Amelia Edwards
A Victorian novelist who fell in love with Egypt's sands and became the formidable founder of modern British Egyptology.
1831–1892 (age 61)·English novelist and Egyptologist·Birthday: June 7
Biography
Amelia Edwards began her career in the comfortable world of Victorian letters, writing successful novels and ghost stories. A trip to Egypt in 1873, however, ignited a passion that would redefine her life and a field of study. Traveling up the Nile for a year, she was captivated by the monuments and horrified by their neglect and looting. Her resulting travelogue, 'A Thousand Miles up the Nile,' was a bestseller that brought ancient Egypt vividly to the British public. Edwards didn't stop at writing; she became a formidable activist. Using her literary fame and personal fortune, she co-founded the Egypt Exploration Fund in 1882 to professionally excavate and preserve sites. She also endowed the first chair in Egyptology in Britain at University College London, ensuring scholarly rigor would guide future discovery. She transformed amateur fascination into a disciplined science.
#1 When Amelia Was Born
The biggest hits of 1831
Amelia's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1831Born
1836Started school
1844Became a teenager
1847Could drive
1849Could vote
1852Turned 21
1861Turned 30
President: Abraham Lincoln
1871Turned 40
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1881Turned 50
President: Chester A. Arthur
1891Turned 60
President: Benjamin Harrison
1892Died at 61
President: Benjamin Harrison
Key Achievements
- Co-founded the Egypt Exploration Fund (now Society) in 1882, a major force in archaeological preservation.
- Endowed the first chair of Egyptology in the United Kingdom at University College London.
- Wrote the influential travel book 'A Thousand Miles up the Nile' (1877).
- Was a successful novelist, with works like 'Barbara's History' and the ghost story 'The Phantom Coach.'
Did You Know?
She was also a talented artist and illustrator, providing sketches for her own travel writings.
She was an early advocate for women's rights and signed the petition for women's suffrage in 1866.
She taught herself several languages, including French, German, Italian, and some ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.
Her extensive collection of Egyptian antiquities formed the core of the Egyptology collection at UCL.
“The past is but the beginning of a beginning.”
