Egypt, circa 1875
by Pascal Sebah

The rise and fall of the waters of the Nile gave life to Egyptian civilization. In this image, taken by the Turkish photographer Pascal Sebah, mothers collect water in the early dawn while their children amuse themselves in the rich black soil left by the yearly rise and fall of the river. During the late 1870s, Sebah sold this image in Cario to travelers who compiled albums by selecting photographs from professional studios in the countries to which they traveled.