Career
As antiquary, merchant, and official supplier of the army he was based in Alexandria, Egypt for the last four decades of his life. He made many journeys on the Nile to Upper Egypt where he acquired papyri and artefacts. An amateur, he had a good understanding of hieroglyphs as was acknowledged by Heinrich Karl Brugsch.
His collection included
The Great Harris Papyrus, also known as Papyrus Harris I, mostly lists of temple endowments by Ramses III, but also some historical writings, which Harris acquired in 1855
The Papyrus Harris II
The Papyrus Harris 500, a literary papyrus containing two tales and poetry
The Papyrus Harris 501 which contained a magical text.