Portrait of R. Shmuel Eidels, the Maharsha, engraving by Sebastian Langer (1772-1841). [Out of the book Chiddushei Halachot by the Maharsha, Vienna: Georg Holzinger, 1814].
The engraving shows a Torah scholar sitting by his table, in front of an open Tractate Berachot, with a quill in his hand, starting to write his commentary. This portrait is attributed to the Maharsha. He is seen here with long locks of hair (reputedly, he grew his hair long in order to attach his locks to a nail in the ceiling, so that if his head nods in sleep while studying, the pulling of his hair will wake him).
Verses printed at the bottom of the engraving, one from Kohelet and two from the Book of Devarim. Signed in print: "Sebastian Langer fecit" (in Hebrew).
[1] leaf. 34X39 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains. Marginal damage and tears, professionally restored.

Collection of photographs - family members of the Aruch LaNer. [Germany, ca. second half of the 19th century].
Collection of some 75 photographs of family members of the Aruch LaNer, most of them carte de visite or cabinet card photographs bearing the photographers' details (photographed in Berlin, Breslau and other cities).
Most of the photographs presumably portray the descendants of R. Yisrael Meir Freimann Rabbi of Ostrowa, son-in-law of the Aruch LaNer. Organized in a fine contemporary album, which opens with a photograph of R. Yisrael Meir Freimann (mounted on card, with the gilt inscription: "Portrait of the great rabbi and Torah scholar, R. Yisrael Meir Freimann…").
Apart from the album, the collection includes an additional photograph of R. Yisrael Meir Freimann (framed); a photograph of another son-in-law of the Aruch LaNer - R. Mordechai (Markus) HaLevi Horovitz Rabbi of Frankfurt am Main, author of Mateh Levi, Avnei Zikaron and Rabbanei Frankfurt; a photograph of the cast of a Purim performance in costumes in Fulda; and more.
R. Yisrael Meir Freimann (1830-1884), son-in-law of the Aruch LaNer, rabbi of Filehne (Wieleń) and Ostrowa (Ostrów Wielkopolski, Posen Province), author of Anfei Yehuda on VeHizhir. He exchanged extensive correspondence with his father-in-law the Aruch LaNer on various topics, some of which was published in Responsa Binyan Tzion, mostly in part III of the new edition of Likutei Teshuvot - Binyan Tzion (Dvar Yerushalayim publication, Jerusalem 2002).
Approx. 75 photographs, most arranged in an album. Size and condition vary. Overall fair-good condition. Some photographs lacking in album. Damage to binding of album.

Four photographs documenting the attempt of Agudath Israel to settle in Emek Jezreel, portraying the Machaneh Yisrael colony and its settlers. [Emek Jezreel, 1925-1926].
These photographs relate the forgotten story of the first pioneering attempt of Orthodox Jews to establish an agricultural settlement in Emek Jezreel.
One of the photographs depicts the entrance gate of the colony, bearing the sign: "Machaneh Yisrel - Colony of the Agudath Yisrael Organisation". The second photograph portrays a guard of the colony, riding a horse. In the third photograph, the houses of the colony are seen in the distance, one of the settlers is tilling his field, and Mount Tabor is seen in the background. The fourth photograph depicts members of the colony studying in the shack that served as synagogue.
In the first Agudath Israel Knessia Gedola in Vienna, 1923, decisions were reached regarding the encouragement of settlement in Eretz Israel. Approximately a year later, Agudath Israel purchased some 4000 dunam of land in Emek Jezreel, north of Afula, near the Arab village Iksal. The land was divided into small portions and sold to Orthodox buyers, primarily from Poland. In July 1925, the first group of settlers immigrated and began the settlement named Machaneh Yisrael. Within a few month, thorough infrastructural work was done, a carpentry was set up, residential huts were built, wells were dug, a road was paved and work began to prepare the land for agriculture. Later that year, the Agudath Israel center in Frankfurt published a printed album with photographs of the new colony, in order to encourage potential buyers. At the end of the year, the colony was home to some 90 settlers, mostly Chassidic young men from Poland, yet various problems relating to lack of training and resources led to the official closure of the place in October 1926. Following a second unsuccessful attempt, the land was leased to Arabs, and eventually the place was abandoned in 1932. Subsequent years saw further attempts by Agudath Israel to resettle the place, the last one being in 1938, by the Chafetz Chaim group from Gedera and the Agudah Youth Kibbutz in Kfar Saba. It was Shemittah year, and due to internal disputes and various difficulties, the place was finally abandoned. The huts, barn and stable were dismantled, and only one stone structure remained standing. (See enclosed material: Yosef Kopolowitz - "Agudath Israel Olah BeChomah - HaYishuv Machaneh Yisrael BeEmek Yizre'el", Et-Mol, issue 227, Adar-February 2013, pp. 21-24). These photographs are from the first settlement attempt in 1925-1926.
4 photographs. Approx. 11X16 cm. Good condition. Official Hebrew stamp on verso: "Machaneh Yisrael near Afula - colony of the Agudath Israel organization".

Melechet HaDikduk, Institutiones grammaticae in Hebraeam linguam, by Sebastian Münster; with the Book of Yonah in four languages. [Basel]: Froben, 1524. Latin, Hebrew and other languages.
Melechet HaDikduk, by Sebastian Münster. The book includes a section on the cantillation notes, with three pages of musical notation (woodcuts). At the end of the volume: "Yonah HaNavi in Four Languages" - the original Hebrew text of the Book of Yonah, alongside Targum Yonatan (in Aramaic), the Latin translation and Greek translation.
Fine historiated woodcut initials.
For a detailed description of the various parts of the book, see: J. Prijs, Die Basler Hebraeischen Drucke, no 15 (a,b) pp. 27-31.
[144] leaves. 16 cm. Good condition. Stains. Minor wear. Marginal tears to a few leaves, some open, not affecting text. Title page detached. Faded stamp on title page. Latin glosses on some leaves, with some Hebrew words. Latin inscriptions on front endpapers and at foot of title page. Fine original leather binding; inscription on front cover: "Gramatica Hebraica Anno MDXXVI [1526]". Damage and wear to binding. Old bookplate inside front cover.