Egypt in England - Carreras Cigarette Factory

Camden, London

Greater London House
180 Hampstead Road
London NW1 7AW

For Ancient Egypt and Bastet fans - a must see is the Carreras Cigarette Factory building.  I visited this building back in June 2014

My photographs below don't do it justice - visit https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Carreras_Cigarette_Factory for lots more photos

Its a large art deco building and a wonderful example of early 20th Century Egyptian Revival Architecture. Its located near Mornington Crescent Tube Station in London.

Originally a cigarette factory erected in 1926/28 it is now an office building but the exterior is still something to see.

Wonderful features of the facade include large cat statutes flanking the entrance

 

and cats in the roundels in the upper façade.  

 

The original Egyptian detailing was lost in 1961 but it was restored during the 1990s renovation.  Replicas of the original cats were placed at the entrance and cats replaced the Aten/solar disc of the sun-god Ra in the roundels.

 

The columns are thought to have been inspired by columns in tombs found at Armarna (the ancient capital of the Heretic pharaoh Akhenaten

 

From the tomb of Panehesy c.1330 BC*

 

 

 

*reference Wikipedia, By kairoinfo4u: Mutnedjmet - https://www.flickr.com/photos/manna4u/4127883553/in/set-72157622861795438/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9058252

 

 

The book Egypt in England by Chris Elliott gives more details of this building and many other places of interest in England which have an ancient Egyptian flavour.   'aimed at anyone with an interest in Ancient Egypt and architectural history'  Visit the website to accompany this book too for lots more interesting information too- Egypt in England

 

Hopefully in years to come I will visit and blog more of these.

 

The Tutankhamun Exhibition,

High Street West, Dorchester, Dorset (England)

A Review 10 July 2018

This is a wonderful little museum in a lovely town, which recreates the Tomb of Tutankhamun as it was discovered by Howard Carter in 1922.

It reproduces faithfully the artefacts, mummy, burial chamber, and ante- chamber (including the wall paintings) and also has a section about the Rosetta Stone, embalming, who murdered the king and other interesting displays 

I found the above article in a second hand book about Tutankhamun,  the previous owner had kept this clipping from the Independent newspaper from 1998.  It reviews this exhibition:

"...offers a compact yet fascinating tribute to one of the greatest archaeological discoveries ever made....put together when damage to the original artefacts prompted the Egyptian government to cease foreign exhibitions"

There are careful reproductions of the jewellery (golden collars -17 in total worn on the mummy), famous mask, statuettes, throne and Anubis reclining on the golden sledge (my favourite).

I really recommend this museum for anyone who can't make it to Egypt to see the real artefacts and tomb. (given the current political turmoil).  It certainly delivers the wow factor.  The gift shop was also great.  No 'tat',  just quality gifts.  I wish I had time to browse the second hand Egyptology books and some new books also.  An Art Deco Egyptian Revival figurine and a Stirling Silver Ankh also caught my eye but I settled on the following:

My lovely cache of goodies (pin/postcard/glossy guide book and pencil with Anubis atop it).

The guide book is glossy and well written for only £2.95!

I would loved to have stayed much longer -as I am an Egyptology-nerd - but I had a busy toddler who was also impressed like me but was tending to run out of the museum any chance he got.... Its probably better for older children but my son wasn't fazed by the recreated mummy - he said it was yuck though!

Please support this museum so it stays open for generations to come. 

Tutankhamun Exhibition Website