Egyptomania in the News 2007


(HOME) EGYPTOMANIA IN THE NEWS 2007 (notes on the persistent influence of ancient Egypt on popular culture, fine arts, and other current events) see also: Egyptomania in the News (current) Egyptomania in the News 2008 January-June Egyptomania in the News 2000-2006 Egyptomania in the News 1970-1999 Current Egyptomania Lectures/Exhibits The Quotable Egyptian Revival (please note that external links are not kept updated and that newly-posted stories may appear with earlier dates) (updated 5 April 2008) 2007 31 December An exhibition review mentions that the "Victoria Art Gallery in Bath secured an attribution for its 'Death of Cleopatra' by Benedetto Gennari." Huliq 31 December Vung Tau will be the site of Vietnam's first Disney-style theme park, and among the features will be "Wonders of the World," including a replica of the pyramids. Vietnam Economy 28 December Polish director Jerzy Kawalerowicz, whose historical epic Faraon (Pharaoh) was nominated for an Academy Award in 1966, has died at the age of 85. AFP TheNews.pl 28 December "An Egyptian sarcophagus believed to be one of the props from Steven Spielberg's 1981 film 'Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark' [sic] is illuminated behind a glass case" in Swaby's Kangaroo Court restaurant, located in Auburn, New York. AuburnPub 27 December Another press report on royalties to be paid for Egypt for certain replicas, as mentioned here 25 December. CBC 27 December "King Tut" is among the themes that will appear in the upcoming Mummers Parade in Philadelphia. Earth Times 27 December More press reports on royalties to be paid for Egypt for certain replicas, as mentioned here 25 December. Guardian Guardian (blog) International Herald Tribune Associated Press PR-Inside 26 December "Artists have the right to be inspired by everything that surrounds them, including monuments," says Zahi Hawass, regarding Egypt's impending law requiring royalty payments, reported here 25 December. AFP 25 December The Tournament of Roses Parade, to be held on New Year's Day in Pasadena, California, will include a float in the form of an enthroned pharaoh and his wife, accompanied by a miniature obelisk, a marsh, and the god Horus as a falcon. Riding the 55-foot-long construction will be Zahi Hawass, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities. This is Egypt's first entry in the annual parade. Donations are being sought to cover the $430,000 cost of the float. Washington Report on Middle East Affairs 25 December Egypt will soon pass a law, effective worldwide, requiring the payment of royalties for accurate reproductions of artifacts in its museums as well as "commercial use" of large-scale replicas of monuments, such as the pyramids and Great Sphinx. Money collected will go toward the restoration and maintenance of sites in Egypt. This is anticipated to have a negative impact on Egyptian-themed resorts. BBC 23 December Toronto, Ontario's subway station below the Royal Ontario Museum has been given an Egyptian-inspired facelift, though most of it remains, as of this date, under wraps. Torontoist 20 December Tina Turner has written Simply the Best, a musical based on her life. There is an Egyptian connection: "According to the Post, 'Tina believes she's the reincarnation of Hatshepsut, whose reign from 1479 to 1458 B.C. was prosperous and peaceful. Hatshepsut prevented her evil stepson, Thutmose III (that's Ike), from assuming the throne (though he seized it when she died). The Egyptian queen watches over Tina. When Ike pulls a gun on Tina, Hatshepsut shields her and the gun 'leaps' out of Ike's hand (special effects!).'" EURweb 20 December "Time Twisters, an Edinburgh-based, Egyptian-themed children's adventure play centre is set to welcome its 200,000th visitor 18 months since opening." PR-inside 18 December (Egyptomania.org notes that the name of one of the pipelines in the "Mardi Gras" system, in the Gulf of Mexico, is "Cleopatra.") Energy Current 16 December The Desert Cancer Foundation of Palm Springs, California held a "Night on the Nile" fundraiser: "Carvings of sphinx-like statues guarded the entrance to Thunderbird Country Club and the ballroom entrance hall was graced by towering statues of imperious goddesses. \| The band stand was guarded by similarly imposing statues, while other artifacts were scattered among the tables where 250 guests were seated." The Desert Sun 13 December A life-sized movie prop of an Egyptian mummy, worth $4,000, has gone missing from the Original Hollywood Horror Show in Snow Camp, North Carolina. TimesNews 12 December The new Akhenaten Museum, in Egypt's El Minya governate, will include a pyramidal building with 14 display halls. Egypt State Information Service 12 December The Egyptian Revival obelisk built as a sewer vent in Sydney (Australia) marks its 150th anniversary this month. ABCNews 9 December An article about area Christmas events makes reference to the fact that the American Institute of Architects has named Egyptian Theatre in Dekalb, Illinois, built in 1929, one of the 150 Great Places in Illinois. Daily Herald (Chicago) 8 December Mention is made that the original mascot of Southern Illinois University, a saluki named "King Tut," "is buried in a pyramid-shaped tomb" at McAndrew Stadium in St. Louis. Delaware Online 7 December Noted at the Australian Film Awards in Melbourne on the evening of 6 December: "Last year's best actress, Emily Barclay, also turned heads - in a chic Cleopatra goddess gown." Sydney Morning Herald 6 December The location of New Haven's Grove Street Cemetery, which has an Egyptian Revival gate designed in 1845 by Henry Austin, could have an impact on Yale University's expansion plans in the Connecticut city. Yale Daily News 6 December In his latest "documentary," Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?, filmmaker Morgan Spurlock presents "evidence" of the terrorist leader hiding out in an Egyptian pyramid (and elsewhere). The film will premier at the Sundance Film Festival in 2008. Blogger news 6 December The Isle of Man has minted a triangular copper 25p coin ("crown") with an image of Tutankhamun's cofinette and cartouches. Sky News Telegraph Independent (Ireland) 6 December The Egyptian Museum, Cairo will undergo restoration. The Italian government has granted the equivalent of $1.9 million to the purpose. Middle East Online 5 December "Gran Escala," planned as Spain's answer to Las Vegas, will include an Egyptian-themed casino. Casino Gambling Web 5 December At a recent Sotheby's auction in New York, a Cartier (London) 1923 Egyptian Revival jeweled fan brooch went for triple its estimate, with bidding closing at $601,000. News-Antique 4 December Ancient Egypt inspired Brazilian fashion designer Fabia Bercsek's 2008 summer collection. She says, "I love history and Egypt is the mythological origin. This all interests me very much, and aesthetics of the time do too. However, I did not re-read it. I created the idea of a modern-day Cleopatra, living in the present." Arab-Brazil News Agency 4 December Visitors are complaining about the high prices of souvenirs at the Tutankhamun exhibit in London. Evening Standard 3 December A great-grandmother in Wales was the victim of a purse-snatcher, who made off with money and a treasured photograph of her late husband, contained in the hieroglyph-decorated handbag. IC Wales 2 December A travel writer describes the theater aboard the Carnival Cruise Line ship Carnival Spirit: "Decorated with hieroglyphics and giant painted sarcophagi a la King Tut, the Spirit's tri-level, Egyptian Revival-style Pharaoh's Palace promised pizazz without going over the top." APP 30 November Duane Holland, assistant artistic director of the Rennie Harris PureMovement dance company gives a (surely partial) list of what hip-hop culture includes: "'popping, locking, King Tut, animation/Claymation, ticking, strobing, waves, strutting, pork chop, Uncle Sams, rolls, funky chicken, B-boy and B-girl, house, heel-toes, wobble, carving, top rock (and up rock), baby (and reverse baby), chair (and reverse chair), Cs, CCs, wrist rolls, swipes, headspins, windmills, flares, three and six-step, freezes, Frankenstein, text, breaking.'" Times Argus 29 November A consumer trying to order a wig for a Cleopatra costume receives instead rude service from the online retailer. ABC 7/KGO-TV 27 November Craig Halliday and Dean Greenwood of Clayton, Bradford (U.K.) have not only re-created the (not Egyptian Revival) dining room of Chatsworth House but also installed a bathroom where one will find "an outrageously opulent touch of Tutankhamun with a couple of Pharaoh's masks putting in an appearance." Telegraph & Argus 24 November Auction house Bonhams will hold an Egyptian Revival sale on 23 January 2008 at their New Bond Street (London) location. Times Egypt State Information Service Bonhams 23 November There is now a "Pharaoh's Fortune" scratchcard in Britain's National Lottery. Daily Echo/Dorset Echo 22 November In Italy's valley of Valchiusella is an immense underground complex, the "Temples of Damanhur." Created by Oberto Airaudi and his friends, the tunnels feature elaborately painted walls and columns. Egypt provided inspiration for some of the works. Daily Mail 22 November Among the ceramic works by artist Ida Cockroft is a bust of Nefertiti. Peninsula Clarion 18 November In Baghdad: "Even security barriers have had a makeover. Artists have painted them with depictions of Iraqi life, ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics and fantasy pictures of peaceful scenes." Seattle Times 18 November Egyptomania.org notes this reference to contemporary use of Egyptian motifs in political expression: "For the first time, I hear Pakistanis calling Musharraf, 'pharaoh.' This is a storm warning signal. 'Pharoah' is what Iranians called their hated, U.S.-backed Shah, and Egyptians the equally hated U.S.-installed dictator, Anwar Sadat." Edmonton Sun (Toronto Sun) 18 November The heavy-metal band Nile will begin filming a video for its song "Papyrus Containing The Spell To Preserve Its Possessor From Attacks From He Who Is In The Water." Nile crocodiles are rumored to feature. Metal Underground 17 November The Downtown Presbyterian Church in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee will hold its annual "Waffle Shop" (6 December) in part to benefit restoration of its Egyptian revival church building. Tennessean 16 November A reviewer praises the current London production of Aida and its designs by Zandra Rhodes. Your Local Guardian Series 16 November The Caltech-Occidental Concert Band will premier jazz musician Bruce Lofgren's piece "Pharaoh's Dream" during a concert this evening in Pasadena, California. Whittier Daily News 12 November Egypt has inspired fashion designers, past and present. International Herald Tribune 13 November Among the antique and modern automata of the Cabaret Mechanical Theatre currently on display in the Kentucky Gateway Museum Center in Maysville are"[m]any... [with] roots in Egyptian culture, including magical features like a scarab beetle becoming a mummy." Ledger Independent November (undated) For the Tutankhmun exhibit in London, an Egyptian-themed hospitality center, the Pharaoh's Palace, has been created, "[i]ncorporating monumental architectural backdrops, hieroglyphic friezes, and free standing sculptures." London Launch 12 November Egypt has inspired fashion designers, past and present. International Herald Tribute 12 November The Tutankhamun exhibit in London has inspired a new line of non-alcoholic beverages, Pharaoh's Wellness Drinks. Response Source 11 November The Abirami Mega Mall in Chennai, India, now features Egyptian-themed movie theatres with fully reclining seats. The Hindu 11 November Another review of the current London production of Aida, critical of the costumes and sets. Guardian 11 November An essay on some of the factors that make Egypt so popular and fascinating today. The Times (London) 10 November Egyptomania.org notes the passing of author Norman Mailer, whose novel Ancient Evenings earned him a place in Ancient in Fiction, if not the critical acclaim awarded to so many of his other works. New York Times/Associated Press Reuters 9 November Reviews of the current London production of Aida, variously critical of Zandra Rhodes's costumes and sets first mentioned here 27 October. This Is London Bloomberg 8 November The theme of the tableau cart entered in this year's Bridgwater (U.K.) Carnival by the Centurion Carnival Club will be "Pharaohs through the Ages." This is the 402nd carnival to be held in the town. Bridgwater Mercury 7 November On street peformers, or buskers, at London's South Bank: "There are the standard "living statues" that are gray from head to toe standing stock-still and bedecked, like pharaohs, in a tightly-wrapped gold sheet with an Egyptian headdress completing the look. \| I think these pharaoh performers must have partners (or handlers, as they're called at Disneyworld) working with them in the crowd, because being all wrapped up like that seems very vulnerable to me." The Mirror (Drury University) 6 November The "New York Print Report" by Deborah Ripley mentions "Jane Hammond’s Spells and Incantations, a five-foot-tall pharaoh’s coffin made out of paper and covered with gold leaf and color hieroglyphics -- and with the artist’s own face staring out from where the mummy should be." Artnet 6 November Opinion piece critical of the modern display of mummies, occasioned by the new installation of Tutankhamun's body on display in his tomb. Independent (Ireland) 5 November An interview with Pauline Gedge, author of numerous novels listed in Ancient Egypt in Fiction. CBC Radio 5 November A brief look at Egypt as an inspiration in modern culture. Yorkshire Post 5 November More than 325,000 tickets to the Tutankhamun exhibit in London have been sold to date. This Is London 3 November A photograph of the colorful pyramid by Romero Britto, erected in Hyde Park, London, and reported here 29 October, is available. Follow this link and click on 2. BBC News 29 October For the first time, Hyde Park in London is home to a large-scale art installation, designed by pop artist Romero Britto. The tribute to the pyramids at Giza celebrates the opening of the Tutankhamun exhibit in London. Channel 4 Sys-Con Media 27 October Zandra Rhodes has designed new costumes for the Houston Grand Opera's production of Verdi's Aida, which opens next month in London. The Times 27 October Opening a hieroglyph-covered metal ball to reveal a key that opens "one of the ISIS golden pyramids which are hidden in secret locations throughout Europe," which in turn contain gold and silver coins, is the object of ISIS, "an interactive mind puzzle." PRWeb 25 October An uncommon mid-20th century example of Egyptian Revival architecture, the Universal Life Insurance Company building in Memphis, Tennessee, has joined the National Register of Historic Places. The Memphis Business Journal News Channel 9 25 October The grand prize in St. Helena, California's pet parade went to "King Mutt and the Egyptians," which featured JJ the Dog as King Mutt and Betty the Rat as Rat-shepsut. St. Helena Star 25 October In Birmingham, Alabama, "Zantae Shuniece Evans was crowned Miss Lawson State by President Perry W. Ward during the 2007 Coronation activities. It was actually 'Royalty at its Best,' as Ms. Evans and her royal court were presented in an Egyptian theme." Birmingham Times 25 October A look at obelisks in Brazil. Brazil-Arab News Agency 24 October (Posted without further comment or explanation, if only because Egyptomania.org is unable to supply any.) "Sean Whyte, the B.C. Lions' pint-sized practice-roster kicker, had the King Tut look down pat after he was bound in reams of adhesive tape to a blocking sled Tuesday after the team's practice in Surrey. Moments later, following a zucchini chocolate cake facial and a thorough dusting of Gatorade powder, Whyte indeed took on the ghostly appearance of the world's most famous pharaoh. \| That's what happens to a football player -- without seniority or 18-inch biceps -- when he turns 22." Vancouver Sun 24 October Further discussion of the numbers from the Tutankhamun exhibit in Philadelphia. Philly.com 20 October The winners of the landscape design contest the Rosicrucian Park in San Jose, CA, reported here 27 August, have been announced: "a five-student design team from the Horticulture Program at Cabrillo College in Aptos and a two-woman San Jose design studio called Botany of Design." In addition to " mazes that would lead to obelisks containing information about ancient Egyptian gardens and tiles embellished with symbols that would tell about daily life," the new landscape will "include a shadoof, an Egyptian lever-and-pulley mechanism that will illustrate how water was transported from lower to higher elevations. There will be depictions of falluca, traditional Egyptian boat sails. Walkways will be embedded with recycled, tumbled glass to show tributaries of the Nile River." San Jose Mercury News 19 October Sotheby's will auction off the inventory of a Parisian antiques dealer. Among the items: "One Swedish settee is in the style called Retour d’Egypte, which was inspired by Napoleon's Egyptian campaigns in the 1790s, and it is loaded with Egyptian motifs. The white-painted settee, which has five matching armchairs, is from the early 1800s. Here the armrests are carved heads of Egyptian gods, and the chair’s tiny feet look human. Odd but fun." New York Times 18 October More news about the Nefertiti movie, to star Halle Berry. AfterEllen 18 October Tonight marks the 85th birthday of Grauman's Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles. Wings, winner of the first Academy Award for best picture (1927), will be shown. Los Angeles Times Calendar Live 18 October A movie theatre is set to reopen again at the former Essex Road bingo hall (Islington, London), which opened in 1930 as the Carlton Cinema. The Egyptian Revival building will also now host "services such as counselling, drug rehabilitation, employment support and old and young people's groups." Islington Gazette 16 October Another Indian festival display with an Egyptian theme, this time: "At Ramgarh Jaishrinagar, Dakshineswar, on the banks of the Hooghly, the pandal is based on the wonders of Egyptian civilisation. Here, the pyramids have been created with jute bags and papers." Earthtimes 15 October Slow progress is being made on the movie Nefertiti, to star Halle Berry. MTV 15 October Glenn Knoblock recently gave a lecture on cemetery headstones in New Hampshire: "Knoblock also said that a common theme was also Egyptian imagery, showing several examples on a few headstones from the era. He said that at the time these were carved, news was coming out of Egypt of discoveries made by French archaeologists of Egyptian artifacts found in the pyramids." Citizen 14 October For the 2007 Navratri ("nine nights" festival) in Surat, India, organizers "have constructed a stage on the theme of Egyptian pyramids and statues." Express India 14 October Filming has begun in Malta on a "multi-million-budget movie is based around Ancient Egypt." The title of the film is not reported here. Di-Ve 14 October A travel writer reports of the Austin Hotel in Austin, Texas: "My single had an Egyptian theme with pyramids and hieroglyphics on the sofa and wall hangings." St. Louis Today 12 October "Egypt" ties at #151 on the list of the most popular names given to baby girls born in New York City in 2006. Ten babies were given this name. A look at the list itself further reveals that 35 girls were named "Isis," making it tied for #135. WABC Popular Baby Names in New York City 2006 (.pdf) 11 October "Nefertiti's Egypt" is one of the many sources tapped by jewelry designer Or Riter-Rachevsky. Jerusalem Post 11 October The Egyptian Theater in Los Angeles celebrates its 85th anniversary this year: "When it opened in 1922, the theater proved an instant destination. Designed inside and out to resemble something from ancient Egypt's Valley of the Kings, it evoked whimsy and even grandeur in a place that lacked both." Variety 11 October The Red Bull Soapbox Race in Providence, Rhode Island has an Egyptianizing entrant this year: "When Randy Ryon saw King Tutankhamen's sarcophagus on display in Philadelphia last March, he of course felt the urge to rip off the cover, jump in and drive it down a hill." Democrat and Chronicle 11 October (Neither a news item nor polite, but of potential interest nonetheless, Egyptomania.org notes the use of vulgar slang term, abbreviated BFE, for "bum f----ing Egypt," with variations in interpretation of the B and F, meaning "the middle of nowhere.") Los Angeles City Beat Urban Dictionary 11 October Mention of the Kings Courtyard Inn in Charleston, South Carolina, built in 1853 by Francis D. Lee: "a Greek Revival-style with unusual touches of Egyptian detail." TransWorldNews 11 October Old news: "$7,200 was the highest price ever paid for a bottle of beer. The sale came in 1996 when the Brits brewed a beer made from a recipe gleaned from the walls of the tomb of Egyptian boy king Tutankhamen and sold the first bottle at auction for the record sum." Rocky Mountain News 10 October Restoration has begun on the 1925 Egyptian theatre in Coos Bay, Oregon. KCBY.com 10 October The annual Beaux Arts Ball in Dodge City, Kansas has an Egyptian theme for 2007: "[Dave] Wetmore, his garage transformed into what resembles an Egyptian dig, has been working feverishly for several days to carve a sphinx Ð with its human head and body of a lion -- from two giant blocks of Styrofoam insulation. [...] Several wall-sized panels depicting Egyptians and hieroglyphics are being painted by Darlene Clifton Smith and her Dodge City High School art students." Dodge City Daily Globe 10 October In Khaligat, India, a pandal (temporary structure to honor the Hindu goddess Durga) erected off Sadananda Road for the Durga Puja festival is described: "a pyramid has come up. 'We had thought of doing the Taj Mahal itself, but it would have taken more space,' says Surajit Mullick of the club. Instead, there are panels depicting Pharaohs being coronated, ordering a pyramid, worshipping the sun, going to war and being mummified. Outside the pandal, scenes of domestic life of the Egyptians have been etched out. 'The lighting will also be linked to the theme,' said theme-maker Saikat Chatterjee." Telegraph India 10 October At Divas Simply Singing, an annual event held at the Wilshire Ebell Theater in Los Angeles, "cameras went wild as Sheryl Lee Ralph made her spectacular entrance wearing an Egyptian motif gold dress." Eurweb 10 October Students at Bear River High School in Grass Valley, California are adding some color to the school by painting support pillars. Among them: "John Goldschneider, another senior, is painting a pillar with an Egyptian theme with his classmate, Michael Zampirro. The most noticeable part of the painting, so far, is a red-faced sun god with greenish-yellow teeth against a bright blue sky." The Union 10 October Mention, in passing, that "Cleopatra is big this year" for Halloween, at least in the Napa Valley, California. Napa Valley Register 9 October Mention, in passing, in an article announcing a cemetery tour, is the Egyptian Mausoleum in Redlands, California, built in 1928. Redlands Daily Facts 9 October "Nyarlahotep" is one of a quartet of H. P. Lovecraft tales adapted for the stage in Belltown, Washington. (See Ancient Egypt in Fiction for some details of the story.) Fangoria 9 October The Union Station Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee, reopens today after a multi-million-dollar restoration. Among the turn-of-the-century transportation-themed decor can be found a relief of a pharaoh in a chariot. Hospitality-1st 9 October "Falconcity of Wonders, the ambitious residential, tourist and commercial mega development in Dubailand," United Arab Emirates, includes "a Pharaohs Theme Park." Business Intelligence Middle East 9 October Mention is made in passing that the children's cartoon Tutenstein won an Emmy Award earlier this year. The Hollywood Reporter 8 October Another article about the "Cleopatra eye" in vogue this season. For the first time, designer Alexander MaQueen has branded a line of cosmetics, taking " the Elizabeth Taylor-as-Cleopatra look featured in his fall collection and [putting] it into the tiny graphite-colored boxes found at MAC cosmetic counters." WRAL.com 8 October A caption contest was held for the Reuters photograph of the Anubis colossus barging up the Thames on 1 October. The winner: "No matter how many people had claimed to have seen him, Richards Dawkins dismissed the reports as the delusions of dyslexic religionists." Outside the Beltway 8 October This year's corn maze at Vossler Farms in Visalia, California "has taken the shape of a pharaoh's tomb and pyramids." Visalia Times-Delta October Tourism figures for Egypt, 2006-2007, increased 13% from the previous fiscal year. Travel & Tourism News Middle East 7 October (The third installment in the popular "Mummy" movie franchise, starring Brendan Fraser, departs from Egypt and mummies for China and terracotta warriors, making news of the film unlikly to appear here. However, Egyptomania.org could not fail to report this detail, derived from the official production blog: "China is in turmoil but Jonathan (John Hannah) owns an Egyptian-themed bar in Shanghai.") Kung Fu Cinema The Mummy 3 production blog 7 October An article about a reunion of a 1930s athletics club in Bristol, Connecticut called the "Hoboes" mentions the nicknames of several members, including Anthony "Tut" D'Amato: "Anthony D'Amato, it was said, thought he was King Tut." Bristol Press 6 October Brief interview with artist Timothy Hull, who has a current exhibit of Egyptian-inspired works. Huffington Post 6 October Furniture designer Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz: "I have a chair based on a Klismos chair, an ancient Egyptian design everybody has based a chair on." (Egyptomania.org duly notes that the klismos chair is an ancient Greek form.) Post-Gazette 4 October An article examines the Egyptian Theater in Boise, Idaho, built in 1927. Arbiter Online 3 October Mentioned briefly, in an article about an Asheville, North Carolina art gallery showcasing the works of regional artists, are "the paintings of Cynthia Markert. Egypt meets the flapper-era in her work, which evokes what Nefertiti would look like during the Jazz Age. Citizen-Times 3 October Two teachers from San Jose Episcopal Day School in Jacksonville, Florida were given an Egyptian-inspired send-off for their trip to Egypt: "Some teachers and students wore classic Cleopatra-style garb at the farewell as they assembled in front of an intricately decorated gold throne and backdrop filled with images of mummies and other ancient symbols." My Mandarin Sun 3 October Nicholas Hytner's production of Mozart's The Magic Flute is being revived at the Coliseum, London, for the last time. The Guardian MusicOMH TimesOnline 2 October The current call for entries for the 2008 Tabletop Gallery, held by Special Events Magazine, features a photograph of a 2007 entrant, "The Valley of the Kings" by Joanne Hulme. SpecialEvents 2 October The new Raffles Dubai resort includes a one-hectare garden divided into four elemental themes. These "converge on the centerpiece, The Eye of Horus, a large glass dome that looks into Café Raffles, adjacent to Wafi City Mall, allowing guests and shoppers a view of the lush gardens as they enjoy afternoon tea." AME Info 2 October As expected, the Tutankhamun exhibit at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia broke attendance records for the American tour, with either just short of, or slightly more than, 1.3 million attendees, depending on which report one believes. The Canadian Press NJ.com 1 October AP: "A giant statue of the ancient Egyptian god of the dead floated down the Thames on Monday, turning heads as it crossed under London's Tower Bridge." The fiberglass statue will stand for a couple of days on the banks of the Thames, a promotion for the Tutankhamun exhibit, which has just moved from Philadelphia to London. Associated Press BBC ThisIsLondon 1 October Egyptian signer Tamer Hosny is working on a new song for a pharaonic-themed cartoon show called Snoohy. Waleg 1 October A review of the current production of Verdi's Aida" playing at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City, remarks that Verdi's "Egyptians represent not the delicate figures of the ancient glyphs but the heart-on-sleeve Italians he would have found on his own street corner: big in emotion and, in a lot of productions, big in size as well." New York Times 30 September A recent painting by neurologist-turned-painter Sami Khella, entitled "Dead Man Walking," is described: "A dead man appears to walk through an Egyptian tomb [...] while in the background, a female figure seems to squat, about to give birth." Philadelphia Inquirer 30 September A report of the Milan Fashion Week describes designer Jenny Packham's "metallic Egyptian-motif 'flapper' dresses from the 1920s." For an earlier, and somewhat different, report on her collection, see 7 September 2007. Epoch Times 30 September Students at Burlingame (California) Intermediate School were among the finalists in the fourth annual Burlingame Pet Parade with "Claw-opatra," a black cat (real name: Mia) carried in a "a wire cage adorned with four gold-colored handles protruding from each corner." Says one of the handlers, Anastasia Campos, "I was kind of into the whole Egyptian theme and thought it would be neat." Inside Bay Area 29 September A "style" article examines a variety of vintage chairs, including a German example created by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, "said to be an interpretation on the Egyptian Royal folding chair," for the 1929 Barcelona World's Fair. St. Louis Today 28 September Among the items of decor to be seen on the tour of the Chinqua Penn Plantation in Reidsville, North Carolina is a "a 1929 Egyptian chair of teakwood, ivory and mother of pearl that was specially commissioned to resemble King Tut’s throne." Danville Register & Bee 27 September An article in the artist's hometown paper features Timothy Hull's current exhibit, "The Major Swarm of Meanings Surrounding the Ancient Pyramids.” The Chronicle 27 September An article looks at Egyptian motifs in Brazilian political cartoons. Brazil-Arab News Agency 27 September American businessman Westley Howard changed his name to LordPharaoh ImHotepAmonRa, to better market Egyptian Magic, a skin cream with the "exact same formula for a cream found in ancient Egyptian tombs." New York Times 27 September On the U.S. cable channel Food Network, the reality show Ace of Cakes is based around the bakers of Charm City Cakes (Baltimore, Maryland). One of their featured creations is a "cake of King Tut." The Towerlight 23 September Kenneth Branagh will direct a film adaptation of The Magic Flute. This will not be an Egyptianizing production, however: "He chose to place Mozart’s masonic world of deadly challenge in a fairy-tale version of war-torn Flanders." Times Online 23 September Op-ed by Steven Barnes on "Why the Ethnicity of King Tut Is Such a Complex Issue." (Egyptomania.org does not ordinarily post news items covering issues of ethnicity &c. unless these items are looking at the issue itself, rather than arguing for or against a given position.) Philadelphia Inquirer 23 September "An Egyptian pyramid designed by a Feng Shui architect" is part of a controversial project by a Wiccan couple in Middlefield, Massachusetts. Berkshire Eagle 23 September A brief op-ed piece about Art Deco architecture credits Egypt as the inspiration: "Thanks in part to the discovery of King Tut's tomb, designers of the time were under the sway of ancient Egypt -- a touch ironic considering the style's futuristic ambitions." Washington Post 22 September An "Egyptian revival jeweled collar that Katherine Hepburn reportedly wore in a theatrical production of Cleopatra in Connecticut" is being offered for sale. PRweb 21 September Pre-show ticket sales for the Tutankhamun exhibit in Greenwich (England) have set a record for the tour: 132,000 sold, with 2,000 more reserved. News Shopper 21 September Sculptor Karen Fralich is recreating the temple at Abu Simbel from 25 tons of sand at the Virginia Museum of Science in Richmond. "The hardest part about sculpting the pharaohs, she said, is keeping them upright. 'I'm more non-linear,' she said." Richmond.com 20 September Rowland Matthews, a homeless artist, has allegedly been threatened by police about his pastels illustrating "the Biblical story of the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt" on the sidewalk of a street in Camden, England. Camden New Journal 20 September Filming for Young Cleopatra begins at Egypt Media Production City outside Cairo this November. Variety 20 September ATV of France has a new line of "sculptural radiators," under the trade name RGON, that mount as flat panels on a wall. Artist Catherine Lamps has produced several designs: "The themes of the sculptures are varied and are intended to appeal particularly to women. The eight models feature designs inspired by the Egyptian goddesses Athor and Iris [sic], Africa, animals and human figures." InfotechFrance 19 September An article about Nefertiti concludes with information about Club Mwah in Mandaluyong City, Philippines, where "an entire suite in [the stage production] Bedazzled 7 is devoted to the Queen." ABS-CBN Interactive 17 September The Kresge Foundation has given a $2 million grant to the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program. The funding will help to renovate "a four-story, 77,000-square-foot Egyptian Revival building at the corner of Massachusetts Avenue and Albany Street in Boston, the former home of Boston City Hospital's pathology department and the city morgue." Boston Business Journal 17 September Spotted on this date, in the (dated) October issue of Conde Nast Portfolio, is mention that at least one of the 14 cinemas operated by the "innovating" chain Muvico (of Florida, Tennessee, and Maryland) boasts an Egyptian theme. (Egyptomania.org notes that what was old is "innovative" again!) Conde Nast Portfolio 16 September The St. Joseph Hospital Foundation held a Monte Carlo Night in Arcata, California. Setting the stage for the guests and the bellydancer were "a giant pyramid, a 15-foot obelisk, life-size mummies and a team of Egyptian servants that held candles and fanned guests as they entered the room." Eureka Reporter 14 September Plumbers have been spotted at the 103-year-old Egyptian Revival "temple" of Sphinx, Dartmouth College's secret society (Hanover, New Hampshire). Chronicle of Higher Education 13 September More than 140 primary school students from York and North Yorkshire (U.K.) have gathered at the National Railway Museum in York to take on the roles of "ancient Egyptian engineers." Their task: design technology for pyramid-building. This is one of the events in the BA Festival of Science. The Press (York) 12 September Hanson Robotics has designed a robot called Eva, described by the firm as "a humanlike robot of universal beauty achieved by incorporating a mixture of ethnic characteristics. The face is designed with an idealistic youthful beauty in mind, female but with masculine characteristics (large jaw and cranial area). The design is intended to be reminiscent of the bust of Nefertiti displayed in the Berlin Altes museum..." P2Pnet 11 September Yet another designer is reaching back to ancient Egypt this season: "Designer Jackie Rogers presented her collection which was inspired by the Egyptian 18th dynasty with pleated burlap and flowing silk jersey fabrics adorned with snakeskin details and amulet necklines..." The Independent (Long Island, New York) 10 September An article about murals in public places in Harlem (New York City) describes one at Public School 503: "'Beautiful Migration,' it's a towering mosaic portraying two elephants. On one of their backs, we see the Egyptian goddess Isis, with her eagle wings spread from its head to tail. According to mythology, her tears became the Nile River, and in the picture they stream through the tusk of one of the elephants and empty into the crops located at another’s feet. If you look closely, you can find environmental activist Julia Butterfly-Hill sitting in a tree and Nobel Prize winner Wangari Maathai planting seeds of future saplings." The young artists were led in their effort by painter and curator Belle Benfiel. City Limits 9 September The winners of the Blandford (Dorset, UK) Carnival, in the 13-and-up category, were Sally Cross and Hilary Fry, dressed as "Egyptian Princesses." (Egyptomania.org regrets the lack of photos of these winners.) Dorset Echo 9 September The 1977 musical Nefertiti is being revived "with an African sensibility" in Chicago. Chicago Tribune 8 September (Egyptomania.org admittedly does not know if this item pertains to ancient Egypt, but at any rate it is of Orientalist interest:) An "Egyptian themed" adult party being planned in the vicinity of Philadelphia by a company called Revival Productions was forced to relocate from a farm to a strip club. (As the production company is considering a lawsuit, more details on the theme might be forthcoming in the news.) Intelligencer (Philadelphia) 8 September Filming in Egypt will begin on a big-budget ($130 million) movie about, and titled, Nefertiti, inspired by the controversial hypotheses of Ahmed Osman. The producer is John Heyman (A Passage to India, etc.). Also on tap for production are Young Cleopatra and The Exodus Scrolls, a thriller. The Egyptian Gazette (click on "Tourism") 8 September A feature about the design of Toronto city hall in 1958. One of the rejected designs was "a luminescent Egyptian-style pyramid." The Star (Toronto) 8 September Varnaparichay, a book mall to be built on College Street in Calcutta, India, will have an ancient Egyptian themed third floor. Construction begins this month. The Telegraph (Calcutta) 7 September Author Madeleine L'Engle, best known for A Wrinkle in Time, has died at the age of 88. A few of her works, including Sold into Egypt, were set in ancient Egypt. (See Ancient Egypt in Fiction for a list of her Egyptianizing works.) CBC.ca 7 September The latest collection by clothing designer Jenny Packham was inspired in luxury, but not in form, by the Tutankhamun exhibit. Vogue.com 6 September The Philadelphia Museum of Art is expanding into an Art Deco building, now renamed for benefactors Ruth and Raymond G. Perelman, across the street: "On the front of its newly restored granite exterior are Egyptian-style reliefs symbolic of insurance by noted German-born art deco sculptor Lee Lawrie." Philadelphia Inquirer 6 September Mentioned in passing in this op-ed is that among the names Venezuela has forbidden parents to give their children--under penalty of law--one finds "Tutankhamen del Sol." Sydney Morning Herald 6 September That cheap Chinese imports are threatening Egyptian-made pharaonic-style souvenirs is mentioned in this story. Arab News 6 September Marta, a Brazilian board-game maker, finds that one of its best sellers among children is the ancient Egyptian game of Senet. Brazil-Arab News Agency 6 September Heavy metal band Iron Maiden will be using Egyptian-themed sets for its 2008 Somewhere Back in Time World Tour, echoing motifs used in its 1984-1985 Powerslave Tour. Antimusic.com 5 September More detailed story than that of 3 September on ticket sales for the Tutankhamen exhibit in Philadelphia. Philadelphia Inquirer 3 September It seems likely that Tutankhamen exhibit in Philadelphia will break the old "Tut" attendance record of 1.3 million (currently held by the 1977 exhibit in Chicago) before it closes at the end of this month. Philadelphia Business Journal 3 September Pop singer Alicia Keys sought inspiration for her new album, As I Am, at ancient sites in Egypt. (Keys: "I'm thinking, `Here is this structure that's been standing for thousands of years, no magic tricks, no cranes, just mind, will and hands. "I had a profound realisation that with my mind and my hands I could create something that could last forever.") ContactMusic.com 3 September A news feature about Liliane Cristina Coelho's paper on mummies in Brazilian children's literature. Brazil-Arab News Agency 2 September This story about Park City, Utah, mentions that the city's "Egyptian Theater reflects the Egyptian Revival style that was popular in the 1920s." Deseret News 2 September The German government has granted entrepreneurs more than $90,000 in aid to build a 1,600-foot-tall "Great Pyramid" (more than three times the height of the original at Giza) in the town of Dessau. The remainder of the funding for the project is expected to come from those who wish to have their ashes placed into the roughly one-cubic-yard concrete blocks that will make up the monument. Each such "burial" is expected to cost about $900. (Egyptomania.org notes that, interestingly, the hope is that the structure, which will take decades and millions of blocks to complete, will promote new growth in the area, making Dessau a modern "pyramid town," not unlike the settlements that grew up around ancient Egyptian pyramids.) Telegraph The Great Pyramid.org (project web site) 30 August Cleopatra's Barge, a restaurant, has recently opened in Iloilo City, Philippines, complete with "Cleopatra Girls." The News Today 30 August (A news feature about Idaho-based Lakeland Company, which makes objects and sets from faux stone, prompts Egyptomania.org to wonder if will there be some "new" old Egypt in the refurbished Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas after all:) "For instance, a 6-foot-tall bust of King Tut that will become a prototype for a proposal for the Luxor hotel and casino in Las Vegas, was first hand sculpted by Lakeland artists as a 6-inch model. The model was then scanned with a three-dimensional laser scanner about the size of a large oven." Spokane Journal of Business 30 August To tie in with the Tutankhamen exhibit opening in London in November, Transport for London is issuing an Egyptian-themed "Visitor Oyster Card." Such branding is a first for the travel discount card. Public Technology Marketing News 28 August The World of Beer at the South African Breweries in Newtown, South Africa opened this date. One of the highlights "is the spectacular set resembling an Egyptian temple, in which the history of ancient beer is depicted and where you 'meet' Hathor, the Egyptian goddess of brewing and good times." The Star 27 August Brief mention of a contest to redesign the landscape of the Rosicrucian Park in San Jose, CA, location of the Egyptian Museum, to "complement the park's Egyptian-themed buildings." The Mercury News Rosicrucian Park Native Plants Landscaping Contest 25 August The crew of the Egyptian-Revival wherry Hathor, just mentioned on 20 August 2007, rescued a border collie from the River Wensum. Norwich Evening News 24 24 August Antiques column Q&A about a brown-glazed Grueby Pottery scarab paperweight. Bend Weekly 23 August Op-ed on the renovation of the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas. Los Angeles Times 22 August The season's new style of eye makeup is compared to ancient Egyptian. New York Times 21 August The Paramount Theatre in Casa Grande, Arizona has an Egyptian Revival interior that was restored in the 1990s. The building dates to 1929. Casa Grande Valley Newspapers 20 August The wherry Hathor, an uncommon example of an Egyptian Revival watercraft, is in need of restoration to celebrate its century mark in 2009. Norwich Evening News 24 National Historic Ships 19 August Another story on the de-theming of the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas: "There's not much [casino president Felix] Rappaport can do about the shape of the building, and the sphinx will stay because it has become a landmark, but the Egyptian motif is out." Philadelphia Inquirer 16 August A festival in Santa Rosa, California, celebrating Charles Schulz's Snoopy includes a statue of "A-Snoop-bis," by Theresa Pisani & Dana DiMatteo. It is on display at the southeast corner of Mendocino & Fourth St. Unfortunately, vandals broke off the top portion of the statue's staff. (Photo here.) Davis Enterprise 9 August Among the monuments found in in Nashville, Tennessee cemeteries are the Kornman-Raskin Egyptian Revival vault, constructed in 1918, and the pyramid built for Eugene C. Lewis the previous year. Nashville Scene 5 August This story mentions, incidentally, "Quebec City's painted columns under its elevated Autoroute 440 [...] in the neighbourhood of St. Roch. These murals include beguiling trompe d'oeil illusions of an Egyptian temple, a surrealist fantasy and the entrance to a Gothic cathedral." TheStar.com 1 August Brief report of a wedding in Thompkin Square Park, New York City, with bride and groom "dressed in exotic Egyptian style while being cooled by giant fans that friends waved over them." The Villager 29 July The shamelessly kitschy Las Vegas casino and resort, the Luxor, is shedding some of its pharaonic image. Mercury News 26 July The city hall of Tempe, Arizona and its inverted pyramid. Arizona Business Gazette 25 July The shamelessly kitschy Las Vegas casino and resort, the Luxor, is shedding some of its pharaonic image. Daily Commercial News 14 June The Austin Nichols & Co. Warehouse is among the threatened buildings of Brooklyn's historic waterfront. (See related report posted here for 30 June 2006. See also PDF of 2005 Landmarks Preservation Commission Report.) New York Times (link lost: see preview) 18 May The Isis Theater in Aspen, Colorado has been rennovated to accommodate a retail establishment in one of the five theaters. The Egyptian character was carefully maintained. Aspen Times 10 May Christopher Curtin of Éclat Chocolate has created candies shaped like "King Tut's head, a winged scarab and hieroglyphic chocolate shards" in honor of the Tutankhamun exhibit at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. Philadelphia Inquirer 17 April An accused rapist claims that he was possesed by the Egyptian fertility god Min, who forced him to violate his stepdaughter. News.com.au OTHER NEWS: Current 2008 January-June 2000-2006 1970-1999

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