Engravings and old photographs of Cyprus are some of the oldest depictions of the country's monuments, cities, and inhabitants. They represent an invaluable source of information about the island, particularly when studied alongside corresponding historical documents.
Elektra Megaw's 51 watercolours are studies of the natural history and flora of Cyprus. These illustrations have largely adorned travelogue novels and reports on Cyprus and appeared in newspaper articles of the time. In 1987, Elektra Megaw generously donated 51 watercolours to the Cultural Foundation. These works, centred around the subject of the Cypriot wildflowers, are not only scientifically accurate, rendering the flowers in their actual size, but also artistic masterpieces in their own right. They were published in 1973, accompanied by texts from botanist Desmond Meikle, in a collector’s edition titled “The Wild Flowers of Cyprus”.
The Collection is further enriched by John Thomson’s groundbreaking two-volume work, “Through Cyprus with the Camera in the Autumn of 1878", published in London in 1879. This work contains the first-ever photographic recordings of Cypriot monuments and people, marking a significant milestone.