Rosetta  Stone  Replicas

Rosetta  Stone  Replicas

 
     

Full-Size, 3-D Replicas
o f   t h e
Mysterious  Rosetta  Stone

   

      
 

   
 

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A#1 - RosettaStoneReplicas.com
 

A#1 - Rosetta  Stone  Replicas  ~

H I S T O R Y

 

© 2006-2010 Rosetta Classic, LLC. All rights reserved.
 

Anyone interested in the fields of archaeology,
Egyptology, cryptology, publishing, geology, science,
writing, mathematics, translation work and/or languages
understands the significance of this famous artifact.

The “Rosetta Stone," as it is known, has become a metaphor...
                                                                                               ...a metaphor for anything that is important to the process of decryption or the unraveling of a complex problem -- cracking a code of some sort. Perhaps even a global metaphor for hope, creativity and perseverance for many who are trying to learn a new language, attempting to solve a relational puzzle, or seeking to decipher the cryptic issues of these tough economic times...

 


        View from west bank of the
          Nile at the Ft. Rashid site
          
(photo by Dr. Joel A. Freeman)
 

   Even if you are quite knowledgeable about the Rosetta Stone, perhaps you will learn some new things by the time you have finished reading this page. Plus, you just might want to own a stunning, museum-quality replica (45" x 30" x 11") of the Rosetta Stone. Review the eight innovations of the Rosetta Stone below, including a planned 3-D holographic image. You'll be pleasantly surprised. But first, let's take a step back in time...

 

   The Rosetta Stone was/is an irregularly shaped slab of rock weighing about 1,700 pounds. The face has 14 lines of hieroglyphs (It is estimated that there were 29 lines prior to breakage), 32 lines of cursive Demotic, and, at the bottom, 54 lines of ancient Greek (language introduced after the conquest of Egypt by Alexander the Great). All proclaim the same message (feel free to read it later).

   Historian, Richard Moore states, "The French attempt to exert influence over Egypt was due to economics, a political need to weaken Britain and the personal needs of General Napoleon Bonaparte, who saw the shadow of unemployment - and a loss of influence - looming as his armies in Italy were nearing the end of their successful struggles against Austria. Having seen the benefits of Britain's profitable colonies, France's Directory listened to Bonaparte's idea to invade Egypt, expel the ruling Marmalukes and establish a modern style of government friendly toward French ways."

   The Napoleonic Egyptian Campaign started in 1798. In 1799, as French soldiers were preparing to build the foundation for Fort Julian (later known as Fort Rashid) on the West Bank of the Nile, the soldiers found the Rosetta Stone (see photo above). That village, called Rashid, was translated as “Rosetta;” hence the name.

Rosetta Stone    The Greek text was quickly translated and the last line of the Greek text impacted everyone who read it:  "This decree shall be inscribed on a stela of hard stone in sacred (hieroglyph) and native (demotic script) and Greek characters...." This meant that a parallel version of the same text was presented in all three languages! The Stone was deemed to be priceless! Everyone quickly recognized that the Rosetta Stone could very well unlock the secrets to ancient Egypt.

   The ability to read hieroglyphs had been lost for almost two centuries, but now they had hope of understanding this ancient language. The stone, a fragment of an ancient slab proclaiming the “Memphis Decree” in 196 BC, praised the Egyptian king Ptolemy V on the first anniversary of his coronation. Even though the British defeated the French, a battle of intrigue followed.

   In September 1801 English Colonel Turner, who had fought and won at Aboukir Bay and Alexandria, went to visit General Menou to take the stone back to Britain under the terms of the Treaty of Capitulation. Turner cited the 16th article of the treaty, and Menou handed it over grudgingly. The French had the foresight to make several copies of the inscriptions, which served them well after the British acquired the stone. Both the French and the British knew they had something valuable on their hands, but it would take years to crack the code inscribed on the Rosetta Stone. Only then would its true worth be revealed.

   Scholar, Margie Parent writes, "...in the spasmodic voyage from Egypt to England, many of the Egyptian antiquities were damaged. Because of the importance of the Rosetta Stone, however Colonel Turner personally accompanied this precious cargo on its journey aboard a frigate. The Rosetta stone left Egypt from Alexandria and sailed into the English Channel in February 1802. At Deptford the stone was placed in a small boat and taken through customs. It was [initially] lodged at the quarters of the Society of Antiquaries so experts could examine it...."

  The Rosetta Stone, on display in the British Museum, has text inscribed on it that permanently tells a story. On the left side, the painted text reads: "Captured in Egypt by the British Army in 1801." On right side it reads: "Presented by King George III."

Jean Francois Champollion
Jean Champollion

   The hieroglyphic images were studied by many (Rev. Stephen Weston, Dr. Thomas Young, etc.), but the Rosetta Stone was ultimately deciphered in 1822 (approximately 23 years later) by Jean-Francois Champollion (see image to right), the brilliant French academic who specialized in ancient languages of the Middle East.

   The Rosetta Stone story is remarkable, recounting the many decrees of Ptolemy IX upon the anniversary of his reign. Ptolemy IX had succeeded during the previous year of subduing a rebellion by a certain temple and priesthood who had refused to pay tithes and taxes to the Pharaoh. They occupied a fort-like temple on the banks of the Nile. Rather than attacking the temple with his army, Ptolemy diverted the Nile River around the Temple by damming, digging trenches and canals around it, depriving them of food and water. A few months later, the rebel priesthood surrendered.

   Ptolemy decreed a general amnesty for the rebels (except for the leaders). Allowed many of the priests to retain their homes and wealth, decreed a national celebration of the jubilee of his reign and gave the people a tax break (really).

   Ptolemy IX also declared himself a deity to be worshipped in all temples of Egypt, with a facsimile of himself in stone to be the object of veneration with the burning of incense and prayer 3 times per day.

   His final decree was that the entire record of this adventure be inscribed in stone in the 3 languages of the kingdom and that the decree should be placed prominently in all temples in Egypt and other important places and towns.

   Champollion compared the three texts, all stating the same Decree. Since these three languages were all used at the time, the Decree had to be “published” in all of them. The overwhelming importance of the translation is that it made it possible to read hundreds of hieroglyph inscriptions on tombs, obelisks and other ancient objects.

   Cracking the code of the hieroglyphs was enormously important for understanding the history and culture of ancient Egypt, thus revealing details of a civilization going back close to 4,000 years BC. The genuine Rosetta Stone is housed at the British Museum in London.
 

1st-generation cast of the Rosetta
Stone owned by The Freeman Institute

 from The Freeman Institute History Collection

 

   In the 1970’s, the British Museum made a mold of the full face of the authentic Rosetta Stone, and cast a small number of first-generation reproductions.

 

   The Freeman Institute obtained one of these facsimiles (see image to left) from a gentleman who was informed by the British Museum that only 12-15 first-generation replicas had ever been made, and that he had acquired the last one. (It had been stored in the basement of the British Museum and the museum cleaned it before selling it to him.)
 

   It is a first-generation, full-size, life-size facsimile (in black resin) with the characters in white (carnauba wax and chalk compound), made from a direct mold of the original Rosetta Stone face. The size of the casting is approximately 40 inches in height, 30 inches in width, and the resin is molded so that it has two-inch sides.

 

  A representative of the British Museum Company (in charge of sales & marketing for the British Museum) emailed the  following: “Unfortunately we do not have any records of how many Rosetta Stone casts were produced. However, (we) estimate that it would have been two or three a year (in the 1970s) at the very most.”

  Based upon the emailed correspondence and other anecdotal evidence, it is safe to say there are relatively few full-size, first-generation facsimiles of the face of the Rosetta Stone (manufactured in the 1970s) that exist in the entire world.

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The Stone That Told The Sphinx's Secrets

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How would you like to own
& exhibit a full-size, 3-D
replica of the Rosetta Stone?


One of our Rosetta Stone replicas used on the Vancouver movie set of Night At The Museum 3
 

 

A MEMORABLE CONVERSATION PIECE

A museum will want to own and exhibit the replica, with an exhibit of Jean Champollion
and the global impact that emerged from cracking of the linguistic code of hieroglyphics.

A corporation will want to own and exhibit the full-size
3-D replica in the "public-area" foyer of the entryway.

A company that has a presence at their industry trade shows will want to own and exhibit a
replica as a "show-stopper" -- attracting many inquisitive attendees to their booth.

The Egyptology Department of a university may want to get a grant to
own & exhibit the full-size replica as a "hands-on" educational piece.

The ultimate "Legacy" or "Life-Time Achievement" Award presentation piece
for one-of-a-kind individuals -- recognizing (with a Bronze Rosetta) those
who have displayed world class accomplishments throughout their lives.

Fine restaurants. Colleges. Publishers. Law firms. Language translation companies.
Organizations specializing in cryptology. Large city libraries. Bio-research companies.

The "suspended-in-air" holographic image of the Rosetta Stone. An educational jaw-dropper.

A unique gift for someone who has everything.

So many ideas...
 

 

 

A#1 - Rosetta  Stone  Replicas  ~


ACQUIRING    A    MUSEUM - QUALITY    REPLICA
 

B A C K G R O U N D          T E C H N O L O G Y          B A C K G R O U N D

 

   The arduous process of developing these replicas has been time-consuming and expensive -- taking well over four years. Under the umbrella of The Freeman Institute® Foundation, Joel Freeman (Rosetta Classic, LLC) is developing a life-size, 3-D mold of the Rosetta Stone (45" tall x 30" x 11" thick).
 


Early 1900s "magic lantern"
glass slide image of the Rosetta Stone
from The Freeman Institute History Collection

   The face of the mold, which is the most important part of the Stone, has been lasered from the face of the 1st generation cast mentioned above (see photos below). The sides and rear of the Rosetta Stone replica have been painstakingly rendered artistically from photos of the various views of the Rosetta Stone taken by Dr. Freeman on his many visits to the British Museum over the decades.

   The Rosetta Stone was cleaned in 2004 by the British Museum. Along with many other interesting aspects, the cleaning of the Rosetta Stone basically revealed that it was made of granodiroite, not basalt. We are confident that the cleaning process did not alter the original integrity of the face of the Rosetta Stone. If that is the case, the cleaning of the Rosetta Stone did not alter the structure, the precise placement or design of the lettering, or its external shape/form. It is those elements upon which we focus.

   The museum-quality facsimiles we are designing will be about as close as anyone can get to owning or exhibiting the real thing. We are also constructing a cylinder base (30" tall x 28" across), similar to the one pictured to the left, except for the square platform at the bottom of the base.

   Why are we doing all this? Watching reruns of the "Jay Walking" segments with Jay Leno on evening TV reveals how little knowledge people possess about modern or ancient history. It's as sad and as frightening as it is humorous.

   Our desire is to educate people -- young and old alike -- about the significance of the Rosetta Stone, understanding its role in cracking the code to Hieroglyphics -- which helped to spawn the intriguing fields of Archaeology and Egyptology -- a cryptologist's dream.

   People viewing the Rosetta Stone replica exhibitions will want to learn more. Our main passion is to develop an excitement in the hearts of people to want to travel to view the real artifact/artefact (Rosetta Stone), which is exhibited in London at the British Museum.

   The reconstruction part of making the life-size mold is a painstaking process and we will take our time to make sure that the face of the replica is designed as close to perfection as is possible. We have already developed a 3-D digital image of the Rosetta Stone through Direct Dimensions (see image to right). From this image we created the mold. The mold is now used to fabricate the full-size, 3-D replicas. See how it all works below:

LASER SCANNING (Non-Contact)

   Laser Scanning is the process of shining a structured laser line over the surface of an object in order to collect 3-dimensional data. The surface data is captured by a camera sensor mounted in the laser scanner which records accurate dense 3D points in space. Laser Scanners are non-contact devices used to gather 3D digital data from a variety of objects. A beam of light passes over the object while a camera mounted inside the scanner records the position of the laser. This 3D data is then transferred to the computer and the image is "drawn" in 3D on the screen. The Xystum XSM (pictured to the right) automatic 3-axis machine with a laser scanning probe option is what was used on the Rosetta Stone Replica project. Accuracy: 0.0005" -- Below are images of the Rosetta Stone replica being scanned. One of the leading companies in this technology in the world has completed this project...Direct Dimensions (see more photos below).


 


   Digital Modeling
is the process of creating a computer model of an object that exactly replicates the form of the object. Laser scanners are used to capture the 3D data of the object, and then this data is transferred to the computer where it is aligned and edited and finalized as a complete 3D model. Here's how it works:
 


scanning item


digital information transferred to computer


computer model


mold created and replica manufactured


exact replica


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3-D Digital Model of the Rosetta Stone
[provided by Direct Dimensions]
you will have to download software to view and manipulate the image
 

The progression of the digital reconstruction of the Rosetta Stone replica -- 3-D digital model
 


     
1. 3-D laser scanning.                      2 + 3. Raw data processing.                                 4 + 5. High resolution modeling.      

              
6 + 7. Approximation of the back.       8 + 9. Joining front (lasered face) and back (artistically rendered from photos).      
The completed 3-D digital model of the Rosetta Stone -- from which the aluminum mold is developed.

 

W E   A R E   G R A T E F U L   T O   A L L   W H O   H E L P E D  W I T H   T H I S   P R O J E C T

 


3-D digital model
by Direct Dimensions (Michael Raphael & Peter Kennedy).   
Stereo Lithography Technology
by 3D Systems (Chris Lewis).    
Fabrication of all final molds & hand-crafted replicas
by-- Mannetron (Tom Kipp).
Sculpting the Rosetta Stone look and feel on sides and rear by -- Charlie Wakefield
Developing digital face for "Baby Rosetta" model by -- Enterprise (Dan Bondhus) & Curt Fluent
Specific type of granodiorite identified by Dr. James Harrell, Prof. Emeritus of Geology, U. of Toledo
 

 


3-D Digital Model of the Rosetta Stone
[provided by Direct Dimensions]
you will have to download software to view and manipulate the image

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  I M P O R T A N T  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


The main purpose of Dr. Joel Freeman, The Freeman Institute Foundation and Rosetta Classic, LLC is to educate and inspire the masses (especially young people) about the impact the Rosetta Stone has had upon our understanding of Egypt (located in Africa) and the rest of the world.

It is amazing to how many have never even heard of the Rosetta Stone -- let alone being aware of the historical and archaeological significance of this artifact.

One of the objectives for the 3-D replica and 3-D holographic project is to provide a new and different way to reach/teach young people. Educators know that the engagement of any extra sense (visual, auditory, tactile,  olfactory, etc.) increases the immediate understanding and retention of a topic. We are hoping that these models will be viewed (and touched) by millions around the world -- making it a memorable experience for each person. 

As visitors to Rosetta Stone replica exhibits become more aware of the Rosetta stone, they just might go home and read about it on the Internet. We also want to create a desire within everyone who actually sees a replica and learns more about it, to travel to London to experience the genuine Rosetta Stone -- currently exhibited at the British Museum

You can hire Dr. Freeman (
bio) to come to your organization to make a highly visual & educational
presentation/exhibition about the historical & contemporary significance of the Rosetta Stone.
email info
 

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* * * * * * * *   Eight Unique Innovations of the Rosetta Stone   * * * * * * * *

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 (1). CLASSIC ROSETTA:  info/pricing -- Classic Rosetta
       full-size 3-D replica (about 11 inches thick -- approx. 45" high x 30" wide). The coloration
                                will be designed to mimic (as closely as possible) the genuine Rosetta Stone.

 (2). CLASSIC BRONZE ROSETTA:  info/pricing -- Classic Bronze Rosetta
       limited edition (only 750) full-size, 3-D cold bronze model (resin & bronze).

 (3). CLASSIC SILVER ROSETTA:  info/pricing -- Classic Silver Rosetta
       limited edition (only 750) full-size, 3-D cold silver model (resin & silver).

 (4). CLASSIC FINE ART BRONZE ROSETTA:  info/pricing -- Classic Fine Art Bronze Rosetta
       rare, limited edition (only 250) full-size, 3-D "lost-wax" bronze foundry process designed
                                              for highly valued fine art pieces that are immortalized in like manner.

      - CLASSIC / BRONZE / SILVER / FINE ART ROSETTA PEDESTAL BASES:  info/pricing -- Exhibition
             30" high x 28" wide base (with iron cradle option) to exhibit replica. (see 2 exhibition concepts below)

(5). CLASSIC, JR. ROSETTA:      info/pricing -- Classic, Jr Rosetta
      2/3 size, 3-D replica (about 7.5" thick -- approximately 30" high x 20" wide, 25 pounds).
       Nothing like it in the world! Remarkable likeness that fits in any home, office or

(6). HYBRID ROSETTA:      info/pricing -- Hybrid Rosetta
      unique, dual-purpose model: unscrew the 4 legs from the coffee table (40" long x 30" wide x 2.5" thick)
         and now you have a beautiful piece of archaeological art to hang on your wall.

(7). BRONZE PLAQUE ROSETTA:      info/pricing -- Bronze Plaque Rosetta
      limited edition (only 1,500) full-size flat cold bronze (or silver) model & "lost wax" bronze wall-art model.
                                            - (a bronze plaque-like model...approximately 40" tall x 30" wide x 1.5" thick).

(8). HOLOGRAPHIC ROSETTA     info -- Holographic Rosetta
         we are in the beginning stages of working on an absolutely stunning 3-D digital holographic image of
           the Rosetta Stone that is suspended in mid air. The initial descriptions indicate that there is nothing else
             like it -- to be made available for museum exhibits, special events, etc. An educational jaw-dropper...

_

 


Official Dimensions
of Genuine Rosetta Stone


Height
:  114.400 cm (max.)
Width:  72.300 cm
Thickness:  27.900 cm


Exhibition Pedestal Base Concepts

   We will recreate the cylinder of the original exhibition base you see in the image (London Illustrated, 1874) below, except there will be no square piece at the bottom of the pedestal base. These exhibition bases will be comprised of a sand-filled, granite-like resin cylinder (about 30" tall x 28" across) -- available only for the full life-size, Classic Rosetta models.

  We also have another exhibition concept (designed especially for mobility...greater ease in shipping  the replica & base to/from trade shows, for instance), attaching the Rosetta Stone replica to a black matte pipe screwed into the bottom at a very slight forward angle. The other end of the pipe will be screwed into a large granite-like resin base filled with sand -- or a flat piece of steel. We are currently working on the viability/stability of the base concepts and the pricing of the exhibition base ideas. We will also be developing exquisitely framed copies of the 1874 London Illustrated image -->


from The Freeman Institute History Collection

   It was originally thought by experts that the Rosetta Stone inscription was carved into basalt. But in recent years (after the cleaning in 2004) it has been determined that the genuine Rosetta Stone is actually granodiorite rock from an Aswan quarry (see samples below).


  
 Granodiorite / Main Rosetta Stone


    Coarse pinkish granite vein in upper
       left hand corner of Rosetta Stone
   GRANODIORITE: This is a strange, mixed rock. It has a high quartz content, like a granite, but also a high mafic (amphibole/biotite) content (10-25%) more like a diorite. Granodiorite is typically intermediate colored with a mixture of light colored microcline, sodium plagioclase and quartz, and dark colored amphibole and biotite. The granodiorite from Aswan, however, is unusual in that its mafic content is 25-35% and this gives the rock a dark gray to nearly black color that is broken only by the occasional, large pink microcline and white plagioclase crystals.

   We reached out to many geologists around the world trying to identify the specific variety of granodiorite used in the creation of the Rosetta Stone. Everyone we emailed stated that Dr. Harrell was the leading expert on the topic.

   For 20 years Dr. James "Jim" Harrell (Professor Emeritus of Geology, University of Toledo) has been conducting a survey of Egypt's ancient mines and quarries. To date 210 mines and quarries have been identified. Dr. Harrell, an expert in archaeological stone, has traveled extensively throughout the region (sometimes at great personal peril), discovering that about 75% of the quarries are in or adjacent to the Nile Valley, including the quarries for granite and granodiorite in the Aswan region.

   << The color chips to the left were selected by Dr. Harrell and shown here (with his permission) as the best samples from his collection, representing the truest examples of granodiorite from the Aswan region used to create the original Rosetta Stone. We have utilized his hi-rez images to create the filler used to color the replicas during the resin casting process.

   The Classic Rosetta, Classic Bronze, Classic Silver, Baby Rosetta and Hybrid Rosetta models are being fabricated by Mannetron, utilizing the Rotational Casting technology and will be hollow (about 1/2" thick, with an internal layer of high density foam), so that the shipping cost will be minimized. The foam will also strengthen the walls of each replica.

  The Classic Fine Art Bronze and Bronze Plaque models are being fabricated by a foundry. The Classic "Lost Wax" Bronze Rosetta model will be made of real bronze, using the "lost wax" process that is utilized for highly valued fine art pieces that are immortalized in like manner. These bronze models will be about 1/2" thick and will weigh 3-4 times more than the resin models. Consider developing a "Legacy" or "Lifetime Achievement" Award in your community. A Bronze Rosetta would be the ultimate award, prized by anyone who receives such an honor.

  Even though the main purpose for creating the Rosetta Stone Replicas has been to provide them as educational exhibits for the Black History galleries The Freeman Institute® Foundation is developing, there has been substantial interest from individuals and educational entities for purchasing certain models.

  These stunning, museum-quality replicas will be expensive. It has been a long process (4+ years)...bringing this project to the point where we are almost ready to start the fabrication of replicas fit for public exhibition. Ask about discounts, available only for educational institutions, libraries & museums.

  This is not a cheap "Made-In-China" assembly-line replica project. Nor is it a washed-out, flat resin copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of the face of the Stone, cast in someone's back yard.

  A close-up of the corner of the 3-D digital model

   Each Rosetta Stone replica (fabricated from a 1st-generation facsimile) is individually and lovingly hand crafted by artisans in an expert environment and will be as strong and as durable as a cultured marble-type counter top - 40% resin / 60% granodiorite filler.

  The shipping, handling (including the construction of secure wooden box for transport), and insurance costs will be borne by the buyer. The cost of S&H and insurance will be determined by the final destination to which the replica will be shipped and the least expensive (yet secure) method of shipping via a credible shipper (preferably by air).

  We absolutely guarantee that the replica will be delivered to the shipper in pristine condition. In the unlikely event of damage occurring during shipping...that will be taken up with the shipper's insurance company. The rule of thumb is that the quicker an object like this arrives, the less potential damage. Ground shipping will be the least-viable option.

   Feel free to email us with your thoughts and questions. We look forward to providing full-size, 3-D, museum-quality replicas of the Rosetta Stone very soon. Rosetta Classic, LLC is listed at the American Association of Museum's "Museum Marketplace." All purchases of the Rosetta Stone replicas through Rosetta Classic, LLC will benefit the goals and objectives of  The Freeman Institute Foundation (see more info below), which is directed by Dr. Joel Freeman. Excellence. Satisfaction guaranteed. Period.

  Feel free to take a look at the other Rosetta Stone-related items in The Freeman Institute® collection.

______________________________________________________________
Here is a 3-D Digital Model of the Rosetta Stone
[provided by Direct Dimensions]
you will have to download software to view and manipulate the image


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE  FREEMAN  INSTITUTE®  FOUNDATION ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Main Purpose For Developing the Rosetta Stone Replicas

 

   The Freeman Institute® owns a Black History collection of well over 2,500 vintage documents and artifacts, with the oldest piece dated 1553. The goal is to develop Black History galleries, connecting the African American experience with galleries in major U.S. cities and in selected cities internationally (parts of Canada, Europe, Africa and South America and every Caribbean country) -- designed to educate and inspire this generation. Each gallery will have a wall dedicated to some of the White abolitionists who sacrificed their time...and some their lives for the anti-slavery cause. This vision also includes the exhibition of replicas of the Rosetta Stone in every gallery in the world. Dr. Joel Freeman, The Freeman Institute® Foundation and Rosetta Classic, LLC are supervising the creation of a mold and the fabrication of replicas.

   Why? A life-size, 3D reproduction of the Rosetta Stone in each gallery provides a literal touchstone to ancient times -- reminding people that Egypt is in Africa...not the Middle East -- giving an opportunity to showcase the accomplishments of other ancient African Kingdoms that have passed down much of their history through oral tradition (Ghanian, Songehay, Great Zimbabwe, Malian, etc.). The exhibition of the replica also provides a context for African American history, reminding visitors that ancient African history did not start with slavery. Black History started with inventiveness, creativity, royalty, perseverance and so much more...providing a context for all of the documents and artifacts exhibiting the part African Americans played in the past four centuries of American history.


The Freeman Institute®
Foundation
Black History Gallery

(
2,000 sq ft gallery concept)


 


~ B L A C K   H I S T O R Y   G A L L E R I E S ~
Please contact us if you represent a corporation looking for sponsorship
opportunities (title or otherwise) of such an educational/inspirational project.
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82 Plates/Prints (from "Description de l'Egypte) from the Napoleonic Egyptian Campaign -- circa 1820

-- FOR MORE INFO: Dr. Freeman owns (and is willing to sell one at a time) 82 extremely rare original plates/prints ( from "Description de l'Égypte" from the Napoleonic Egyptian Campaign, circa 1820. These official plates/prints came from a huge lot sold in an auction in 2001, Paris -- the seller was the French Government -- from the cellars of the French Government Publications Office. Average plate/print size is 29 inches x 22 inches. Some of the plates in this collection are 56 inches long! --  (Description de l'Égypte was the result of the collaboration of prominent scholars, several famous European scientists, cartographers, topographers, and more than 160 artists and technicians. They accompanied Napoleon's army during Napoleon's expedition to Egypt in 1798. Their goal was to methodically collect information in areas as widely varied as architecture, geography, botany and the humanities. Description de l'Égypte was published in 23 volumes from 1809 to 1828 and includes over 900 plates.)   Regions depicted/represented by the official plates in Dr. Freeman's collection are: Thebes, Karnak, El Kab, Medynet-Abou, Hypogees, Elethyia, Heptanomide, Beny-Hasan, Tentyris, Memnonium, Byban El Molouk, Latopolis, Ile de Philae, Edfou, Louqsor and much, much more...


Description de l'Égypte: Official plates/prints previously owned by the French Government.

 

 

 

Rosetta Stone Replicas
Rosetta Stone
Box 305, Gambrills, Maryland 21054
TEL 410.991.9718     FAX 410.729.0353
EMAIL

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Some Related Pieces From
The Freeman Institute Collection
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"Capture of Rosetta"
 

A genuine issue of the January 7th, 1799 Connecticut Courant, detailing the "Landing of Buonaparte's (sic) army in Egypt" and its progress in Cairo. Fascinating content.

-- Authentic issue of the Salem Gazette (Dec. 7, 1798), containing a literal translation of General Napoleon Buonaparte's (sic) proclamation to the Arabs in Lower Egypt. Intriguing content.

<-- July 14, 1801 issue of the New England Palladium describing the capture of Rosetta, Egypt by British troops. The report comes from Major General J. H. Hutchinson. "It is with great pleasure that I am to inform you of the success of a corps of Turks and British under the command of Col. Spencer. They were ordered from hence about ten days ago, for the purpose of forcing the enemy from the town and castle of Rosetta, which commands the navigation of the Nile...

...We are now masters of the western branch of that river, and of course have opened a communication with the Delta, from which we shall derive the necessary supplies, as the French have scarcely any troops there, and none capable of making a serious resistance. The enemy had about 800 men at Rosetta when they were attacked. They made but a feeble effort to sustain themselves, and retired to the right bank of the Nile, leaving a few men and prisoners. They left a garrison at the fort, against which our batteries opened on the 16th infantry and it surrendered on the 19th infantry. The condition of the same as were granted to the castle of the Aboukir..."

-- In August 1799, just over a year after Napoleon launched his invasion of Egypt at Alexandria, a great discovery was made. Under the leadership of Lt. Pierre Bouchard, French soldiers were building up their defenses around the area of Fort St. Julian, near the northern city of Rosetta, when a soldier or engineer found in the ruins an ancient stone. With its cryptic inscriptions, it was immediately recognized as an object of great importance. It was sent to Cairo, where it was housed in the Institute d’Egypte. Members of Napoleon’s special civilian corps dispersed around the country were requested to go there at once. The rare map to the right is of the mouth of the Nile, picturing Fort Julian, now known as Fort Rashid -->

Map of Rosetta region at the
mouth of the Nile, with Fort Julian
on the West Bank of the river.

-- A three-volume 1803 English edition (quite rare) of "Travels in Upper and Lower Egypt During the Campaigns of General Bonaparte in That Country", written and illustrated by Vivant Denon, published by T.N. Longman & O. Rees (London). In the spring of 1797, with a direct assault against Britain out of the question, Napoleon Bonaparte suggested threatening Britain's rich commerce with India by invading Egypt. A unique feature of the expedition, which set sail on 19 May 1798, was the large number and high caliber of the attached civilians, among them Baron Dominique Vivant Denon (1747-1825). Denon was one of the founders of the Louvre Museum, and was responsible for saving many works of art and monuments of French culture from destruction during the French Revolution. Denon was entrusted by Napoleon to assemble a team of artists, archeologists, linguists and scholars to study the antiquities of Egypt for the first time since Antiquity. In addition to assisting in the formulation of practical measures for the rule of Egypt, the 167 savants accompanied the army to every corner of the country. Protected by the French troops, Denon was able to explore the country extensively. This book conatins many etchings of Egypt, including the famous etching of the Sphinx of Giza shown below.


Jean Champollion in Egypt

-- Lettre Ecrites D'Egypte et de Nubie en 1828 et 1829, by Champollionn le Jeune (Letters Written in Egypt and Nubia in 1828 and 1829 by Francois Champollion) with all illustrations intact. This very, very rare First Edition by the translator of Egyptian Hieroglyphics is seldom seen on the open market. Most copies are in large University or Public library rare book collections. This work is an important insight into the early work of one of the Fathers of Egyptology. These are his own reflections and opinions regarding the monuments of Egypt. It is important to remember that Champollion only ever made one trip to Egypt as he died soon after his return. A great loss to the science of Egyptology.
-- Jean-Francois Champollion, a 10 year old child saw some of the Egyptian artifacts and enquired about the strange pictures (Hieroglyphs) where he was told that no one yet understands what these pictures means. Since that time Champollion committed himself to decipher the Hieroglyphs. By the age of 16 he became a professor mastering 10 languages at the same time. Champollion then compares the two cartouches of PTOLEMY & CLEOPATRA found on the Rosetta stone which contains similar characters. He continued deciphering more cartouches and texts from the temple of El Karnak. It took Champollion 24 years until he published his work in a book " Precis du systeme Hieroglyphique ". Sadly Champollion died by a stroke on 1832 when he was 41 years old.

-- Two extremely rare First Edition French volumes, "Complete Summary of Archaeology" by Jean Champollion-Figeac (Published in Paris, 1825 and 1826, just a few years after he cracked the code to hieroglyphics in 1822). Divided into volumes. First: Monuments of architecture, Sculpture and Painting, including/understanding constructions of any kind, the statues, low-reliefs, figurines, tombs, furnace bridges, vases painted, mosaic, etc...with an introduction historical and finished by a vocabulary divides into volumes. Second: Containing the treaties on the engraved stones, the inscriptions, the medals, the utensils crowned and common, movable, weapons, etc, followed by the biographies of the most famous antique dealers, archéologieque bibliography and of a vocabulary.

-- Hardbound Volume IV of  American Quarterly Review (September and December, 1828). This 546 page book contains reviews of historical, scientific, and travel literature published by Carey, Lea & Carey, Chesnut Street, Philadelphia; 546 pages. Twenty-six of those pages are dedicated to reviewing Jean Champollion's May/June 1827 article published in the Bulletin Universal entitled, "Apercu des Resultats Historiques de la decouverte de l'alphabete Hieroglyphique Egyptienne" par M. Champollion le Jeune.

 -- Magnificent extremely rare plate/print (one of 511 plates), expertly backed with linen, of Thutmose III from the monumental 1843 work of Jean Champollion, the first to decipher Egyptian hieroglyphs (20" x 27").
-- Rare First Edition copy of "L'Univers Pittoresque. Egypte Ancienne" by M. Champollion-Figeac (Jean Champollion), Paris, Firmin Didot, 1839. It contains 92 illustrations and an antique folding map of Egypt. First few pages have some foxing, with the rest in excellent condition. 500 pp., & 92 plates,1/2 maroon morocco with 5 raised bands & leather label, marbled bds. & endpapers.-- Very scarce First Edition, Egyptian Antiquities in the British Museum, 1862. Details 250 exhibits. Published by Smith, 196 pages. Excellent condition. In fact, it appears to be unread. Over 6 pages, with three diagrams, dedicated to the Rosetta Stone.
-- Intriguing early 1900s glass slide of the Rosetta Stone by Moore, Bond &Co. (Chicago).

-- Two Copper engravings (22"x9" -- Battle Plan for Alexandria and Map of Nile) titled, "Plan of the Action of the 21st. of March Fought near ALEXANDRIA, by the French under General Menou, and the English under Sir Ralph Abercrombie" and also "A Map of the Western Branch of the Nile from the Latest Authorities". Issued in 1803 as part of Robert Thomas Wilson's "History of the British Expedition to Egypt To which is Subjoined a Sketch of the Present State of That Country and its Means of Defence".

-- This collection has 82 extremely rare original plates/prints ( from "Description de l'Égypte" from the Napoleonic Egyptian Campaign, circa 1820. These official plates/prints came from a huge lot sold in an auction in 2001, Paris -- the seller was the French Government -- from the cellars of the French Government Publications Office. Average plate/print size is 29 inches x 22 inches. Some of the plates in this collection are 56 inches long! --  (Description de l'Égypte was the result of the collaboration of prominent scholars, several famous European scientists, cartographers, topographers, and more than 160 artists and technicians. They accompanied Napoleon's army during Napoleon's expedition to Egypt in 1798. Their goal was to methodically collect information in areas as widely varied as architecture, geography, botany and the humanities. Description de l'Égypte was published in 23 volumes from 1809 to 1828 and includes over 900 plates.)   Regions depicted/represented by the official plates in this collection are: Thebes, Karnak, El Kab, Medynet-Abou, Hypogees, Elethyia, Heptanomide, Beny-Hasan, Tentyris, Memnonium, Byban El Molouk, Latopolis, Ile de Philae, Edfou, Louqsor and much, much more...


Description de l'Égypte: Official plates/prints previously owned by the French Government.

--  Very rare L'expédition d'Égypte, 1798-1801, par Clément de Lajonquière. Five large volumes in wraps, total of about 3400 pages! (1902, 2nd edition). Among the campaigns of the revolution, consigning Egypt is both one of the most popular and less well known. Thus began the monumental work of Clement Draveurs (Clément de La Jonquière). Published (about 100 years after the Napoleonic military campaign) from 1899 to 1907 under the auspices of the History Section of the État de l'Armée, Paris, he tells one of the most extraordinary adventures of the revolutionary period. Many testimonies, more or less reliable contemporaries; also numerous texts on the science of "oriental dream." The work of Georges Rigault on the last leg of the expedition to Egypt and those of Pierre de La Grèverie on Regiment Dromadaires round off the work of a master in the final volume.
Vol. I: 673 p., Vol. II: 632 p., Vol. III: 720 p., Vol. IV: 688 p., Vol. V: 692 p. A complete set. With numerous foldout maps. Vol. I: A rebinding copy. Rear cover missing, backstrip missing parts and frayed. Shaken. Internally excellent: text leaves clean and neat. Vol. II: Missing front wrap cover, else in excellent condition – tight and clean. Vol. III: a Very Good volume. Tight and clean with some wear to covers. Vol. IV: A rebinding volume – shaken, backstrip cracked. Covers off and frayed. Internally clean and neat. Vol. V: A Very Good volume. Tight and clean. Covers with some wear and leaves somewhat yellowed. A remarkable complete set.
BACKGROUND:
(translated from French) In 1797, after the victory early, and unexpected, Napoleon in Italy, England remains the main enemy. One can oppose it either by attempting an invasion, either by intervening on its links with India. The conquest by Bonaparte of Ionian Islands in August 1797 opened the way to the Orient and reanimate the idea of conquest of Egypt, which would allow the opening of the Isthmus of Suez, thus controlling of a more commercial path runs to the riches of India. As a first step, in January and February 1798, the policy of the Executive moves to the invasion. Bonaparte examines all possibilities of invasion from ports in the north, the troops are assembled, a fleet is formed, but the operation seems far too risky and it is abandoned. But we must fight against England, and incidentally get rid of a Bonaparte too. Talleyrand, confirmed his analysis by the intervention of Magallon, will therefore attempt Eastern map. The decision to intervene in Egypt was taken on March 5, 1798. On August 22, 1799, Bonaparte, after the unfortunate expedition to Syria, even Egypt, called for new targeted France.He left the expedition under the command of Kleber, which does little to maintain in Egypt. But Kleber is totally convinced of the importance of scientific work, which continues, despite the setbacks and delays of the policy. It creates Similarly, on November 19, 1799 a commission to study more particularly modern Egypt. On Nov. 22, 1799, he took the decision to consolidate all the work of scholars of the commission in a unique work, the Description of Egypt. Kleber enters into negotiations with the British and the Ottomans, to evacuate honorably and Egypt to participate in military actions in Europe. An agreement was concluded on January 23, 1800 for the return in France, but its implementation is not possible, given the internal divisions among English, the sultan of procrastination and the resumption of hostilities in Egypt. After the victory of Heliopolis Kléber on the Ottomans, March 20, 1800, there is no question of return, but the morale of the troops, such as scholars rose. Unfortunately, on June 14, 1800, when the victory of Marengo, Kléber was assassinated in Cairo. The General Menou, being the oldest in the highest rank succeeded him as head of the army. Any momentum had been able to restore Kléber members of the expedition despite the failure of the draft back, disappears with him. Until the final departure to France, scholars no longer leave little near the Cairo and Alexandria in order to be ready to leave at the first opportunity. However Menou continues the work of reorganization and modernization begun by Bonaparte and continued by Kleber. To him we owe the fact that the publication of the description will not be provided by private funds but rather by the state, so that is recognized and sanctioned the importance of the work done by scholars. After many tribulations, scholars, gathered in Alexandria, obtain permission to leave Egypt on May 13, 1801, but the English do not want to pass up, unless they abandon all material collected during the exploration and their notes and sketches. The negotiations, sometimes tragic, lasting several months and it was not until September that the first members of the committee may leave Egyptian soil, having left in the hands of English the heaviest items that they had found, including the famous Rosetta Stone.

-- Vintage framed image of Dr. Thomas Young.


 Dr. Thomas Young
 
(1773-1879)

Background: Dr. Thomas Young is the man who undertook the task had perhaps the keenest scientific imagination and the most versatile profundity of knowledge of his generation — one is tempted to say, of any generation. For he was none other than the extraordinary Dr. Thomas Young, the demonstrator of the vibratory nature of light. Young had his attention called to the Rosetta Stone by accident, and his usual rapacity for knowledge at once led him to speculate as to the possible aid this tri-lingual inscription might give in the solution of Egyptian problems. Resolving at once to attempt the solution himself, he set to work to learn Coptic, which was rightly  believed to represent the nearest existing approach to the ancient Egyptian language. His amazing facility in the acquisition of languages stood him in such good stead that within a year of his first efforts he had mastered Coptic and assured himself that the ancient Egyptian language was really similar to it, and had even made a tentative attempt at the translation of the Egyptian scroll. His results were only tentative, to be sure. Yet they constituted the very beginnings of our knowledge regarding the meaning of hieroglyphics. Just how far they carried has been a subject of ardent controversy ever since.  Not that there is any doubt about the specific facts; what is questioned is the exact importance of these facts. For it is undeniable that Young did not complete and perfect the discovery, and, as always in such matters, there is opportunity for difference of opinion as to the share of credit due to each of the workers who entered into the discovery.

-- A fine 1719 original, copperplate engraved views of the Pyramids and of the Sphinx, Giza, Egypt, with engraved cursive commentary as borders: Description des Piramides d'Egypte . . . Avec une Description tres Curieuse du Sphinx, from Chatelain, Henri Abraham, Atlas Historique..., Volume 6, Amsterdam: . First edition. Excellent condition, heavy paper, crisp dark impression; uncolored as always (any color seen in these images/maps is applied by modern hands.) Dimensions: 17 1/2" x 21 1/4" (overall)...

-- And much, much more....


 


Rosetta Stone in Situ
1895 image
from The Freeman Institute History Collection
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1798 view of Sphinx of Giza...drawn by Vivant Denon.
from The Freeman Institute History Collection
-- order postcard of Sphinx of Giza
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