Palestine | A collection of 6 albums with photographs by the American Colony and others

Palestine

A collection of photographs, including an album by the American Colony, photographs by Zadok Bassan, and albums compiled by amateur photographers 

i. Photographies de Terre Sainte.F.F. Marroum, Jerusalem. Oblong 8vo album (135 x 202mm.), title-page lettered in gilt, 48 albumen print photographs (each 110 x 115mm., or the reverse), on card mounts, mounted recto and verso, each photograph with subject of the composition captioned in negative, many with "American colony | Jerusalem" in negative, olive wood boards with carved Jerusalem cross on upper board, backed in calf, silk endpapers, photographs with some fading and browning at extremities, lower board becoming detached;

ii. 6 gelatin silver print photographs by Zadok Bassan (between 136 x 87mm. and 226 x 276mm.), some captioned, some with annotations to versos, some photographs faded, wear to photos (some heavily creased), a few small closed tears;

ii. oblong 8vo album (130 x 215mm.), c.1930, 56 gelatin print photographs (each 67 x 92mm., or the reverse), mounted two to a page, on card mounts, many with manuscript captions on mounts, a few hand-tinted, black morocco, floral design in blind to covers, upper cover with inlaid metal design depicting Rachel's Tomb, some staining to mounts;

iii. oblong 8vo album (130 x 215mm.), c.1930, 72 gelatin print photographs (mostly 65 x 90mm., or the reverse), many mounted two to a page, on card mounts, many with manuscript captions on mounts, one of the photographs loose from mount with "photoprinting and copyright by Palphot—Hertsliya" stamped to verso, brown morocco, floral design in blind to covers, upper cover with inlaid metal design depicting David's Tower, some photographs slightly faded;

iv. oblong 4to album (181 x 247mm.), 103 gelatin print photographs (60 x 84mm. each), red card mounts, mounted between 2 and 4 photographs per page, blue cloth, wear to album;

v. oblong 4to album (205 x 242mm.), 135 mostly gelatin print photographs of Egypt and North Africa, dark brown half morocco, "photographs" lettered in gilt on upper cover;

vi. Album of 79 silver print photographs, each 92 x 67mm., or the reverse, many mounted 4 to a page, many captioned in negative at lower margins of photographs, ownership inscription from a member of the Tel Aviv Police Force dating from 1947-1948 to front pastedown, olive wood pictorial boards, a few photographs starting to come loose from mounts, binding slightly rubbed;

vii. Oblong 4to album (242 x 282mm.), c.1938-1940, 98 gelatin print photographs, many depicting views of Jerusalem, others depicting groups of soldiers, some photographs of R.M.S. Arundel Castle during wartime, black morocco, captioned "R.M.S. "Arundel Castle" | Snapshots" on upper cover, album slightly rubbed

A large collection of photographs of Jerusalem, including an album by the photographers of the American Colony, a "group of fundamentalist utopian Christian pilgrims from Chicago who moved to Jerusalem in 1881 [....] The American Colony's extensive documentary record in the first half of the 20th century of the people and cultures in Palestine and vicinity is important and unparalleled" (Jacobson). The collection also includes photographs by the Jerusalem-based photographer Zadok Bassan (1882-1956), and albums compiled by amateur photographers, depicting a range of street scenes, portraits, and views.

LITERATURE:

For the photography of the American Colony: Jacobson, Odalisques & Arabesques, 2007, pp. 204-205