The Levant

It is the final week of our whirlwind tour through a selection of travel writing from Special Collections, and on display are two of the big names in Middle Eastern travel. W.H. Bartlett (1809-1854) was an English artist and traveller whose travels occasioned many drawings and sketches of the antiquities and landscapes of the Holy Land, including the beautiful illustrations in Walks about the city and environs of Jerusalem (London : Hall, Virtue & Co., [184-?]). In the preface, Bartlett states that it was an attempt to give “a clear, connected, and accurate view of the City”.

Tullamore-born Bartholomew Elliot Warburton was possibly prompted by an acquaintance with A.W. Kinglake (1809-1891) at Eton to pursue a life of travel. The crescent and the cross equalled Kinglake’s Eothen in popularity.

If you would like to view the spotlight exhibition, or to consult material in this vein, please contact the staff of the Special Collections Reading Room in the Hardiman Research Building at specialcollections@nuigalway.ie.
A spotlight exhibition can also be viewed on the digital display wall in the Hardiman Foyer during the month of April.