Missing from the new Tutankhamun exhibition is a series of treasures related directly to the discovery of the tomb. They include exquisite water colours of Egyptian landscapes, pharaohs, birds and animals painted by Howard Carter, intricately drawn ground plans of the tombs in the Valley of the Kings and evocative photographs of life in the desert taken by Lord Carnarvon.

They may be less than 100 years old instead of more than 3,000 but deserve a public showing. Audrey Carter and Fiona, eighth Countess of Carnarvon, relatives of the two men, hope that the excitement generated by the 02 event may encourage a gallery or institute to gather the works together for a further show.

Carter says: “It would be an excellent idea to collect the paintings and drawings from the various museums, institutes and private houses where they are held and would add to the legacy of these two men. Howard is well known for the way he meticulously measured the floor of the Valley of the Kings in his search for Tutankhamun’s tomb and for the care he took in ensuring that all the arte-facts were removed with as little damage as possible. He was also an excellent artist who had been taught by his father.

“He was first employed by the British Museum to do tracings of wall paintings in the tombs at Beni Has-san and El-Bersheh but he was such a good artist that better results were obtained by him copying them. He went on to paint some beautiful pictures.”

One of them, a watercolour of Queen Hatshepsut’s Temple in the valley with cliffs behind, hangs in Highclere Castle. Lady Carnarvon says that she would be delighted for it to go to an exhibition, together with some of the earl’s 900 unpublished photographs that she has discovered.

Both women resent the lack of honours bestowed on their relatives. Lady Carnarvon believes the earl went unrecognised because he died so soon after the discovery of the tomb. Carter says: “Howard could be stubborn and it got him into trouble. But his tenacity led to the historic discovery of an almost intact tomb and it is sad that not a single British institute or organisation honoured him. It was a case of him not going to university or being in the establishment.”

Carter first visited the tomb in 1964 after admiring the treasures recovered from it in Cairo Museum. “I was amazed that the tomb was so small and at how the funeral director of the time had managed to cram as much as he did into such a tiny space.

“The kings of the time clearly wanted their names to be remembered for centuries and the discovery ensured that they are. I felt happy to be in the tomb and to stand on the spot where Howard had first looked at the coffin.” Audrey Carter returned last year with Lord and Lady Carnarvon. She adds: “It was the first time a Carter and a Carnarvon had stood together in the tomb since 1923.”

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