An extensive and impressive collection of approx. 95 albums of pressed flowers. Various publishers, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Egypt, Jordan, London, Washington, New York, and elsewhere, late 19th century to mid-20th century (most albums are from the first two decades of the 20th century). Hebrew, French, English, German, Russian, Arabic, Greek and Polish.
Albums of pressed flowers appeared in Palestine in the second half of the 19th century and gained a rapid and outstanding success. Increase in tourism to the Near East led to a high demand for souvenirs and decorative objects, and until the beginning of the twentieth century the albums became popular items, and were considered prestigious and authentic. Most albums featured varied handcrafts and traditional Palestinian arts, including carving and wood marquetry, decorative arrangements of pressed flowers, and later on, various printing techniques. With the rise in demand for souvenirs during the first decades of the 20th century, the number of manufacturers of such albums multiplied, and the artistic quality of the flower arrangements gradually decreased. This collection is comprised of a varied and unique assortment of this long-forgotten craft.
Most of the albums in this collection are bound in carved and inlaid olive wood bindings; in many albums color postcards are incorporated, as well as lithographic prints and verses of poems in stylized script. Most of them use the flowers and plants as raw material only: the plants were pressed, cut, clipped and mounted in various decorative patterns, having nothing to do with their original form, and without any attention to their botanical and scientific characteristics; nevertheless, they were presented as if they were picked in various important sites. By contrast, few albums present the plants in their natural form alongside their scientific names, some even include a short botanical description. Some of the albums are Christian-oriented, presenting decorations inspired by the New Testament and some were printed by Jews, marketed to Jewish tourists and decorated accordingly.
Among the items:
• "Pirchei Eretz HaKedosha" [Flowers of the Holy Land], early album by scholar, geographer and explorer, Abraham Moses Luncz. • "Souvenir to Our Benefactors", souvenir album given to the Franciscan Commissariat of the Holy Land, published by "Mount St. Sepulchre" in Washington. • Albums with color lithographs printed by "Monsohn", Jerusalem. • Album of photographs and pressed flowers published by Yaakov Ben Dov, with photographs taken by him. • Three albums printed in Jerusalem under Jordanian rule, stamped H.K Jorden (Hashemite Kingdom, Jordan). • Three albums published by the American Colony in Jerusalem.
• Albums printed on the occasion of Allenby's arrival to Jerusalem, some of them titled "Remembrance of the British Army Conqueror of the Holy Land 9th December 1917", some accompanied by photographs of the day the British Army entered Jerusalem.
• Numerous albums published by different publishing houses: Leib Kahana; H. N. Shechter; Ferdinand Vester; Daud A. Hallac Bros.; Ephtimios frères; Gabriel et Abrahim Dabdoub; M. Weisman; The commercial Press; N. De Simini; F. F. Marroum; Ibrahim Atallah; Atallah Georges Frères.; and more.
Size and condition vary. Overall fair-good condition. Stains, creases and minor tears. In some of the albums, blemishes to flower arrangements. Some detached or partly detached bindings; some missing binding. Some missing tissue-guards.
Literature:
1. Eliyahu Hacohen: "Ahavat Pirchei HaAretz BaMe'a Sheavrah". Teva Va-Aretz, volume 20, issue 2, 1978.
2. Ami Zehavi, "HaOsher HaYechidi shel HaAretz HaKedosha HaAniya". Et-Mol, Issue 227, 2013.