Seder Haggadah le-Pesah im Ziyyurim Hadashim Maskimim le-Da't Hakhameinu (Services for the Two First Nights of the Feast of Passover with New Illustrations in Accordance with the instruction of the Talmud), Chicago: Hayyim Liberman, 1883

93 pp. (6 1/2 x 5 in.; 166 x 129 mm). Minor marginal tears and losses expertly repaired, stains appropriate to content, as expected.  Contemporary black textured cloth, edges gilt; endpapers renewed. Modern midnight-blue cloth chemise in a matching half morocco slipcase, gilt stamped.

A New American Haggadah Iconography

In the United States of America, the last quarter of the 19th century witnessed the birth of a new program of illustrations for the Passover Haggadah.  First published in 1878, the text of the haggadah was edited by Hayyim Liberman, based on David Levi’s translation. The illustrations however, reflect two new innovations. Many of the images show demonstrate a marked reliance on traditional Midrashic and Aggadic texts (e.g. Miriam’s elongated arm; separate channels for each Tribe of Israel within the divided Red Sea, etc.) The other, even more significant advance is the addition of a distinctive American flavor to some of the illustrations. In the image of the building of Pharaoh’s store cities, the construction style and techniques are strongly reminiscent of the massive architecture of contemporary Chicago. The epitome of the new American iconography however, is seen in the totally novel rendition of the Four Sons, here for the first time ever, seated together at table. In this image, the generation gap between Eastern European immigrants and their assimilated wicked son is readily and painfully apparent. Having adopted new-fangled American ways, the son smokes, dresses in black clothes with a modish cut and dances on his tilted chair, demonstrating his disdain for his faith and tradition.

LITERATURE:
Ya'ari 1278; Yudlov 1631; Yerushalmi 115; Goldman 138.