive equipment he used, the quality of his images was astonishing.