Image Details

Erich Lessing

Four colossal statues of the Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses II (1279‒1213 B.C.) sit in front of the pharaoh’s temple at Abu Simbel. During two visits to the temple, Edwards and her traveling companions not only discovered a previously unknown speos (chamber); they also tried to “restore” the chipped and discolored visage of one of the colossi—applying sponges soaked in coffee to recreate its original tawny complexion.