Unpacking the Life and Legacy of Amelia B. Edwards
Amelia Edwards is largely remembered today as the founder of the Egypt Exploration Society, but her fascinating and complicated life has led to an even more complex legacy. This live podcast with our host, Charlotte Jordan, and Carl Graves, Director of the EES and author of Amelia B. Edwards: The ‘Queen of Egyptology’ (2025), will unpack some of Amelia’s private life and the events that led her to visit Egypt in 1873. It will question how her relationships with various women in the years before her famous voyage ‘a thousand miles up the Nile’, may be responsible for the journey and her eventual founding of British Egyptology as we know it today. It will reveal some misconceptions in the origins of the EES, and the subsequent distribution of artefacts from Egypt which radically changed over the course of Amelia’s involvement. Charlotte and Carl will also consider what role Amelia’s legacy continues to play at the EES today, on the cusp of transforming our London premises and expanding our charitable mission established almost 150 years ago.
Venue
The Egypt Exploration Society
3 Doughty Mews
London
WC1N 2PG
Accessibility
Please note that our premises do not currently have step-free access. Our doorways are narrow, internal spaces are accessed via steps and stairs, and our one toilet is at the top of a spiral staircase. These accessibility issues will be resolved by the coming redevelopment; we look forward to being able to accommodate a wider diversity of needs in future.
Schedule
17:30 Arrival
18:00 Podcast episode recording
18:45 Q&A Session with the host and special guest
19:00 Refreshments
Booking and information
Register for your place in advance using the link below. Attendance is free, but you can select to pay for optional add-ons to donate towards our Building the Future campaign as part of EES Fest. The venue has limited attendance capacity, so please only sign up if you’re confident that you can attend.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about your booking. If you do not receive your email, then please check your junk folders before contacting the Egypt Exploration Society.
Please ensure that you have read our guide to attending EES events before the event begins. By attending this event, you agree to any audio being recorded throughout and then published as part of our public podcast. This in-person event will be videoed and photographed for use in marketing and promotional materials.
