The Albany Institute of History & Art has been the recipient of generous gifts of Egyptian antiquities for well over a century from residents who traveled to Egypt and purchased antiquities when it was still possible to do so. In 1909 Samuel W. Brown, who worked for the Albany-based Bacon, Stickney Coffee and Spice company, acquired two ancient Egyptian mummies from the Cairo Museum—the 3,000 year old mummy Ankhefenmut and a Ptolemaic Period mummy with coffin. Over one hundred years since their acquisition, the "Albany Mummies" continue to inspire generations of visitors and tell the story of Ancient Egypt through the lenses of history, technology, and scholarship. In addition, the exhibition features dozens of objects and artifacts organized into several sections: Egyptian History and Civilization, The Afterlife, Food and Drink, Gods and Goddesses, and Animals in Ancient Egypt.
The exhibition was organized by Egyptologist and guest curator Dr. Peter Lacovara.
