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On 20 January, 1859, Jules Lermina sent Ferdinand de Lesseps the following poem in praise of the
enormous enterprise of digging the Suez isthmus.
In 1862, a certain Levasseur, small shareholder in the Compagnie maritime du canal de Suez,
went to Egypt to see how work was progressing.
In 1865, the Compagnie maritime du canal de Suez organised a trip to inspect the works in order to show the whole
world how well the work was going. |
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Carjat, Caricature of Ferdinand de Lesseps.
The caricature excellently illustrates de Lesseps's family motto which became that of the Compagnie de Suez:
« Aperire terram gentibus »
(Association du Souvenir de Ferdinand de Lesseps et du canal de
Suez) |
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Emile Erckmann (1822-1899) and Alexandre Chatrian (1826-1890),
authors of many successful novels, tell the story of the everyday life of workers digging the Suez
isthmus |
Satirical character study. Mr de Lesseps with his borer encounters a layer of old Turks stopping him from going on.
(Association du Souvenir de Ferdinand de Lesseps et du canal de
Suez) |
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Oriental painter and writer, Eugène Fromentin (1820-1876) was invited by the Khedive of Egypt, along with 60 other
privileged French people, to take part in the Suez canal inauguration
festivities in 1869.
In Round the world in 80 days, published in 1873, Jules Verne of course had his hero Phileas
Fogg travel down the Suez Canal. |
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Cham, News. Attempts to derail the Suez Canal building process.
(Association du Souvenir de Ferdinand de Lesseps et du canal de
Suez) |
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