ON the 70th anniversary of T. E. Lawrence’s death, the Imperial War Museum in London is holding an exhibition of photographs that follows the life of the man and the legend. Walking into the exhibition one is greeted by a model of Lawrence in Arab dress. Above it on the wall is written: “All men dream: But not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: But the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible. This I did.” The quote puts the visitor in the mood for the rest of the exhibition.
It begins with Lawrence’s childhood and a picture of him and his brother, then his school uniform, a lock of his hair and a letter from his father. Lawrence went to school in Oxford where his family settled while he pursued different interests such as brass rubbing and archeology.
As he was fond of traveling, he went on bicycle tours in search of castles, first in England and then in France; later he went on a walking tour of Syria and Palestine. He read history at Jesus College, Oxford and his thesis — also on display — deals with the influence of the Crusades on European military architecture.
After graduation, he joined an archeological expedition to Carchemish in Syria, and beginning with those days, the exhibition features pictures Lawrence took of the sites as well as a photograph of his Arab friend, Dahoum, whom he later took to Oxford where they went cycling in Arab robes. Lawrence learned Arabic in order to be able to converse in Arab countries and an audio guide provides a BBC interview with his Arabic teacher, Fareedeh El Akl.
After the outbreak of the WWI in 1914, Lawrence was sent to Sinai then to Cairo as part of an intelligence department assembled to assist the conduct of the war against Turkey. After two years, he went to Arabia to join irregular forces for the next two years. His role in the Arab Revolt earned him the title by which he is remembered — Lawrence of Arabia — and there are many artifacts from the period displayed. A series of letters from the Hashemite Prince Feisal to Lawrence in addition to weapons and a Hijaz flag used at the time are also exhibited. There are also relics from the Hijaz railway and the peace map that encapsulated Lawrence’s vision for peace in the Middle East. Photographs of desert warriors mounted on camels and flags belonging to both the Arab and Turkish armies are also shown.
On one, there are several black and white pictures of old Jeddah: The narrow streets of Al-Balad, the wooden shutters and mashrabiyas, the people with fuzzy faces walking down the streets and the sea, the Red Sea, as quiet and calm as ever, with a row of modest houses lining on the shores. Next to these photos is a big beautiful wooden door with simple but intricate carvings; the door was one of the pieces Lawrence wisely bought in Jeddah and it still survives, far from its home, in a glass case. Rifles used at various stages by Lawrence are on display as well as his silk Arab robe, a gift from Prince Feisal. There are also head covers as well as an agal that he gave as a gift to his mother; his dagger and his diary are also there. The plate and silver spoon he used are there with a camel saddle and leather sandals that still have footmarks on them. There is also the original first edition of his book “The Seven Pillars of Wisdom,” a Times article “Reconstructing Arabia: By Lieutenant Colonel T.E. Lawrence, 4 November 1918.”
The exhibition does not end with Lawrence’s departure from Arabia; it continues with Lawrence back in England and his years in the Royal Air Force. One of the last items in the exhibition is the motorbike that Lawrence was riding when he had his fatal road accident.
As if the glamour of a real legend is not enough for visitors, the exhibition also provides some footage of the travelogue made by American publicist Lowell Thomas which transformed Lawrence into a world icon. There is also the original trailer from the film, “Lawrence of Arabia” with Peter O’Toole and Omar Sharif.
At the end of the exhibition, one sees a final inscription from Lawrence’s writings on the wall: “What can one do to be forgotten? After I am dead they’ll rattle my bones about in their curiosity.” And he was certainly right.
