Join us for an in-depth exploration of a unique archive of Middle Eastern topographical photographs dating from the early-20th century.

Professor Sir Keppel Archibald Cameron Creswell CBE FBA FSA (13 September 1879 – 8 April 1974) was an English architectural historian who wrote some of the seminal works on Islamic architecture in Egypt. Creswell bequeathed his library of 3,000-plus volumes to the American University in Cairo, along with his collection of some 11,000 photographic prints. The Ashmolean Museum in Oxford received the photographic negatives.

The Victoria and Albert Museum (V & A) now holds more than three thousand of his photographic prints, the majority of which depict Cairo, but also other cities across the Middle East and North Africa.

As part of The Barakat Trust’s commitment to the study and preservation of Islamic heritage and culture, this archive is now being analysed and systematically catalogued by researcher and The Barakat Trust's Grantee Omniya Abdel Barr. During this talk, she will discuss her efforts to investigate Creswell’s photographs as well as the stories they reveal; adding geospatial data to map these historic sites and including Arabic script which will allow this important collection to be more accessible to V & A Museum’s audiences.

The project also supports the identification of valuable architectural elements which are today lost, destroyed or stolen from Islamic monuments, permanently documenting the fading traces of these important cultural sites.

Omniya Abdel Barr is an architect specialized in conservation of historic towns and buildings. She took part in international projects related to urban conservation, monument restoration and documentation, as well as cultural heritage promotion. Her work is focused on documenting, researching and restoring Medieval Cairo. She holds a PhD on Mamluk architectural history, an MSc in Architectural Conservation and a Bsc in Architecture.

The Barakat Trust, founded as a UK Charity in 1987, supports the study and preservation of Islamic heritage, architecture, archaeology, art and culture by funding students, academic research, publications, digitisation, conservation, conferences and other projects.

Refreshments to be served after the talk.