The painting by William Ashton given to wife of contributor Rev. Patrick Ashe, Marion, as a wedding present in June 1940. ‘It is a sketch of the entrance to the Harbor of Port-Said (Egypt). As you can see he called it “Gateway to the East” and I have always loved it as I was born there in 1920! I think he probably did it in the 1930s. On the extreme right you can see the Statue of De Lesseps (a Frenchman who built the Suez Canal). Later about 1956 the statue was removed. Beyond the ships on the left you can see The Suez Canal Company Building at the entrance of the Suez Canal. William and Frances Ashton were residents of Port-Said for many years when I was a child and they were still there when I got married in Cairo in 1940. I am sure he was a traveller in Egypt and I think he must have been based in Port-Said for a good many years.’

Click here to view an archive views of this port.