People and Animals
The ancient Egyptians were no strangers to both wild and domesticated animals as they took part in nearly every aspect of their lives. From religion to agriculture and everything in between, animals were used as sources of food, domesticated pets, as sources of inspiration in artwork, and tools in the fields to help the Egyptians with their planting and harvesting. In addition, the use of animals extended beyond their function in the current lifetime to that of the afterlife as they were buried with the Egyptians as well as depicted on the walls of their tombs.
The postcards discussed in these pages are only small part of a larger collection of postcards from Egypt. When surveying all the postcards containing images of animals, certain patterns emerge. Firstly, the majority of them are in color. Reasoning behind this could very well lie in the fact that by and large, the bulk of these postcards are from after 1910. As color photography was not discovered until between 1870 and 1920, it would make sense that most are in color once color photography was firmly established. As to why most of the postcards are from after 1910, the argument could be made for the conclusion that it was after 1910 that tourism peaked. Lastly, for the most part, the postcards in this set are from the Lehnert and Landrock studio, indicating that the studio may have become the most well-known during this time.
Animals and Religion
Animals permeated the religious lives of ancient Egyptians-- in fact, many of the famous gods and goddesses we immediately think of today when we think of Egyptian deities were often depicted and represented using animal heads or the animal itself. For instance, the god Horus was often depicted as a falcon or as a man with a falcon’s head, the god Anubis as a jackal or a man with the head of a jackal, and the goddess Bastet as a cat or woman with the head of a lion. In addition, often animals were used themselves as sacrifices to the gods and interestingly enough, most of the mummies we have excavated are animal mummies. Many animal mummies were also found in tombs as the Egyptians mummified their pets so that they may travel with them to the afterlife. In fact, many animals appeared on the walls of tombs, depicted in the form of hieroglyphics. Sometimes beloved pets were drawn on the walls as well, serving as a symbol for the affection their masters had for them. To dive deeper into some postcards that showcase animals and religion click here.
Animals and Tourism
The French campaign led by Napoleon in 1798 brought renewed interest to all things Egyptian as his army scholars, artists, and scientists meticulously recorded the wonders of Egypt. It is thought that Napoleon's campaign was also the cause of what we now know as modern tourism. So it was that in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries Egypt saw an increasing amount of tourists. People from all over wanted to be able to witness this mysterious and exotic land. One of the most common ways foreigners were shown around the sights and cities of Egypt was on the backs of pack animals. It was precisely these animals that were used by the tourist company Cook and Son in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It became even easier to see Egypt as they could pay a company such as this to show them around Egypt and arrange everything from the tour itself to transportation. The Cook and Son company utilized camels and donkeys to shuttle people to the different sights along the Nile. These sights could include cities, temples, granite quarries, or monuments. This is perhaps why in this collection of postcards, for the majority of those which include animals, the most common animal included is first and foremost camels. And behind the camel follows horses and donkeys, most likely because they were also used heavily in the area of tourism. For a view of some of these fascinating postcards click here.
Animals and Agriculture
Beginning in the predynastic period, the ancient Egyptians started practicing agriculture. It eventually came to play a foundational role in ancient Egypt and animals were vital to its maintanence and development. Perhaps the reason as to why illustrations of fields are commonly accompanied by oxen on these postcards is because oxen were arguably the most important animal for agriculture in their use for plowing and trampling seeds into the soil. Beyond the crop fields, animal husbandry was also practiced with animals such as cattle, lambs, and sheep, which would be used as a source of meat. To see see examples of these postcards click here.
Additional Postcards
References
Cooper, R.G., Mahrose, K.M.A., El-Shafei, M. et al. Ostrich (Struthio camelus) production in Egypt. Trop Anim Health Prod 40, 349–355 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-007-9108-z
Martin, Anderson (2012) The development of British tourism in Egypt, 1815 to 1850, Journal of Tourism History, 4:3, 259-279
Mark, Joshua J. "Ancient Egyptian Agriculture." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 10 Jan 2017. Web. 01 Mar 2021.
Thomas Cook Ltd. [Corporate. Cook's Tourists' Handbook for Egypt, the Nile, and the Desert. [Electronic Edition], scholarship.rice.edu/jsp/xml/1911/9284/1/CooEg1897.tei-timea.html.