Auction 53 - Rare and Important Items
Displaying 121 - 132 of 165
Auction 53 - Rare and Important Items
November 15, 2016
Opening: $2,000
Sold for: $13,750
Including buyer's premium
Large collection of 39 missives, letters and emissary's letters, from the Sassoon family archives. With signatures of Eretz Israeli rabbis from the 19th and 20th centuries.
The collection is composed of letters of good wishes and thanks, requests for assistance, letters for emissaries travelling to Bombay, etc. Some leaves are designed and adorned with charming titles and colorful ink. Curly signatures of rabbis from Jerusalem, Hebron, Safed and Tiberias.
Among the items:
· Letter to R. Solomon David Sassoon from the heads of the Hebron community. · Letter to R. Solomon David Sassoon from the heads of the Chabad settlement in Hebron. · Two letters from Tiberias rabbis regarding the emissary Rabbi David Asudri. · Ten letters of consolation from Eretz Israeli rabbis sent in Nissan 1894 to Ms. Farha (Flora) Sassoon upon the death of her husband, R. Solomon David Sassoon. · Three missives from Tiberias rabbis regarding the mission of R. Eliezer Mantzur Sighon in 1897. · Letter from Baghdad rabbis, to Ms. Farha (Flora) Sassoon. 1899. · Letter for the Jerusalem emissary R. Shmuel Meyuchas, to Ms. Farha Sassoon, by Sephardi Jerusalem rabbis. 1900. · Letter to R. Joseph Elias David Ezra, by the Rishon L'Zion R. Ya'akov Shaul Elyashar. · Letter to R. Joseph Elias David Ezra. From the rabbis of the Talmud Torah of the Sephardi community in Jerusalem.· Many more letters.
For further details please see Hebrew description.
A detailed list is available upon request.
Most of the letters in this collection were printed in the book Perakim B'Toldot Yahadut Bavel, by Avraham ben Ya'akov, Jerusalem 1989. A minority were printed in Nachlat Avot - collection of archives of the Sassoon family, Jerusalem 2007, and three have not yet been printed.
39 letters. Size and condition vary (most in good condition).
Provenance: Sassoon family collection.
The collection is composed of letters of good wishes and thanks, requests for assistance, letters for emissaries travelling to Bombay, etc. Some leaves are designed and adorned with charming titles and colorful ink. Curly signatures of rabbis from Jerusalem, Hebron, Safed and Tiberias.
Among the items:
· Letter to R. Solomon David Sassoon from the heads of the Hebron community. · Letter to R. Solomon David Sassoon from the heads of the Chabad settlement in Hebron. · Two letters from Tiberias rabbis regarding the emissary Rabbi David Asudri. · Ten letters of consolation from Eretz Israeli rabbis sent in Nissan 1894 to Ms. Farha (Flora) Sassoon upon the death of her husband, R. Solomon David Sassoon. · Three missives from Tiberias rabbis regarding the mission of R. Eliezer Mantzur Sighon in 1897. · Letter from Baghdad rabbis, to Ms. Farha (Flora) Sassoon. 1899. · Letter for the Jerusalem emissary R. Shmuel Meyuchas, to Ms. Farha Sassoon, by Sephardi Jerusalem rabbis. 1900. · Letter to R. Joseph Elias David Ezra, by the Rishon L'Zion R. Ya'akov Shaul Elyashar. · Letter to R. Joseph Elias David Ezra. From the rabbis of the Talmud Torah of the Sephardi community in Jerusalem.· Many more letters.
For further details please see Hebrew description.
A detailed list is available upon request.
Most of the letters in this collection were printed in the book Perakim B'Toldot Yahadut Bavel, by Avraham ben Ya'akov, Jerusalem 1989. A minority were printed in Nachlat Avot - collection of archives of the Sassoon family, Jerusalem 2007, and three have not yet been printed.
39 letters. Size and condition vary (most in good condition).
Provenance: Sassoon family collection.
Category
Rare and Important Items
Catalogue
Auction 53 - Rare and Important Items
November 15, 2016
Opening: $5,000
Sold for: $18,750
Including buyer's premium
Huge collection composed of more than 250 printed booklets, pamphlets, prayer leaves and songbooks for various occasions related to the London Jewish community. Prayers for of events which took place in the English royal family, events in the synagogues and Jewish institutes in England, and more. London, 1846-1979. Hebrew and English.
The collection is divided into four parts:
1. Prayers written for various people or occasions: "Form of Prayer and Thanksgiving for the Cessation of the Cholera", "A Prayer & Thanksgiving for Relief from the Plague Amongst Cattle, and for Protection against the Cholera", "Order of Service in Memory Of the Late... Dr. Hermann Adler", "Order of Service in Memory of… Rt. Hon. Lord Rothschild", "Praise and Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the Approval by the League of Nations to the British Mandate for Palestine as a national home for the Jewish people.", "Service Of Praise And Thanksgiving …To Commemorate the 500th Anniversary, of the Birth of Don Isaac Abarbanel", and more.
2. Prayers for the royal family: Prayer for "The Princess Of Wales' Safe Delivery Of A Prince", "Prayer and Thanksgiving … at the Jubilee of Her Gracious Majesty, Queen Victoria", "A Special Service on … the Coronation of Their Majesties King George & Queen Mary", "Order of Service … for the Safe Return From India of … King George and Queen Mary", prayer "for the Recovery of His Majesty the King", and more.
3. Prayers for political occasions and for the armed forces: "A Prayer for Her Majesty's Forces In The Soudan", "Praise and Thanksgiving for the Taking of Jerusalem", "Thanksgiving for… Victories Obtained by the British Troops in India", "A Form of Thanksgiving & Prayer for the Signing of the Treaty of Peace", "Prayer and entreaties for the salvation of our armed forces", "Praise and Thanksgiving… for the Restoration of Peace", and more.
4. Prayers for openings of the synagogues and synagogue events: "Order of Service at the Consecration of the New West End Synagogue", "Order of Service at The Laying the Foundation Stone of the Hampstead Synagogue", "Order of Service … at the Installation of the Very Rev. Dr. Joseph Herman Hertz", and more.
Approximately 260 booklets, pamphlets and single leaves. Size and condition vary.
A collection of such a large scope is scarce. It contains an impressive documentation of the history and life of the London Jewish community for over 130 years. Some booklets are not in the National Library of Israel and are not recorded in the Bibliography of the Hebrew Book.
· A number of single booklets from other places are enclosed with the collection: 5 booklets from Jerusalem, Bombay, Amsterdam and South Africa and four booklets from Australia.
Provenance: Sassoon family colection.
The collection is divided into four parts:
1. Prayers written for various people or occasions: "Form of Prayer and Thanksgiving for the Cessation of the Cholera", "A Prayer & Thanksgiving for Relief from the Plague Amongst Cattle, and for Protection against the Cholera", "Order of Service in Memory Of the Late... Dr. Hermann Adler", "Order of Service in Memory of… Rt. Hon. Lord Rothschild", "Praise and Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the Approval by the League of Nations to the British Mandate for Palestine as a national home for the Jewish people.", "Service Of Praise And Thanksgiving …To Commemorate the 500th Anniversary, of the Birth of Don Isaac Abarbanel", and more.
2. Prayers for the royal family: Prayer for "The Princess Of Wales' Safe Delivery Of A Prince", "Prayer and Thanksgiving … at the Jubilee of Her Gracious Majesty, Queen Victoria", "A Special Service on … the Coronation of Their Majesties King George & Queen Mary", "Order of Service … for the Safe Return From India of … King George and Queen Mary", prayer "for the Recovery of His Majesty the King", and more.
3. Prayers for political occasions and for the armed forces: "A Prayer for Her Majesty's Forces In The Soudan", "Praise and Thanksgiving for the Taking of Jerusalem", "Thanksgiving for… Victories Obtained by the British Troops in India", "A Form of Thanksgiving & Prayer for the Signing of the Treaty of Peace", "Prayer and entreaties for the salvation of our armed forces", "Praise and Thanksgiving… for the Restoration of Peace", and more.
4. Prayers for openings of the synagogues and synagogue events: "Order of Service at the Consecration of the New West End Synagogue", "Order of Service at The Laying the Foundation Stone of the Hampstead Synagogue", "Order of Service … at the Installation of the Very Rev. Dr. Joseph Herman Hertz", and more.
Approximately 260 booklets, pamphlets and single leaves. Size and condition vary.
A collection of such a large scope is scarce. It contains an impressive documentation of the history and life of the London Jewish community for over 130 years. Some booklets are not in the National Library of Israel and are not recorded in the Bibliography of the Hebrew Book.
· A number of single booklets from other places are enclosed with the collection: 5 booklets from Jerusalem, Bombay, Amsterdam and South Africa and four booklets from Australia.
Provenance: Sassoon family colection.
Category
Rare and Important Items
Catalogue
Auction 53 - Rare and Important Items
November 15, 2016
Opening: $2,500
Unsold
Seven large photographs of members of the Sassoon family, known as "Rothschilds of the East". The Sassoon family, of Baghdadi descent, held a dominant position in trade between the British Empire and India and the Far East. The family settled in India, and later in England and in Eretz Israel, and gained international renown, in part due to the great wealth they accumulated, used for vast philanthropic activity; and thanks to family member such as the collector David Solomon Sassoon and his mother the scholar Farha (Flora) Sassoon.
Among the photographs are portraits of some of the most famous Sassoon family members. Some of the photographs are in large format and of exceptional quality, and part are framed in exquisite frames.
1. Photographs of Aziza Sassoon (1839-1897) - daughter of Sir Abdullah-Meir (Albert), son of David Sassoon; wife of Yehezkel (Ezekiel), son Yehushua Gubbay; mother of Farha (Flora) Sassoon. Approximately 28X23 cm. Framed in an elaborate gilded frame and an additional frame.
2. Photograph of Solomon David Sassoon (1841-1894) with his wife Farha (Flora) and their daughter, Lady Rachel (Ezra). Stamped: P. Vuccino - photo-studio in Bombay. Approx. 28X23 cm. Framed in an elaborate gilded frame and an additional frame.
3. Large photograph of Farha (Flora) Sassoon née Gubbay, wife of Solomon David Sassoon. Born in Bombay in 1856 and passed away in London in 1936. Signed in monogram and dated, May 1900. 54.5X61 cm. No frame. Defects and tears at margins.
4. Photograph of Lady Rachel Ezra (from childhood), daughter of Solomon David Sassoon, wife of Sir David Ezra (born in Bombay in 1877 and passed away in England in 1952). Signed: P. Vuccino & Co. - photo-studio in Bombay. Approx. 28X23 cm. Eleborate gilded frame and an additional frame.
5. Photograph of Lady Rachel Ezra (see above, no. 4). Stamp of a photographer from Culcutta. Approx. 23X15 cm. Framed.
6. Photograph of Baronet Philip Sassoon (1888-1939) as a child with his mother, Aline Caroline de Rothschild (1865-1909) wife of Baronet Edward Sassoon [son of Abdullah (Albert) David Sassoon]. Approx. 47X35 cm. Framed.
7. Photograph of Mazal Tov - daughter of Farha (Flora) Sassoon, wife of Solomon David Sassoon, sister of David Solomon Sassoon (Born in Bombay in 1884, died in London, at a young age, in 1921). Mounted on cardboard of "Photo Studio Lala Deen Dayal & Sons" in Bombay. 28.5X23.5 cm. Framed.
Provenance: Sassoon family collection.
Among the photographs are portraits of some of the most famous Sassoon family members. Some of the photographs are in large format and of exceptional quality, and part are framed in exquisite frames.
1. Photographs of Aziza Sassoon (1839-1897) - daughter of Sir Abdullah-Meir (Albert), son of David Sassoon; wife of Yehezkel (Ezekiel), son Yehushua Gubbay; mother of Farha (Flora) Sassoon. Approximately 28X23 cm. Framed in an elaborate gilded frame and an additional frame.
2. Photograph of Solomon David Sassoon (1841-1894) with his wife Farha (Flora) and their daughter, Lady Rachel (Ezra). Stamped: P. Vuccino - photo-studio in Bombay. Approx. 28X23 cm. Framed in an elaborate gilded frame and an additional frame.
3. Large photograph of Farha (Flora) Sassoon née Gubbay, wife of Solomon David Sassoon. Born in Bombay in 1856 and passed away in London in 1936. Signed in monogram and dated, May 1900. 54.5X61 cm. No frame. Defects and tears at margins.
4. Photograph of Lady Rachel Ezra (from childhood), daughter of Solomon David Sassoon, wife of Sir David Ezra (born in Bombay in 1877 and passed away in England in 1952). Signed: P. Vuccino & Co. - photo-studio in Bombay. Approx. 28X23 cm. Eleborate gilded frame and an additional frame.
5. Photograph of Lady Rachel Ezra (see above, no. 4). Stamp of a photographer from Culcutta. Approx. 23X15 cm. Framed.
6. Photograph of Baronet Philip Sassoon (1888-1939) as a child with his mother, Aline Caroline de Rothschild (1865-1909) wife of Baronet Edward Sassoon [son of Abdullah (Albert) David Sassoon]. Approx. 47X35 cm. Framed.
7. Photograph of Mazal Tov - daughter of Farha (Flora) Sassoon, wife of Solomon David Sassoon, sister of David Solomon Sassoon (Born in Bombay in 1884, died in London, at a young age, in 1921). Mounted on cardboard of "Photo Studio Lala Deen Dayal & Sons" in Bombay. 28.5X23.5 cm. Framed.
Provenance: Sassoon family collection.
Category
Rare and Important Items
Catalogue
Auction 53 - Rare and Important Items
November 15, 2016
Opening: $3,000
Sold for: $20,000
Including buyer's premium
Collection comprising approximately 320 "Shanah Tovah" greeting cards. Various publishers, locations and printing dates, [late 19th century through 1950s].
A comprehensive collection of "Shanah Tovah" cards and postcards in different formats. Many postcards were sent to the Sassoon family members, and bear greetings written by hand.
Among the cards: several rare postcards printed in Jerusalem in the late 19th century and early 20th century, postcards combined with scraps and pop-up cards, three greeting cards printed on a transparency, and more. Some of the postcards appear in several copies.
Size and condition vary.
Provenance: Sassoon family collection.
A comprehensive collection of "Shanah Tovah" cards and postcards in different formats. Many postcards were sent to the Sassoon family members, and bear greetings written by hand.
Among the cards: several rare postcards printed in Jerusalem in the late 19th century and early 20th century, postcards combined with scraps and pop-up cards, three greeting cards printed on a transparency, and more. Some of the postcards appear in several copies.
Size and condition vary.
Provenance: Sassoon family collection.
Category
Rare and Important Items
Catalogue
Auction 53 - Rare and Important Items
November 15, 2016
Opening: $3,000
Sold for: $8,125
Including buyer's premium
Extensive collection of photographs and documents which record the life of the Jewish congregation in China; most of them are from Tianjin and Harbin, from the 1920s-30s. Russian; some German, English, Chinese and Hebrew.
Interesting collection which includes group photographs, some in large format, of members of various Jewish organizations and institutes (Culture club "Kunst", synagogue in Tianjin, "Maccabi" movement and more) as well as personal documents of Jews, residents of China.
1. Photographs and documents from Tianjin:
· 23 photographs, among them: two group photographs - Purim festivities in the city, 1920-1922; Group photograph of young boys, pupils in a Tianjin school, after a sports competition; Group photographs of teachers and pupils in the Jewish school in Tianjin, 1931-1939 (one photograph was taken on the stage of the Jewish club "Kunst", during a play for Purim); photographs of "Kunst" club members (group photograph from 1935, portrait photograph of one of the board's members, group photograph of the club board members from 1937 - a photo montage incorporating portraits and illustrations); a group photograph from the day of the Tianjin Synagogue inauguration, 1938 (two copies); a group photograph depicting the opening of a Jewish hospital in the city; photographs of "Financial & Building Committees of T.H.A. Synagogue" [1940], (two copies), and more.
· Printed leaf with drawing of the synagogue in Tianjin - signed: J.J. Levitin Architect".
· Seal of the Tianjin Jewish congregation - Star of David surrounded by the inscription "The Tientsin Hebrew Association".
· Two printed Ketubot (published by "H. Jacobson M. Goldberg Warsaw") with details filled out by hand, for wedding ceremonies held in Tianjin in 1929-1930.
2. Photographs and Documents from Harbin:
· Certificates and personal documents of Wolf Dubinsky from Harbin. Printed documents (with additions and signatures by hand) on behalf of the German "Red Cross" in Siberia, written in German. 1920-1921; and other documents.
· Collection of photographs and personal documents of Leopold Brunschtein, commander of the cavalry in the Russian Army, a groom, director and guide in the Harbin riding club, considered the most senior expert in the field of riding and taking care of horses in Harbin and in the Far East in general. Among the items: photographs on horseback, certificate of authorization from the years 1945-1950 which served him, most possibly, in his attempts to find work after his immigration to Israel; several documents in Chinese.
· Large portrait-photograph of Rabbi Aharon Moshe Kisilov (1866-1949), a Lyubavitsh Hassid and disciple of the "Gadol of Minsk" and Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik; chief rabbi of Harbin and Jewish congregations in the Far East.
· Large group photograph portraying, among others, Rabbi Kisilov.
· Four certificates granted to a competitor in various sports competitions in Harbin, 1924-1927. Three of them are from "Maccabi" movement. Fine printed certificates, in large format, with details filled out in handwriting (Russian).
· Fifty embroidered cloth-badges of "Maccabi".
3. Additional Documents and Photographs from China:
· Photographs from Shanghai (group photographs of the Jewish Hospital in the city. Doctors and nurses in the hospital, "Bnei Brit" organization, and more). · Certificate of Residence on behalf of Tianjin municipality. · Two large group photographs - students and committee members of Skidelsky "Talmud Torah". · Notebook for registering marriage of Jewish couples in Tianjin, with handwritten inscriptions (Russian) from the years 1922-1938, and a notebook for registration of people who converted, with records from the years 1935-1951.· and more.
Lot of approx. 200 items, including about 85 photographs. Size and condition vary. Condition fair to good. Tears to some of the items (some tears are rough), dampstains and other damages.
Interesting collection which includes group photographs, some in large format, of members of various Jewish organizations and institutes (Culture club "Kunst", synagogue in Tianjin, "Maccabi" movement and more) as well as personal documents of Jews, residents of China.
1. Photographs and documents from Tianjin:
· 23 photographs, among them: two group photographs - Purim festivities in the city, 1920-1922; Group photograph of young boys, pupils in a Tianjin school, after a sports competition; Group photographs of teachers and pupils in the Jewish school in Tianjin, 1931-1939 (one photograph was taken on the stage of the Jewish club "Kunst", during a play for Purim); photographs of "Kunst" club members (group photograph from 1935, portrait photograph of one of the board's members, group photograph of the club board members from 1937 - a photo montage incorporating portraits and illustrations); a group photograph from the day of the Tianjin Synagogue inauguration, 1938 (two copies); a group photograph depicting the opening of a Jewish hospital in the city; photographs of "Financial & Building Committees of T.H.A. Synagogue" [1940], (two copies), and more.
· Printed leaf with drawing of the synagogue in Tianjin - signed: J.J. Levitin Architect".
· Seal of the Tianjin Jewish congregation - Star of David surrounded by the inscription "The Tientsin Hebrew Association".
· Two printed Ketubot (published by "H. Jacobson M. Goldberg Warsaw") with details filled out by hand, for wedding ceremonies held in Tianjin in 1929-1930.
2. Photographs and Documents from Harbin:
· Certificates and personal documents of Wolf Dubinsky from Harbin. Printed documents (with additions and signatures by hand) on behalf of the German "Red Cross" in Siberia, written in German. 1920-1921; and other documents.
· Collection of photographs and personal documents of Leopold Brunschtein, commander of the cavalry in the Russian Army, a groom, director and guide in the Harbin riding club, considered the most senior expert in the field of riding and taking care of horses in Harbin and in the Far East in general. Among the items: photographs on horseback, certificate of authorization from the years 1945-1950 which served him, most possibly, in his attempts to find work after his immigration to Israel; several documents in Chinese.
· Large portrait-photograph of Rabbi Aharon Moshe Kisilov (1866-1949), a Lyubavitsh Hassid and disciple of the "Gadol of Minsk" and Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik; chief rabbi of Harbin and Jewish congregations in the Far East.
· Large group photograph portraying, among others, Rabbi Kisilov.
· Four certificates granted to a competitor in various sports competitions in Harbin, 1924-1927. Three of them are from "Maccabi" movement. Fine printed certificates, in large format, with details filled out in handwriting (Russian).
· Fifty embroidered cloth-badges of "Maccabi".
3. Additional Documents and Photographs from China:
· Photographs from Shanghai (group photographs of the Jewish Hospital in the city. Doctors and nurses in the hospital, "Bnei Brit" organization, and more). · Certificate of Residence on behalf of Tianjin municipality. · Two large group photographs - students and committee members of Skidelsky "Talmud Torah". · Notebook for registering marriage of Jewish couples in Tianjin, with handwritten inscriptions (Russian) from the years 1922-1938, and a notebook for registration of people who converted, with records from the years 1935-1951.· and more.
Lot of approx. 200 items, including about 85 photographs. Size and condition vary. Condition fair to good. Tears to some of the items (some tears are rough), dampstains and other damages.
Category
Rare and Important Items
Catalogue
Auction 53 - Rare and Important Items
November 15, 2016
Opening: $4,000
Sold for: $5,000
Including buyer's premium
A letter addressed to Napoleon Bonaparte (Napoleon I) with his signature. [Jaffa or Egypt, late 18th century (probably, August 1799)]. Arabic and French.
Addressed to: "Au Général en Chef Bonaparte", from Jacob Petro. Signed by Napoleon: "Bonaparte".
On the right side of the leaf appears the text in Arabic, and on the left side - in French.
In the letter, Jacob Petro presents his personal story: he was born in Jerusalem, was robbed in Jaffa and was totally impoverished. He claims that he was abused by the French authorities in Jaffa who refused to pay him for a large quantity of rice which was robbed, and he pleads with Napoleon to assist him, so that he could pay his suppliers.
It is possible that the letter was sent to Napoleon during his campaign in Eretz Israel or in Egypt.
[1] leaf, 33 cm. Good condition. Folding marks. Some tears at margins. Stains.
Addressed to: "Au Général en Chef Bonaparte", from Jacob Petro. Signed by Napoleon: "Bonaparte".
On the right side of the leaf appears the text in Arabic, and on the left side - in French.
In the letter, Jacob Petro presents his personal story: he was born in Jerusalem, was robbed in Jaffa and was totally impoverished. He claims that he was abused by the French authorities in Jaffa who refused to pay him for a large quantity of rice which was robbed, and he pleads with Napoleon to assist him, so that he could pay his suppliers.
It is possible that the letter was sent to Napoleon during his campaign in Eretz Israel or in Egypt.
[1] leaf, 33 cm. Good condition. Folding marks. Some tears at margins. Stains.
Category
Rare and Important Items
Catalogue
Auction 53 - Rare and Important Items
November 15, 2016
Opening: $4,000
Sold for: $5,000
Including buyer's premium
Eleven privileges (documents regulating the legal status of Jews) granted to Jews of Mantua through the 17th century and early 18th century. Mantua, 1603-1713. Italian and some Hebrew.
Eleven handwritten pamphlets; privileges granted to Jews by the rulers and dukes of Mantua. The pamphlets are signed and some are even accompanied by handwritten comments and commentaries in Hebrew, written not long before their publication, most probably by one of Mantua's Jews.
The pamphlets include privileges granted to the Jews of Mantua in the course of more than one hundred years. Among other subjects, mentioned are professions of Jews, housing, settling disputes between Jews and non-Jews, juristic authorities, synagogues, carrying weapons and other subjects which shed light on the life of Jews in Mantua and their relationships with the rulers.
It is possible that these privileges were granted by all of Mantua's rulers during the mentioned period: seven dukes from the House of Gonzaga, Duchess Maria Gonzaga (1609 -1660) and the first ruler of Mantua of the Hapsburg Empire - Victor Amadeus II (1666-1732).
Privileges were common in the late Middle Ages in Europe, and served as a model for regulating the status of minorities. The Jews of Mantua were permitted at first to be involved in banking and money lending only, and their existence was anchored in an economic contract with the authorities. When the congregation grew, other Jewish professionals joined, and the contract between the Jews and the Duchy of Mantua was changed gradually. In spite of the many changes that occurred in the town, the worsening of the general attitude towards Jews and the changing political needs, the rulers respected the privileges and renewed them.
Total of [185] pp. Leaves in various sizes, most of them approximately 31 cm. Fair condition. Stains, creases and tears to margins of leaves. Perforations to a small number of leaves, with minimal damages or no damages to text. Paper labels are glued at the end of some of the pamphlets (some labels are incomplete or torn).
For additional information see: "History of Jews in the Duchy of Mantua" (Hebrew), Shlomo Simonsohn. Published by Tel-Aviv University and Ben Zvi Institute, Jerusalem, 1963, first volume, pp. 72-110.
Eleven handwritten pamphlets; privileges granted to Jews by the rulers and dukes of Mantua. The pamphlets are signed and some are even accompanied by handwritten comments and commentaries in Hebrew, written not long before their publication, most probably by one of Mantua's Jews.
The pamphlets include privileges granted to the Jews of Mantua in the course of more than one hundred years. Among other subjects, mentioned are professions of Jews, housing, settling disputes between Jews and non-Jews, juristic authorities, synagogues, carrying weapons and other subjects which shed light on the life of Jews in Mantua and their relationships with the rulers.
It is possible that these privileges were granted by all of Mantua's rulers during the mentioned period: seven dukes from the House of Gonzaga, Duchess Maria Gonzaga (1609 -1660) and the first ruler of Mantua of the Hapsburg Empire - Victor Amadeus II (1666-1732).
Privileges were common in the late Middle Ages in Europe, and served as a model for regulating the status of minorities. The Jews of Mantua were permitted at first to be involved in banking and money lending only, and their existence was anchored in an economic contract with the authorities. When the congregation grew, other Jewish professionals joined, and the contract between the Jews and the Duchy of Mantua was changed gradually. In spite of the many changes that occurred in the town, the worsening of the general attitude towards Jews and the changing political needs, the rulers respected the privileges and renewed them.
Total of [185] pp. Leaves in various sizes, most of them approximately 31 cm. Fair condition. Stains, creases and tears to margins of leaves. Perforations to a small number of leaves, with minimal damages or no damages to text. Paper labels are glued at the end of some of the pamphlets (some labels are incomplete or torn).
For additional information see: "History of Jews in the Duchy of Mantua" (Hebrew), Shlomo Simonsohn. Published by Tel-Aviv University and Ben Zvi Institute, Jerusalem, 1963, first volume, pp. 72-110.
Category
Rare and Important Items
Catalogue
Auction 53 - Rare and Important Items
November 15, 2016
Opening: $20,000
Unsold
Four monumental photograph albums - travels through Egypt, Eretz Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Greece, Turkey, Switzerland and Germany in 1894.
Pasted on the albums leaves are 479 photographs, documenting the journey in chronological order. The owner of the album added large decorated titles to most of the leaves, as well as quotes from the Scriptures and the New Testament (relevant to the photographed sites), quotes of poems and handsome large colorful (watercolor) illustrations. Usually, the illustrations are a direct continuation of the subjects in the photographs: Oriental characters, flowers, birds, landscapes, etc.
Approximately half the photographs in the album (235) are small "private" photographs, photographed by the owners of the albums and the others (244) are large photographs, mostly taken by well-known photographers such as the Turkish photographer J. P. Sébah (1838-1890), the French photographer Félix Bonfils (1831-1885), the Greek photographers Adelphi and Constantine Zangaki, (who were active in the 1870s-1890s) and the French photographer Rubellin (active since 1860, owner of a studio in Istanbul; later signed "Rubellin et fils" Rubellin and his son); most of these photographs are signed and captioned in the negative.
The albums in which the photographs are arranged are particularly large (height: 31 cm. width: 45 cm. thickness: 6-10 cm.) and are bound to look like books: wide leather bindings, leather corners and gilt impressions. Thick cardboard leaves, gilt-edges. Apparently, the four albums were created especially for their owner by a binder from Liverpool. The title (the country or area of travel; see below), the year 1894 and the initials RMI are embossed in gilt letters on the front cover of each album.
The first album is titled Egypt and the Nile and its binding is green. Written on the first page of the album is "The Start", and it is composed of photographs of Gibraltar, Port Said, the Suez Canal, the Nile valley and Cairo, hotels in Egypt, pyramids, the Sphinx, mosques, camel-riding in the Sahara Desert, the Giza Museum and some of its exhibits (Sphinxes, mummies etc.), Thebes, Medinet Habu (the Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III), and more. 77 large photographs and 73 small photographs are mounted on the album leaves. Four photographs are enclosed.
The second album is titled Southern Palestine and its binding is red. It includes photographs of the market in Jaffa, a view from the house of Simon the Tanner of Jaffa, a view of Jerusalem from Mount Scopus, the Temple Mount (the Dome of the Rock is in the process of renovations), the Even HaShetiya (Foundation Stone), the Pool of Bethesda, Antonia Fortress, the Damascus Gate, Golgotha Hill, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jaffa Gate, the road to Bethlehem, the Tower of David, the Armenian Church, the entrance to the room of the Last Supper, Robinson's Arch, the Western Wall, the Valley of Hinnom (Gehenna), the Shiloach Pool, the Mount of Olives, the Valley of Yehoshafat (Kidron Valley), the Moabite mountains and the Dead Sea (view from the Mount of Olives), Rachel's Tomb, Bethlehem, The Church of the Nativity, Solomon's Pools, Hebron, the Oak of Abraham (Oak of Mamre), "the Good Samaritan" site, Jordan Valley and Jericho, Mar Elias Monastery, the Jordan River, Shilo, Mount Ebal, Nablus, Sebastia, Dotan Valley, Mount Carmel, Druze at supper, Atlit fort, and more. 54 large photographs and 46 small photographs are mounted on the album leaves. 18 photographs are enclosed.
The third album is titled Northern Palestine and its binding is red. It is a continuation of the previous album and is composed of photographs of the Carmel, Haifa, Atlit, Nazareth, the Gilboa, Church of the Son of the Widow at Nein, Tiberias, Migdal, Capernaum, Khan Jubb Youssef, the sources of the Jordan River and the Dan Springs, Nimrod Fortress, Temple of Pan at Banias, Hasbaya (South Lebanon), Mount Hermon, sites in Damascus: The Great Mosque, the Barada River, ancient gates and walls of the city, pilgrims to Mecca, the British Consul (Sir Harry Eyres?), Baalbek (Temple of Jupiter, Temple of Bacchus, Temple of Venus), travel by carriage to Beirut, ruins, Sidon, Tyre, Hiram's tomb, Safed, Dr. Anderson (founder of the Missionary Hospital, Beit Bussel), Beaufort Castle, group photograph of American missionaries (a leaf with a list of the people in the photograph is enclosed), Beirut, and more. 44 large photographs and 61 small photographs are mounted on the album leaves. Five photographs are enclosed.
The fourth album is titled Ephesus, Greece, Constantinople and Switzerland and its binding is blue. It is composed of photographs of Ephesus, Acropolis, Temple of Jupiter, the Parthenon, Temple of Athena Nike and other temples, an ancient theater, stone reliefs, marble statues, Eleusis, Akrokorinthos, Epidaurus Theater, ruins of an earthquake near Athens, sites in Istanbul: Galata Bridge, Hagia Sophia, Sultan Ahmed Mosque, Obelisk of Thutmosis III; The Bosphorus Straits, the entrance to the Black Sea, Bulgaria, the Danube River in Belgrade, the Rhine River in Basel, Schlangenbad, Germany, Wiesbaden, Homburg, Appenzell , Switzerland, a photograph of Dr. Raphael Pumpelly (1837-1923, American geologist and researcher), Lucerne, Interlaken, Grindelwald, Bern, and more. 69 large photographs and 46 small photographs are mounted on the album leaves. At the end are nine blank leaves.
Although the names of the albums' owners are not explicitly mentioned, apparently the albums belonged to Rennie & Janet MacInnes [as evident from the initials RMI and JMI that are embossed on the album bindings, and that appear next to the photograph of the couple at the end of the first album, and from the enclosed calling card with the following printed inscription: "Mrs. R. Mac Innes, M.B. / St. George's Close, Jerusalem"]. Rennie MacInnes was born in Hampstead, England in 1870. His father, Miles, was a landowner, manager of railroads and a liberal party politician. In 1896, MacInnes was ordained as Bishop, and after four years of serving as a minister in the St. Matthew's Church in Bayswater, London, he spent most of his years as Bishop in the Middle East, Cairo Egypt and North Sudan. During 18 years, beginning in 1914 until his death in 1931, MacInnes served as bishop of Jerusalem, in several churches, including the St. George Cathedral (mentioned in Mrs. MacInnes's calling card). On March 26, 1921, the American Colony photographers documented MacInnes together with Winston Churchill at a memorial ceremony held in the military cemetery on Mount Scopus. No details are known of his wife, Janet, except that she was born Janet Waldergrave Carr and that they were married in 1896. One of their sons, Campbell MacInnes, followed his father's footsteps and served for decades as Deputy Bishop of Palestine, Syria and in Transjordan and afterward, as Archbishop of Jerusalem.
Total of 479 photographs. The photographs called "large" are an average 21X28 cm. (varying); the photographs called "small" are 10X7.5 cm. Four albums: 31X45 cm. Good overall condition. Because of their heavy weight, most of the album leaves are detached from the binding and are loose. Several leaves have minor tears or breaks to corners and margins, generally with no damage to photographs.
Pasted on the albums leaves are 479 photographs, documenting the journey in chronological order. The owner of the album added large decorated titles to most of the leaves, as well as quotes from the Scriptures and the New Testament (relevant to the photographed sites), quotes of poems and handsome large colorful (watercolor) illustrations. Usually, the illustrations are a direct continuation of the subjects in the photographs: Oriental characters, flowers, birds, landscapes, etc.
Approximately half the photographs in the album (235) are small "private" photographs, photographed by the owners of the albums and the others (244) are large photographs, mostly taken by well-known photographers such as the Turkish photographer J. P. Sébah (1838-1890), the French photographer Félix Bonfils (1831-1885), the Greek photographers Adelphi and Constantine Zangaki, (who were active in the 1870s-1890s) and the French photographer Rubellin (active since 1860, owner of a studio in Istanbul; later signed "Rubellin et fils" Rubellin and his son); most of these photographs are signed and captioned in the negative.
The albums in which the photographs are arranged are particularly large (height: 31 cm. width: 45 cm. thickness: 6-10 cm.) and are bound to look like books: wide leather bindings, leather corners and gilt impressions. Thick cardboard leaves, gilt-edges. Apparently, the four albums were created especially for their owner by a binder from Liverpool. The title (the country or area of travel; see below), the year 1894 and the initials RMI are embossed in gilt letters on the front cover of each album.
The first album is titled Egypt and the Nile and its binding is green. Written on the first page of the album is "The Start", and it is composed of photographs of Gibraltar, Port Said, the Suez Canal, the Nile valley and Cairo, hotels in Egypt, pyramids, the Sphinx, mosques, camel-riding in the Sahara Desert, the Giza Museum and some of its exhibits (Sphinxes, mummies etc.), Thebes, Medinet Habu (the Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III), and more. 77 large photographs and 73 small photographs are mounted on the album leaves. Four photographs are enclosed.
The second album is titled Southern Palestine and its binding is red. It includes photographs of the market in Jaffa, a view from the house of Simon the Tanner of Jaffa, a view of Jerusalem from Mount Scopus, the Temple Mount (the Dome of the Rock is in the process of renovations), the Even HaShetiya (Foundation Stone), the Pool of Bethesda, Antonia Fortress, the Damascus Gate, Golgotha Hill, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jaffa Gate, the road to Bethlehem, the Tower of David, the Armenian Church, the entrance to the room of the Last Supper, Robinson's Arch, the Western Wall, the Valley of Hinnom (Gehenna), the Shiloach Pool, the Mount of Olives, the Valley of Yehoshafat (Kidron Valley), the Moabite mountains and the Dead Sea (view from the Mount of Olives), Rachel's Tomb, Bethlehem, The Church of the Nativity, Solomon's Pools, Hebron, the Oak of Abraham (Oak of Mamre), "the Good Samaritan" site, Jordan Valley and Jericho, Mar Elias Monastery, the Jordan River, Shilo, Mount Ebal, Nablus, Sebastia, Dotan Valley, Mount Carmel, Druze at supper, Atlit fort, and more. 54 large photographs and 46 small photographs are mounted on the album leaves. 18 photographs are enclosed.
The third album is titled Northern Palestine and its binding is red. It is a continuation of the previous album and is composed of photographs of the Carmel, Haifa, Atlit, Nazareth, the Gilboa, Church of the Son of the Widow at Nein, Tiberias, Migdal, Capernaum, Khan Jubb Youssef, the sources of the Jordan River and the Dan Springs, Nimrod Fortress, Temple of Pan at Banias, Hasbaya (South Lebanon), Mount Hermon, sites in Damascus: The Great Mosque, the Barada River, ancient gates and walls of the city, pilgrims to Mecca, the British Consul (Sir Harry Eyres?), Baalbek (Temple of Jupiter, Temple of Bacchus, Temple of Venus), travel by carriage to Beirut, ruins, Sidon, Tyre, Hiram's tomb, Safed, Dr. Anderson (founder of the Missionary Hospital, Beit Bussel), Beaufort Castle, group photograph of American missionaries (a leaf with a list of the people in the photograph is enclosed), Beirut, and more. 44 large photographs and 61 small photographs are mounted on the album leaves. Five photographs are enclosed.
The fourth album is titled Ephesus, Greece, Constantinople and Switzerland and its binding is blue. It is composed of photographs of Ephesus, Acropolis, Temple of Jupiter, the Parthenon, Temple of Athena Nike and other temples, an ancient theater, stone reliefs, marble statues, Eleusis, Akrokorinthos, Epidaurus Theater, ruins of an earthquake near Athens, sites in Istanbul: Galata Bridge, Hagia Sophia, Sultan Ahmed Mosque, Obelisk of Thutmosis III; The Bosphorus Straits, the entrance to the Black Sea, Bulgaria, the Danube River in Belgrade, the Rhine River in Basel, Schlangenbad, Germany, Wiesbaden, Homburg, Appenzell , Switzerland, a photograph of Dr. Raphael Pumpelly (1837-1923, American geologist and researcher), Lucerne, Interlaken, Grindelwald, Bern, and more. 69 large photographs and 46 small photographs are mounted on the album leaves. At the end are nine blank leaves.
Although the names of the albums' owners are not explicitly mentioned, apparently the albums belonged to Rennie & Janet MacInnes [as evident from the initials RMI and JMI that are embossed on the album bindings, and that appear next to the photograph of the couple at the end of the first album, and from the enclosed calling card with the following printed inscription: "Mrs. R. Mac Innes, M.B. / St. George's Close, Jerusalem"]. Rennie MacInnes was born in Hampstead, England in 1870. His father, Miles, was a landowner, manager of railroads and a liberal party politician. In 1896, MacInnes was ordained as Bishop, and after four years of serving as a minister in the St. Matthew's Church in Bayswater, London, he spent most of his years as Bishop in the Middle East, Cairo Egypt and North Sudan. During 18 years, beginning in 1914 until his death in 1931, MacInnes served as bishop of Jerusalem, in several churches, including the St. George Cathedral (mentioned in Mrs. MacInnes's calling card). On March 26, 1921, the American Colony photographers documented MacInnes together with Winston Churchill at a memorial ceremony held in the military cemetery on Mount Scopus. No details are known of his wife, Janet, except that she was born Janet Waldergrave Carr and that they were married in 1896. One of their sons, Campbell MacInnes, followed his father's footsteps and served for decades as Deputy Bishop of Palestine, Syria and in Transjordan and afterward, as Archbishop of Jerusalem.
Total of 479 photographs. The photographs called "large" are an average 21X28 cm. (varying); the photographs called "small" are 10X7.5 cm. Four albums: 31X45 cm. Good overall condition. Because of their heavy weight, most of the album leaves are detached from the binding and are loose. Several leaves have minor tears or breaks to corners and margins, generally with no damage to photographs.
Category
Rare and Important Items
Catalogue
Auction 53 - Rare and Important Items
November 15, 2016
Opening: $5,000
Sold for: $6,250
Including buyer's premium
An extensive and impressive collection of approximately 100 albums of pressed flowers. Various publishers, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Jordan, London, Washington, New York, and other locations, ca. 1896-1950 (most albums are from the first two decades of the 20th century). Hebrew, French, English, German, Russian, Arabic and Greek.
Albums of pressed flowers appeared in Eretz Israel towards the end of the 19th century and gained fast and outstanding success. The growing tourism to the Near East led to 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 feature handcrafts and traditional Eretz Israeli crafts, including carving and inlay of olive wood, decorative arrangements of pressed flowers and later on various printing techniques. The collection offered here portrays a varied and unique collection of this long-forgotten craft.
Most of the albums in this collection are bound in carved and inlaid olive wood bindings; in many albums colorful postcards are incorporated, as well as lithographic printings, decorations and verses of poems in stylized script.
Among the items:
· "Pirchei Eretz HaKedosha" [Flowers from the Holy Land], early album by the scholar, geographer and explorer, Abraham Moses Luncz. · "Asufat Perachim mehaMekomot HaKedoshim Beretz HaKodesh" [Flowers from holy places in the Holy Land], album with a colorful lithographic map of Eretz Israel. · "Souvenir to our Benefactors", souvenir album awarded to the Franciscan Commissariat of the Holy Land, published by "Mount St. Sepulchre" in Washington. · 14 albums with colorful lithographs printed by "Monsohn" Jerusalem. · Three albums printed in Jerusalem under Jordanian rule, stamped H.K Jordan (Hashemite Kingdom, Jordan). · Three albums published by American Colony in Jerusalem. · Six albums printed in honor of Allenby arriving in Jerusalem – in Remembrance of the British Army Conqueror of the Holy Land 9th December 1917; two albums are 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; Elias A. Coubrousli; M. Weisman; T. Habesch, The commercial Press; N. De Simini; F. F. Marroum; Ibrahim Atallah / King David Store T. J. Atallah; Atallah Bros.; Australian Soldiers Club; and more.
Size and condition vary. Overall fair-good condition. Stains, creases and some tears. Damages to flower arrangements in some of the albums. Some detached or partly detached bindings. Lacking some tissue-gurads.
Literature:
1. Eliyahu Hacohen: "Ahavat Pirchei HaAretz BaMe'a Sheavrah" [Love of Holy Land Flowers in the Past Century]. Teva Va-Aretz, volume 20, issue 2, 1978.
2. Ami Zehavi, "HaOsher HaYechidi shel HaAretz HaKedosha HaAniya" [The only wealth of the holy poor land]. Et-Mol, Issue 227, 2013.
Albums of pressed flowers appeared in Eretz Israel towards the end of the 19th century and gained fast and outstanding success. The growing tourism to the Near East led to 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 feature handcrafts and traditional Eretz Israeli crafts, including carving and inlay of olive wood, decorative arrangements of pressed flowers and later on various printing techniques. The collection offered here portrays a varied and unique collection of this long-forgotten craft.
Most of the albums in this collection are bound in carved and inlaid olive wood bindings; in many albums colorful postcards are incorporated, as well as lithographic printings, decorations and verses of poems in stylized script.
Among the items:
· "Pirchei Eretz HaKedosha" [Flowers from the Holy Land], early album by the scholar, geographer and explorer, Abraham Moses Luncz. · "Asufat Perachim mehaMekomot HaKedoshim Beretz HaKodesh" [Flowers from holy places in the Holy Land], album with a colorful lithographic map of Eretz Israel. · "Souvenir to our Benefactors", souvenir album awarded to the Franciscan Commissariat of the Holy Land, published by "Mount St. Sepulchre" in Washington. · 14 albums with colorful lithographs printed by "Monsohn" Jerusalem. · Three albums printed in Jerusalem under Jordanian rule, stamped H.K Jordan (Hashemite Kingdom, Jordan). · Three albums published by American Colony in Jerusalem. · Six albums printed in honor of Allenby arriving in Jerusalem – in Remembrance of the British Army Conqueror of the Holy Land 9th December 1917; two albums are 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; Elias A. Coubrousli; M. Weisman; T. Habesch, The commercial Press; N. De Simini; F. F. Marroum; Ibrahim Atallah / King David Store T. J. Atallah; Atallah Bros.; Australian Soldiers Club; and more.
Size and condition vary. Overall fair-good condition. Stains, creases and some tears. Damages to flower arrangements in some of the albums. Some detached or partly detached bindings. Lacking some tissue-gurads.
Literature:
1. Eliyahu Hacohen: "Ahavat Pirchei HaAretz BaMe'a Sheavrah" [Love of Holy Land Flowers in the Past Century]. Teva Va-Aretz, volume 20, issue 2, 1978.
2. Ami Zehavi, "HaOsher HaYechidi shel HaAretz HaKedosha HaAniya" [The only wealth of the holy poor land]. Et-Mol, Issue 227, 2013.
Category
Rare and Important Items
Catalogue
Auction 53 - Rare and Important Items
November 15, 2016
Opening: $8,000
Unsold
27 original photographs by Avraham Soskin, mounted in an album, presented as a souvenir to Maxa Nordau, daughter of Max Nordau. Tel-Aviv, 1926.
Twenty seven original photographs taken by photographer Avraham Soskin, documenting the first years of Tel-Aviv and the neighborhoods named after Max Nordau - Nordia and Tel Nordau, the reinterment of the remains of Max Nordau and his grave.
A leaf is pasted at the opening of the album with a printed dedication: "With the Compliments of the Township of Tel-Aviv, to Miss Maxa Nordau, In Souvenir of Her Visit to Tel-Aviv in May 1926".
The photographs portray: the first meeting of Tel-Aviv proprietors on the site of Tel-Aviv ("The Seashell Lottery", April 11, 1909) - rare photograph; Leveling sand dunes; Herzl street in 1910 and in the years 1924-1925; Rothschild Boulevard (in the years 1910,1925); Herzlia Gymnasium; Nordia quarter; Tel Nordau neighborhood; the reinterment of the remains of Max Nordau opposite the old city hall building; Menachem Ussishkin delivering a speech in memory of Nordau in "Beit Ha'am"; Nordau's grave; and more. Photographs are accompanied by title-notes (English). Not signed.
Maxa Nordau (1897-1991) - French painter, illustrator and author, the only daughter of Max Nordau (1849-1923) - one of the founders of the Zionist Movement, philosopher, physician and author, born in Hungary. Nordau died in 1923, while visiting Paris. In 1926 his remains were buried in Eretz Israel, in the cemetery on Trumpeldor Street in Tel-Aviv.
Avraham Soskin (1881-1963) was born in Russia and moved to Eretz Israel in 1905. Soskin settled in the German Colony in Jaffa and opened a photography studio by the name of "Photographia Progress" together with G. Bruck. Soskin moved to Herzl Street 24 in the year 1914, to a house where he lived on the second floor with his family and which also served him as a studio; in this studio, named "Photographia A. Soskin" he worked for 19 years, until the year 1933 (when the studio was closed).
Soskin, known as the "Tel-Aviv Photographer", was one of the most prominent photographers working in Eretz Israel during the Yishuv period and is well-known for his photographs which document the first two decades of the first Jewish City; some of Soskin's photos from those years turned to be iconic and most identified with the early days of Tel-Aviv, and are included in this album.
Enclosed is the book "Album of Tel-Aviv Views by Photographer Avraham Soskin" (Berlin, 1926): on the first page of the book appears a handwritten dedication signed by David Bloch-Blumenfeld, mayor of Tel-Aviv at the time, in honor of Anna, widow of Max Nordau: "Madam Anna Max Nordau, with the Compliments of the Township of Tel-Aviv, D. Bloch".
Photographs: 9X16.5 cm - 11.5X16.5 cm. Album: 22X27.5 cm, cardboard cover, bound with string. Photographs in good condition. Some damages to album binding. "Album of Tel-Aviv Views": binding in fair condition, tears. Some stains and tears to margins of first leaves.
Twenty seven original photographs taken by photographer Avraham Soskin, documenting the first years of Tel-Aviv and the neighborhoods named after Max Nordau - Nordia and Tel Nordau, the reinterment of the remains of Max Nordau and his grave.
A leaf is pasted at the opening of the album with a printed dedication: "With the Compliments of the Township of Tel-Aviv, to Miss Maxa Nordau, In Souvenir of Her Visit to Tel-Aviv in May 1926".
The photographs portray: the first meeting of Tel-Aviv proprietors on the site of Tel-Aviv ("The Seashell Lottery", April 11, 1909) - rare photograph; Leveling sand dunes; Herzl street in 1910 and in the years 1924-1925; Rothschild Boulevard (in the years 1910,1925); Herzlia Gymnasium; Nordia quarter; Tel Nordau neighborhood; the reinterment of the remains of Max Nordau opposite the old city hall building; Menachem Ussishkin delivering a speech in memory of Nordau in "Beit Ha'am"; Nordau's grave; and more. Photographs are accompanied by title-notes (English). Not signed.
Maxa Nordau (1897-1991) - French painter, illustrator and author, the only daughter of Max Nordau (1849-1923) - one of the founders of the Zionist Movement, philosopher, physician and author, born in Hungary. Nordau died in 1923, while visiting Paris. In 1926 his remains were buried in Eretz Israel, in the cemetery on Trumpeldor Street in Tel-Aviv.
Avraham Soskin (1881-1963) was born in Russia and moved to Eretz Israel in 1905. Soskin settled in the German Colony in Jaffa and opened a photography studio by the name of "Photographia Progress" together with G. Bruck. Soskin moved to Herzl Street 24 in the year 1914, to a house where he lived on the second floor with his family and which also served him as a studio; in this studio, named "Photographia A. Soskin" he worked for 19 years, until the year 1933 (when the studio was closed).
Soskin, known as the "Tel-Aviv Photographer", was one of the most prominent photographers working in Eretz Israel during the Yishuv period and is well-known for his photographs which document the first two decades of the first Jewish City; some of Soskin's photos from those years turned to be iconic and most identified with the early days of Tel-Aviv, and are included in this album.
Enclosed is the book "Album of Tel-Aviv Views by Photographer Avraham Soskin" (Berlin, 1926): on the first page of the book appears a handwritten dedication signed by David Bloch-Blumenfeld, mayor of Tel-Aviv at the time, in honor of Anna, widow of Max Nordau: "Madam Anna Max Nordau, with the Compliments of the Township of Tel-Aviv, D. Bloch".
Photographs: 9X16.5 cm - 11.5X16.5 cm. Album: 22X27.5 cm, cardboard cover, bound with string. Photographs in good condition. Some damages to album binding. "Album of Tel-Aviv Views": binding in fair condition, tears. Some stains and tears to margins of first leaves.
Category
Rare and Important Items
Catalogue
Auction 53 - Rare and Important Items
November 15, 2016
Opening: $10,000
Sold for: $16,250
Including buyer's premium
Approximately 460 paper items from the private archive of the biblical scholar Yehiel Michal Zabludowski of Bialystok. Correspondences with intellectuals and rabbis, press editorials, publishers and authors from all over Europe, as well as detailed manuscripts of biblical exegesis compositions. Bialystok, Warsaw, Lvov, Vilnius, Lemberg, Lancut, Tiberias and other locations, [ca. 1860-1869]. Hebrew, some German, Russian and Yiddish.
A rich and comprehensive archive documenting through letters, drafts and printed items the early days of Hebrew journalism in Eastern Europe, as reflected in diverse correspondences between Yehiel Michal Zabludowski and intellectuals of his period.
Yehiel Michal ben Haim Zabludowski (1803-1869), physician and optician by profession, lived and worked in Bialystok in the first half of the 19th century and enjoyed financial wealth all his life. Being an enthusiastic supporter of the Haskalah Movement and one of its heralds, maintained contacts with leading intellectuals of his period, assisted in distributing their writings and was well known for his contribution to the rise of Hebrew journalism. Among other things, Zabludowski corresponded with the founders of newspapers Shmuel Joseph Fuenn ("HaCarmel"), Yitzchak (Arnold) Goldenblum and Alexander Halevi Zederboim ("HaMelitz"), Haim Selig Slonimski ("HaZfira"), Joseph Kohn Zedek ("HaMevasser"), and many others. The archive contains:
Hundreds of letters and drafts, bound according to the order of correspondence, in five bundles:
· Letters from editors and founders of newspapers: 46 letters from the editor of the periodical "HaCarmel" Shmuel Joseph Fuenn (1818-1891). The letters contain a personal announcement that Fuenn received a license from the Czarist régime to print the paper; letters concerning his intention to widen the activity of the printing press and the distribution of the paper, alongside other topics; 7 letters from Joseph Kohn Zedek, founder and editor of "HaMevasser" and "HaNesher" and 12 letters from his relative Shaul Hacohen Katzenellensohn; 4 letters from the editor of "HaZfira" Haim Selig Sonimski and 12 letters from his associate Zvi Dov Habavli; and more.
· 6 letters from Ya'akov Reifmann, with a short handwritten composition titled "21 Things related to Purim" with 21 short paragraphs about the holiday and the Megilah; consultation related to Reifmann's intention to publish two new compositions authored by him, "Chikrey Avot" and "Meshiv Ta'am" and more.
· Letter of a philosophical-biblical nature, handwritten by Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Kalisher, from 1862, introducing pro-Zionist commentary to "Arba HaGe'ulot" according to the Zohar.
· Letter from Yehudah Shershewsky to Rabbi Halpern, Rebbe of Bialystok (author of "Oneg Yom Tov"), from 1859.
· Letter handwritten by the poet Yehudah Leib Gordon from 1868.
· Correspondences with various people, among them: letters from Zvi Hacohen Shershewsky ("father" of the Hebrew feuilleton), Yitzchak Michaelowsky, Aharon Moshe Schatzkit (Moshe Aharon ben Yehoshua Schatzkes?) , Aharon Moshe Padwa, Joseph Yitzchak Kabak (editor of "Ginzei Nistarot"), Zvi Hirsch Bodek, Yitzchak Goldman, Yitzchak Weisman, Yerahmiel Klatsko, David Gordon, Yehudah Shershewsky; letters from Israel Meir Wohlman concerning a composition about to be published in "HaKochavim" - a periodical which he edited, a letter from David Schiffmann in Tiberias; and more. Numerous letters are written on official stationery of the above newspapers.
55 Printed Items - Rare Issues, public appeals, promotional leaflets and essays:
· "Rosh HaCarmel": special leaflet towards the first publication of "HaCarmel" paper, of 15 Adar, 5620 [1860], with an official announcement about the license to print the paper and the format of the planned issue.
· Various leaves printed during the foundation period of "HaMelitz" with announcements about the printing license granted by Czarist authorities and public appeals to recruit writers, of January and August 1860, in Hebrew, German and Yiddish.
· Receipt for an annual subscription to "HaMelitz" for the years 1865-1866, signed by the publisher.
· "HaZfira, news periodical", pre-publication issue, unnumbered (marked as No 0) of "HaZfira" paper with outline of the paper's nature, prices of issues and other matters (printed in Odessa in 1861).
· "Kol Mevasser", promotional leaflet announcing the publication of "HaMevasser" and "HaNesher". Lemberg, 1862.
· "Otzar Chochma, periodical, anthology: study of ancient languages, biblical commentaries… poetry… by Joseph Kohn Zedek" (Hebrew), promotional leaflet for anthology published by Joseph Kohn Zedek. Lemberg, [1861].
· Issues and "supplements" of "HaCarmel" and "HaMagid", with studies and essays by Yehiel Michal Zabludowski (on some of them appear comments and corrections, handwritten).
Most of the above items are not listed in the National Library of Israel collections.
Essays ready for printing and manuscripts by Yehiel Michal Zabludowski:
· manuscripts of Talmudic exegesis, weekly Torah portions and scrolls of Eicha and Esther, numbered and divided into signatures, according to biblical books. 459 pp.
· Manuscripts of Zabludowski's essays which were published in "HaCarmel" (on which he later based his composition "May Michal", published in Vilnius in 1873). 96 pp.
Lot of approximately 460 items. Size and condition vary. Overall fair-good condition. Stains, creases and tears [mostly slight]. Some are on official stationery.
A rich and comprehensive archive documenting through letters, drafts and printed items the early days of Hebrew journalism in Eastern Europe, as reflected in diverse correspondences between Yehiel Michal Zabludowski and intellectuals of his period.
Yehiel Michal ben Haim Zabludowski (1803-1869), physician and optician by profession, lived and worked in Bialystok in the first half of the 19th century and enjoyed financial wealth all his life. Being an enthusiastic supporter of the Haskalah Movement and one of its heralds, maintained contacts with leading intellectuals of his period, assisted in distributing their writings and was well known for his contribution to the rise of Hebrew journalism. Among other things, Zabludowski corresponded with the founders of newspapers Shmuel Joseph Fuenn ("HaCarmel"), Yitzchak (Arnold) Goldenblum and Alexander Halevi Zederboim ("HaMelitz"), Haim Selig Slonimski ("HaZfira"), Joseph Kohn Zedek ("HaMevasser"), and many others. The archive contains:
Hundreds of letters and drafts, bound according to the order of correspondence, in five bundles:
· Letters from editors and founders of newspapers: 46 letters from the editor of the periodical "HaCarmel" Shmuel Joseph Fuenn (1818-1891). The letters contain a personal announcement that Fuenn received a license from the Czarist régime to print the paper; letters concerning his intention to widen the activity of the printing press and the distribution of the paper, alongside other topics; 7 letters from Joseph Kohn Zedek, founder and editor of "HaMevasser" and "HaNesher" and 12 letters from his relative Shaul Hacohen Katzenellensohn; 4 letters from the editor of "HaZfira" Haim Selig Sonimski and 12 letters from his associate Zvi Dov Habavli; and more.
· 6 letters from Ya'akov Reifmann, with a short handwritten composition titled "21 Things related to Purim" with 21 short paragraphs about the holiday and the Megilah; consultation related to Reifmann's intention to publish two new compositions authored by him, "Chikrey Avot" and "Meshiv Ta'am" and more.
· Letter of a philosophical-biblical nature, handwritten by Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Kalisher, from 1862, introducing pro-Zionist commentary to "Arba HaGe'ulot" according to the Zohar.
· Letter from Yehudah Shershewsky to Rabbi Halpern, Rebbe of Bialystok (author of "Oneg Yom Tov"), from 1859.
· Letter handwritten by the poet Yehudah Leib Gordon from 1868.
· Correspondences with various people, among them: letters from Zvi Hacohen Shershewsky ("father" of the Hebrew feuilleton), Yitzchak Michaelowsky, Aharon Moshe Schatzkit (Moshe Aharon ben Yehoshua Schatzkes?) , Aharon Moshe Padwa, Joseph Yitzchak Kabak (editor of "Ginzei Nistarot"), Zvi Hirsch Bodek, Yitzchak Goldman, Yitzchak Weisman, Yerahmiel Klatsko, David Gordon, Yehudah Shershewsky; letters from Israel Meir Wohlman concerning a composition about to be published in "HaKochavim" - a periodical which he edited, a letter from David Schiffmann in Tiberias; and more. Numerous letters are written on official stationery of the above newspapers.
55 Printed Items - Rare Issues, public appeals, promotional leaflets and essays:
· "Rosh HaCarmel": special leaflet towards the first publication of "HaCarmel" paper, of 15 Adar, 5620 [1860], with an official announcement about the license to print the paper and the format of the planned issue.
· Various leaves printed during the foundation period of "HaMelitz" with announcements about the printing license granted by Czarist authorities and public appeals to recruit writers, of January and August 1860, in Hebrew, German and Yiddish.
· Receipt for an annual subscription to "HaMelitz" for the years 1865-1866, signed by the publisher.
· "HaZfira, news periodical", pre-publication issue, unnumbered (marked as No 0) of "HaZfira" paper with outline of the paper's nature, prices of issues and other matters (printed in Odessa in 1861).
· "Kol Mevasser", promotional leaflet announcing the publication of "HaMevasser" and "HaNesher". Lemberg, 1862.
· "Otzar Chochma, periodical, anthology: study of ancient languages, biblical commentaries… poetry… by Joseph Kohn Zedek" (Hebrew), promotional leaflet for anthology published by Joseph Kohn Zedek. Lemberg, [1861].
· Issues and "supplements" of "HaCarmel" and "HaMagid", with studies and essays by Yehiel Michal Zabludowski (on some of them appear comments and corrections, handwritten).
Most of the above items are not listed in the National Library of Israel collections.
Essays ready for printing and manuscripts by Yehiel Michal Zabludowski:
· manuscripts of Talmudic exegesis, weekly Torah portions and scrolls of Eicha and Esther, numbered and divided into signatures, according to biblical books. 459 pp.
· Manuscripts of Zabludowski's essays which were published in "HaCarmel" (on which he later based his composition "May Michal", published in Vilnius in 1873). 96 pp.
Lot of approximately 460 items. Size and condition vary. Overall fair-good condition. Stains, creases and tears [mostly slight]. Some are on official stationery.
Category
Rare and Important Items
Catalogue
Auction 53 - Rare and Important Items
November 15, 2016
Opening: $4,000
Sold for: $5,000
Including buyer's premium
23 autograph letters by Ephraim Deinard, addressed to the collector Elkan Nathan Adler. New-Jersey (USA), Ferrara, Ancona, Mantua, Thessaloniki, Constantinople, Beirut, Jerusalem and Ramleh. Most letters from ca. 1902-1910. Hebrew (two letters in English).
Deinard's letters to Adler are mainly about books and include lists of books for sale, descriptions of rare books which he discovered throughout his travels, instructions and comments concerning shipment of books and payment for them, and more. Deinard refers in his letters, in his unique language, full of criticism and humor, to life in the USA and England, to politics and religion, to his travels and visits to various Jewish congregations, and more.
The letters shed light on Deinard's occupation as collector and book dealer. The letters reveal the scope of Deinard's library (in many letters he refers to shipment of cases full of books, and in one letter he even mentions shipment of 22 cases), as well as the richness of the library, Deinard's love of books and his bibliographic expertise. Deinard mentions more than once rare and precious books and Hebrew manuscripts, or writes to his friend that he found an unknown book.
In some of the letters Deinard mentions dignitaries who purchased books from him, among them Mayer Sulzberger (1843-1923), judge, public activist and Jewish-American leader, one of the founders of several Jewish organizations in the USA, who held in his library numerous Hebrew books, rare and precious.
Some letters were written during Deinard's travels in various places around the world - Italy, Turkey, Eretz Israel, and more - and he describes his impressions of various encounters and his searches for manuscripts. For example, in one letter he describes a visit to Nablus, and in another he sums up one of his journeys: "I did not complete my travels, particularly, I did not travel to China to research and search for the Jews who are dwelling there from ancient times... until this day, not one of the multitudes of Jews has risen to the task of searching for his lost brothers in this faraway land".
In a letter from 1902 Deinard mentions the fifth Zionist Congress, in which Adler participated, and writes about "the noise which was aroused by delegates who are concerned with their people's wellbeing…", "Hibat Zion" movement and the opposition against it: "Jews in Western Europe - and mainly the rich ones - became like slaves and this moved them away from Hibat Zion…"
In another letter Deinard writes about the United States: "we lack nothing - no money, no objects and no ancient books but… people are not Jewish and the Jews are not people…"
Ephraim Deinard (1846-1930) - Hebrew bibliographer and author, book collector and book dealer; one of the greatest Hebrew bibliographers in modern times; historian and polemicist, considered as a fascinating and colorful figure. Deinard was born in Sasmaka (present day Valdemārpil, Latvia). When still young he travelled around the world, studied various Jewish congregations, and collected Hebrew books and manuscripts. In the 1880s he maintained a book shop in Odessa. In 1888 immigrated to the United States, where he continued to sell books and attempted to establish a Jewish agricultural colony in Nevada. When his attempt failed he immigrated to Eretz Israel in 1913 and settled in Ramleh. There too he tried to establish a Jewish agricultural settlement, but in 1916 he was deported by the Turks and was obliged to return to the United States.
Deinard's collections served to found departments of Hebrew books in leading libraries in the USA, and catalogues of his books were an important source for research of Hebrew literature and culture. Deinard composed tens of books, among them study books and controversial polemic books (against Christianity, against Hasidism, and more). Deinard was considered a provocative author and many of his book aroused harsh criticism. However, many of his polemic books were forgotten over time.
Addressee of the letters - Elkan Nathan Adler (1861-1946), was a Jewish-British attorney, author and collector of Hebrew books and manuscripts; son of Nathan Marcus Adler, chief rabbi of the British Empire. Adler spent several years in journeys to the East and visited various Jewish congregations. Among other places, he visited Egypt (one of the first to study the documents in the Cairo Genizah), Syria, Persia, India and Yemen. During his journey he looked for Hebrew books and manuscripts and over the years established a collection which was considered one of the most comprehensive private book collections in the world.
23 letters, (out of which five are written on postcards), and two sections of letters. Many of the letters were written on Deinard's official stationery in New-Jersey. One letter was written on his stationery in Ramleh - "Deinard Garden, Ramleh (Palestine)". All of the letters, except for one, are written by hand in legible square script.
Enclosed: two envelopes addressed to Elkan Nathan Adler and two leaves (on blue paper) with lists of books.
Size and condition vary. Good overall condition. Folding marks, tears to some letters (one letter torn into two at folding mark). Stains (some dampstains, with ink smears).
Deinard's letters to Adler are mainly about books and include lists of books for sale, descriptions of rare books which he discovered throughout his travels, instructions and comments concerning shipment of books and payment for them, and more. Deinard refers in his letters, in his unique language, full of criticism and humor, to life in the USA and England, to politics and religion, to his travels and visits to various Jewish congregations, and more.
The letters shed light on Deinard's occupation as collector and book dealer. The letters reveal the scope of Deinard's library (in many letters he refers to shipment of cases full of books, and in one letter he even mentions shipment of 22 cases), as well as the richness of the library, Deinard's love of books and his bibliographic expertise. Deinard mentions more than once rare and precious books and Hebrew manuscripts, or writes to his friend that he found an unknown book.
In some of the letters Deinard mentions dignitaries who purchased books from him, among them Mayer Sulzberger (1843-1923), judge, public activist and Jewish-American leader, one of the founders of several Jewish organizations in the USA, who held in his library numerous Hebrew books, rare and precious.
Some letters were written during Deinard's travels in various places around the world - Italy, Turkey, Eretz Israel, and more - and he describes his impressions of various encounters and his searches for manuscripts. For example, in one letter he describes a visit to Nablus, and in another he sums up one of his journeys: "I did not complete my travels, particularly, I did not travel to China to research and search for the Jews who are dwelling there from ancient times... until this day, not one of the multitudes of Jews has risen to the task of searching for his lost brothers in this faraway land".
In a letter from 1902 Deinard mentions the fifth Zionist Congress, in which Adler participated, and writes about "the noise which was aroused by delegates who are concerned with their people's wellbeing…", "Hibat Zion" movement and the opposition against it: "Jews in Western Europe - and mainly the rich ones - became like slaves and this moved them away from Hibat Zion…"
In another letter Deinard writes about the United States: "we lack nothing - no money, no objects and no ancient books but… people are not Jewish and the Jews are not people…"
Ephraim Deinard (1846-1930) - Hebrew bibliographer and author, book collector and book dealer; one of the greatest Hebrew bibliographers in modern times; historian and polemicist, considered as a fascinating and colorful figure. Deinard was born in Sasmaka (present day Valdemārpil, Latvia). When still young he travelled around the world, studied various Jewish congregations, and collected Hebrew books and manuscripts. In the 1880s he maintained a book shop in Odessa. In 1888 immigrated to the United States, where he continued to sell books and attempted to establish a Jewish agricultural colony in Nevada. When his attempt failed he immigrated to Eretz Israel in 1913 and settled in Ramleh. There too he tried to establish a Jewish agricultural settlement, but in 1916 he was deported by the Turks and was obliged to return to the United States.
Deinard's collections served to found departments of Hebrew books in leading libraries in the USA, and catalogues of his books were an important source for research of Hebrew literature and culture. Deinard composed tens of books, among them study books and controversial polemic books (against Christianity, against Hasidism, and more). Deinard was considered a provocative author and many of his book aroused harsh criticism. However, many of his polemic books were forgotten over time.
Addressee of the letters - Elkan Nathan Adler (1861-1946), was a Jewish-British attorney, author and collector of Hebrew books and manuscripts; son of Nathan Marcus Adler, chief rabbi of the British Empire. Adler spent several years in journeys to the East and visited various Jewish congregations. Among other places, he visited Egypt (one of the first to study the documents in the Cairo Genizah), Syria, Persia, India and Yemen. During his journey he looked for Hebrew books and manuscripts and over the years established a collection which was considered one of the most comprehensive private book collections in the world.
23 letters, (out of which five are written on postcards), and two sections of letters. Many of the letters were written on Deinard's official stationery in New-Jersey. One letter was written on his stationery in Ramleh - "Deinard Garden, Ramleh (Palestine)". All of the letters, except for one, are written by hand in legible square script.
Enclosed: two envelopes addressed to Elkan Nathan Adler and two leaves (on blue paper) with lists of books.
Size and condition vary. Good overall condition. Folding marks, tears to some letters (one letter torn into two at folding mark). Stains (some dampstains, with ink smears).
Category
Rare and Important Items
Catalogue