Frédéric (Fred) Boissonnas (1858-1946) was invited to Egypt in 1929 by King Fuad I to take photographs for the lavish publication Egypt (1932) and he returned to complete his journey in 1933. During the second trip he embarked on a photographic expedition to Mount Sinai, following the route of the Israelites as recorded in the book of ‘Exodus’ and photographing the traditional biblical sites that he encountered. 

This work became the book project he never finished. ‘Fred Boissonnas in Egypt’ focuses on the photographic work for both books, visually exploring the complex histories of the newly formed state (following Britain’s unilateral declaration of Egyptian independence) and the photographer’s own search for inspiration in the deserts of Sinai.