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Rare in commerce and institutions, a set of 85 issues of the legendary Egyptian magazine al-Hilal from the 1920s and 1930s, profusely illustrated with many crisp rotogravures and with fine cover art. Rich in Arabic literature and poetry composed at the time of printing, these issues also provide a detailed account of the rapid changes that Egypt and the broader Arab world were experiencing due to scientific discoveries, political developments, and the emancipation of women. Still published today, al-Hilal was founded in 1892 by the Lebanese thinker Jurji Zaydan (1861-1914), one of the most significant members of the Arab Nahda ("Awakening" or "Renaissance") of the late 19th century. Zaydan, who had studied medicine at university in Beirut, was also learned in linguistics and history, and he established al-Hilal as a cultural institution for discussing all forms of knowledge and their importance for Arab society. After Zaydan's death, his sons Emil and Shukry took over the editorship, and the period in al-Hilal's history which this collection covers is marked by their influence. The tenor of the journal shifted from reflecting Jurji Zaydan's singular vision to being far more collaborative, as his sons opened up participation, solicited articles from the public at large, and exploited the full potential of illustration and advertising to draw in subscribers. Major names in Egyptian intellectual life of the 1920s and 1930s contributed to these issues, including Taha Husayn (1889-1973), Khalil Mutran (1872-1949), Muhammad Husayn Haykal (1888-1956), Salama Musa (1887-1958), Mahmud Taymur (1894-1973), and Zaki Mubarak (1892-1952). The cover designs were often executed by significant contemporary artists, such as the Turkish painter D. Hidayet, whose signed scenes of Cairo landmarks grace some of the issues. It is the heterogeneity of its contents that makes this collection into an unparalleled window onto early twentieth-century Egypt. A typical issue (here, November 1928) begins with the section "Exhibition of the Month" (ma'rad al-shahr), a selection of rotogravures depicting recent events in Egypt and the world, such as the visit of the future Edward VIII to Cairo and the Channel crossing of the swimmer Ishaq Hilmi. This is followed by examples of reportage on topics like a voyage to Australia and Java and a comparison between programmes of modernization in Egypt and Turkey, interspersed with poetry, a photo essay, writings on society and psychology ("Can a Man Love Two Women at the Same Time?"), a piece on the house of the future, historical studies of Ancient Egypt, and stories by illustrious writers like Taha Husayn. Equally significant is the endmatter of these issues, which is often lost from other surviving copies of this fragile publication, frequently including bulletins on the latest developments in science and technology, short paragraphs on social issues (for example, comparing the authority of women in British and American households), a review of books recently published in Cairo, readers' questions ("Were dinosaurs land or sea creatures?") alongside the publishing house's answers, and, finally, a series of puzzles. Numerous issues include illustrated advertisements for products such as Quaker Oats, Sirop tonique Heck's, and Nabil al-Bustani Cigarettes, demonstrating how companies attempted to woo al-Hilal's middle-class readers. There are also endorsements for other publications produced by Dar al-Hilal. Continuing a tradition that Jurji Zaydan had started, several issues in this collection are devoted to special topics, including one on Art and Beauty (November 1935), which gathers articles on topics as diverse as "Beauty on the Silver Screen", "Beauty in Music", "The Beauty of Medicine", and "The Spiritual and Scientific Connections Between Art and Beauty". Another special issue (June 1938) is devoted to the great medieval poet Abu l-'Ala' al-Ma'arri (973-1057 CE), with contributions by Taha Husayn (who had writte. Codice articolo 169966
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