Summary
One of 108 images in an album from World War I likely to have been taken by Captain Edward Albert McKenna. The album contains photographs of the 7th Battalion in Egypt.
Image of a statue depicting Viceroy Ibrahim Pasha, mistakenly identified in the inscription as Ismail Pasha (Isma'il Pasha). The statue was erected in 1872 and is the work of Charles Henri Joseph Cordier. Ibrahim Pasha was the eldest son of Mohammed Ali and the father of Isma'il Pasha who was responsible for the building of the Avenue of the Pyramids and Mena House.
The album relates to the service of Captain Edward Albert McKenna. McKenna, born in Castlemaine, Victoria, was a 36-year-old department manager of soft goods when he enlisted on 17 August 1914. He lived at 5 St James Buildings, William Street, Melbourne, and had been married to Elizabeth ('Lillie') Mary McKenna since 1910. He embarked from Melbourne 19 October 1914 on the HMAT Hororata, and served in the 7th Battalion Australian Infantry.
He was killed in action in Gallipoli around 25-30 April 1915, aged 37. His kit bag was unusually full, even containing seven shirts, a pillow, six towels, a travelling rug, gumboots, and pyjamas and slippers. Also amongst his possessions was a camera, although no photographic prints or albums.
He was buried at 7 Lone Pine Cemetery, Gallipoli. His details appear on the honours roll on the web page of the Australian War Memorial.
Description of Content
The photograph shows a large statue of a military figure on a horse known as the Equestrian Statue of Viceroy Ibrahim Pasha.In front of the statue two British soldiers in full uniform stand talking to each other. Surrounding the statue are a few palm trees and manicured gardens.
Physical Description
Black and white photographic print on paper with a white border.
More Information
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Collection Names
Returned and Services League (RSL) Collection, Military Memorabilia Collection
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Collecting Areas
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Acquisition Information
Donation from Mr J. Willis, circa 1986
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Acknowledgement
Mr. J. Willis
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Place & Date Depicted
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Photographer
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Creator
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Inscriptions
Hand written in ink on the support underneath the photograph: 'Ismail Pasha' Hand written in ink on the back of the photograph: 'Ismail Pasha'
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Classification
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Category
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Discipline
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Type of item
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Image Dimensions - Photograph
108 mm (Width), 84 mm (Height)
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Image Dimensions - Photograph album page
174 mm (Width), 141 mm (Height)
Dimensions measurement is of the photograph album page.
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References
National Archives of Australia: McKenna Edward Albert, barcode 1949283, series B2455/1. 'Diary Transcript: Keyword Word Search - Mena,' The Giza Archives, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, at: [Link 1][mena]*&searchstring=ClassificationID/,/is/,/5/,/false/,/true/,/FullTextSearch/,/contains/,/[mena]*/,/false/,/true&newvalues=1&newcurrentrecord=7; accessed: August 6, 2012 'Mena House Oberoi,' Wikipedia, at: [Link 2] accessed: August 2, 2012 'The Mena House Oberoi,' Tour Egypt, at: [Link 3] accessed: August 2, 2012 Midhat J. Gazale, Pyramids Road: An Egyptian Homecoming, The American University Cairo Press (Egypt, 2004), p. 164; at: [Link 4] accessed: August 6, 2012 Samir Raafat, 'PUBLIC STATUES AND MEMORIALS IN MODERN EGYPT 1870-2003,' December 2002, at: [Link 5] accessed: December 19, 2012
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Keywords
Military History, World War I, 1914-1918, Statues, Streetscapes