eBook - ePub
The Millionaire and the Mummies
Theodore Davis's Gilded Age in the Valley of the Kings
- 382 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
About this book
A biography of the Gilded Age American lawyer & tycoon, exploring his exploits from New York City's government to the ancient tombs in Luxor, Egypt.
Egypt, the Valley of the Kings, 1905: An American robber baron peers through the hole he has cut in an ancient tomb wall and discovers the richest trove of golden treasure ever seen in Egypt.
At the start of the twentieth century, Theodore Davis was the most famous archaeologist in the world. His career turned tomb-robbing and treasure-hunting into a science. Using six of Davis's most important discoveries—from the female Pharaoh Hatshepsut's sarcophagus to the exquisite s habti statuettes looted from the Egyptian Museum not too long ago—as a lens around which to focus his American rags-to-riches tale, author John M. Adams chronicles the rise of a poor country preacher's son. Through corruption and fraud, Davis amassed tremendous wealth in Gilded Age New York and then atoned for his ruthless career by inventing new standards for systematic excavation in the field of archaeology. He found a record eighteen tombs in the Valley and, breaking with custom, gave all the spoils of his discoveries to museums. A confederate of Boss Tweed, friend of Teddy Roosevelt, and rival of J. P. Morgan, the colorful "American Lord Carnarvon" shared his Newport mansion with his Rembrandts, his wife, and his mistress. The only reason history has forgotten Davis to a large extent is probably the fact that he stopped just short of King Tutankhamen's tomb, the discovery of which propelled Howard Carter (Davis's erstwhile employee) to worldwide fame just a few short years later.
Drawing on rare and never-before-published archival material, The Millionaire and the Mummies, the first biography of Theodore Davis ever written, rehabilitates a tarnished image through a thrilling tale of crime and adventure, filled with larger-than-life characters, unimaginable treasures, and exotic settings.
Egypt, the Valley of the Kings, 1905: An American robber baron peers through the hole he has cut in an ancient tomb wall and discovers the richest trove of golden treasure ever seen in Egypt.
At the start of the twentieth century, Theodore Davis was the most famous archaeologist in the world. His career turned tomb-robbing and treasure-hunting into a science. Using six of Davis's most important discoveries—from the female Pharaoh Hatshepsut's sarcophagus to the exquisite s habti statuettes looted from the Egyptian Museum not too long ago—as a lens around which to focus his American rags-to-riches tale, author John M. Adams chronicles the rise of a poor country preacher's son. Through corruption and fraud, Davis amassed tremendous wealth in Gilded Age New York and then atoned for his ruthless career by inventing new standards for systematic excavation in the field of archaeology. He found a record eighteen tombs in the Valley and, breaking with custom, gave all the spoils of his discoveries to museums. A confederate of Boss Tweed, friend of Teddy Roosevelt, and rival of J. P. Morgan, the colorful "American Lord Carnarvon" shared his Newport mansion with his Rembrandts, his wife, and his mistress. The only reason history has forgotten Davis to a large extent is probably the fact that he stopped just short of King Tutankhamen's tomb, the discovery of which propelled Howard Carter (Davis's erstwhile employee) to worldwide fame just a few short years later.
Drawing on rare and never-before-published archival material, The Millionaire and the Mummies, the first biography of Theodore Davis ever written, rehabilitates a tarnished image through a thrilling tale of crime and adventure, filled with larger-than-life characters, unimaginable treasures, and exotic settings.
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Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Yes, you can access The Millionaire and the Mummies by John M. Adams in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in History & Historical Biographies. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.
Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Photograph of Theodore Davis
- Title Page
- Copyright Notice
- Dedication
- Acknowledgments
- A Note on Names
- Contents
- Map of Tombs in the Valley of the Kings
- 1. Thuyu’s Golden Coffin
- Photograph of “Outer Coffin of Touiyou”
- 2. Rekhmire’s Bronze Bowl
- Photograph of bronze flower bowl
- 3. Hatshepsut’s Quartzite Sarcophagus
- Photograph of “The Sarcophagus of Thoutmosis I”
- 4. Kiya’s Alabaster Jar
- Photograph of “Alabaster Portrait Head of Tiyi” (now believed to be Kiya)
- 5. Tawosret’s Golden Earrings
- Photograph of “Ceremonial Wig Ornaments” (actually, earrings)
- 6. Yuya’s Vanished Shabtis
- Photograph of “Wooden Shawabti Figure of Iouiya”
- Endnotes
- Bibliography
- Index
- About the Author
- Copyright