Belzoni, Giovanni Battista. Plate 8. “From the Tomb of the Kings at Thebes..."

Giovanni Battista Belzoni. Plate 8.  “From the Tomb of the Kings at Thebes, Discovered by G. Belzoni.  From Plates Illustrative of the Researches and Operations of G. Belzoni in Egypt and Nubia.  London: John Murray, 1822.  10 x 19 ¾ (image).  Folio.  Lithograph.  Full original hand color.   A print from a rare publication issued to accompany Giovanni Belzoni’s Narrative, a popular work that described his experiences and discoveries in Egypt and Nubia.  Belzoni, a nearly six foot, seven inch red-head, was a pantomime player and strongman, as well as a hydraulic engineer.  He traveled to Cairo in 1816 in order to interest Mohammed Ali in a hydraulic lifting device that he had invented.  This venture being unsuccessful, Belzoni turned to the British Consul, Henry Salt, for possible employment.  Salt, who was facing the problem of getting the head and shoulders of a colossal statue from Thebes to England, hired Belzoni for this job, and the latter completed the task quickly.  Belzoni the