Belzoni and his 1821 Egyptian Hall exhibition of ancient Egyptian items

Giovanni Battista Belzoni (1778-1823) was an impressive character who became best known for his archaeological exploration and discoveries in Egypt. There is a good account of his eventful life in The Great Illusionists by Edwin A. Dawes. Belzoni had been a performing conjurer in his early days, but on 1 May 1821 he opened at the Egyptian Hall with an exhibition of items he had collected in Egypt. The exhibition ran until 1822. The date of the lithograph of Belzoni is not given, but it includes the words: London published by William Wright. This same lithograph is published in the book The Voyages and Travels of Captains Ross, Parry, Franklin, and Mr. Belzoni, selected by Captain John Frederick Dennett, R.N. It was published in 1835 by William Wright. The second item from the Davenport Collection illustrated here is a 7 January 1824 letter published in a newspaper. It describes in considerable detail Belzoni’s journey towards Timbuktu which ultimately resulted in his death.