Henry Salt (Egyptologist)
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Henry Salt (June 14, 1780 – October 30, 1827) was an English artist, traveler, diplomat, and Egyptologist.
Salt was born in Lichfield the son of a physician. He trained as a portrait painter, first in Lichfield and then in London under Joseph Farington and John Hoppner. In 1802 he was appointed secretary and draughtsman to George Annesley, Viscount Valentia. They started on an eastern tour, traveling to India via the Cape. Salt explored the Red Sea area, and in 1805 visited the Ethiopian highlands. He returned to England in 1806. Salt's paintings from the trip were used to illustrate Lord Valentia's Voyages and Travels to India, published in 1809.
Salt returned to Ethiopia in 1809 on a government mission to explore trade and diplomatic links with the Tigrayan warlord Ras Wolde Selassie. On his return he published A voyage to Abyssinia, & travels into the interior of that country, executed under the orders of the British government in the years 1809 & 1810. He later returned and continued a friendship with popular Sabagadis.
In 1815 Salt was appointed British consul-general in Cairo. During his time in Egypt he accumulated a collection of Egyptian artefacts, notably the head of Ramesses II from the Ramesseum, which he presented to the British Museum, and the sarcophagus box of Ramesses III which was bought by the Louvre in Paris. He also sponsored the excavations of Thebes and Abu Simbel, carrying out significant archaeological research himself at the pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx, and earned praise for his ability to decipher hieroglyphs from Jean-François Champollion.
Salt employed Giovanni Battista Belzoni to carry out many of his excavations.
