November 13, 2018, in the Linda Hall Library Auditorium. A three-part course co-sponsored by the Linda Hall Library and the UMKC Carolyn Benton Cockefair Chair. Presented by Dr. William B. Ashworth, Jr., Associate Professor of History at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Consultant for the History of Science at the Linda Hall Library. About the Course: In 1798, Napoleon invaded Egypt. In addition to 54,000 sailors and soldiers, he took along 151 scientists to study the people, customs, geography, animals, and plants of Egypt. This they did, and in the process, the savants also discovered ancient Egypt, becoming the first to explore and record the monuments at Thebes, Philae, Dendera, Rosetta, and the Valley of the Kings. When the scientists returned in 1801, they immediately began to work on publishing their finds. What emerged was one of the great records of exploration ever published, the Description de l’Egypte, which appeared between 1809 and 1828. With over 900 large engravings in 23 volumes, it is a stunning publication. The course will focus on the scientists and their discoveries, as presented in the Description, with special emphasis on the antiquities. During breaks, attendees with be able to view firsthand some of the plate volumes from the Library’s copy of the Description.

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