During his world tour with Emilio Balli (1855-1934), in 1879 Alfred Bertrand (1856-1924) went to Egypt and, as was his wont, acquired photographic images of the sites he visited. The Suez Canal, a veritable feat of modernity, had been a “must” for Egyptian tourism since its opening in 1869. Photographers had set up studios in Port Said proposing souvenir pictures of it to travellers. F. Morin/MEG