Postcard, Delta Barrage, Egypt, 1914-1918
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1914-1918
Alternative Name(s): The Delta Barrage Postcard from a World War I album from Egypt containing 33 postcards, most featuring Egyptian themes. Black and white image of 'Barrage du Nil El Kerich.' Although the hand-written inscription refers to the image as that of a 'bridge over the Nile' the image itself seems to suggest that it is actually the Delta Barrage or Barrage Bridge.
Designed by the Frenchman Mougel Bey, the Delta Barrage is the first modern attempt to control the waters of the Nile. Built at the point of the Nile where it splits into its two branches (Rosette and Daminette) to form the Delta, the Delta Barrage took over thirty years to built and was subject to several financial setbacks. When it was finally completed in 1862 it was found to have structural problems that prevented it from being effective. After a five year program of repair works to strengthen its foundations, the Delta Barrage exceeded expectations by giving unprecedented control of the Nile in Lower Egypt. Unfortunately the Delta Barrage began to leak once again and was eventually replaced by the Mohammed Ali Bridge in 1939.
It is unclear what else Kerich is a reference to, although a township was established in the region by Viceroy Said Pasha. Younger brother Albert enlisted first. He is commemorated at the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial. Their mother died only a few years later in 1926, aged 73. Their niece was Mrs M. J. Hitchens, the donor. Black and white image of a large bridge stretching across a waterway.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 2
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Physical characteristics
- Dimensions
- overall dimensions: 143 mm (Width), 91 mm (Height)
Design
- Marks and inscriptions
- Printed in black ink on the front of the postcard in the upper left corner: 'Cairo (Egypt)' Printed in black ink on the front of the postcard: 'Barrage du Nil El Kerich' Hand-written in black ink on the front of the postcard, below the above inscription: 'The Bridge over the Nile' Printed on the back of the postcard along the top margin: 'L'adresse seule doit être dorite de ce côté' Printed on the back of the postcard: 'UNION POSTALE UNIVERSELLE / EGYPT / CARTE POSTALE'
Identification
- Source note
- Transcribed from the Museums Victoria, Melbourne collection record for this single object (sentences kept verbatim apart from removed sale or rarity wording); how far it represents a wider collectible type has not been independently verified.
- Candidate id
- mv-1922512
- Museum object name
- Postcard - Bridge Over the Nile, Egypt, Peile Brothers, World War I, 1914-1918
- Holding institution
- Museums Victoria, Melbourne
- Museum object number
- HT 32626
- Published references
- Picture comparison: http://www.cqout.com/item.asp?id=11909994 Samir Raafat, 'The Delta Barrage,' Cairo Times, August 21, 1997, at: http://www.egy.com/landmarks/97-08-21.php accessed: August 10, 2012 For Albert Peile's war record see the National Archives of Australia website at: http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/Imagine.asp?B=8010747 For John Peile's war record see the National Archive of
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: confirm the wider type, maker and dating against a specialist reference; this entry documents one recorded example.