Brazilian Emperor Pedro II in Egypt (1871)
Dom Pedro II, who had an interest in Egyptology, took two trips to Egypt in 1871 and 1876. Here he is photographed in Giza during his earlier trip, seated on the far right of the picture. With him are members of his household, including his wife Teresa Cristina (seated at center, wearing a black dress), a group of Egyptian men, and the French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette (first seated man on the left, wearing pale pants), who died in Cairo 121 years ago today. Brazil acquired a significant collection of Egyptian artifacts during the rule of Dom Pedro I, which is currently on display at the National Museum of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro, housed in the country’s former imperial palace.