Auction 84 - Jewish and Israeli History, Culture and Art
Including: Items from the Estate of Ruth Dayan, Old Master Works, Israeli Art and Numismatics
December 21, 2021
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7
Auction 84 - Jewish and Israeli History, Culture and Art
December 21, 2021
Opening: $700
Sold for: $1,250
Including buyer's premium
Some 300 photographs (pasted onto loose album sheets), apparently from a private photo album of one of the soldiers of the Jewish Legion. Jerusalem and additional sites in Palestine, [ca. 1918-1919; some photos possibly from other countries and/or from later years].
These photographs show soldiers in the uniform of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (RRF) in a wide variety of sites throughout Palestine, many of them with a strong Zionist or Jewish connection. One photo features a soldier wearing an epaulet adorned with the Star of David – the insignia of the Jewish Legion – standing in front of the Western Wall. Included among the photographs: Soldiers entering the Temple Mount plaza; a number of photos of soldiers at the Western Wall; soldiers at the entrance to the Jewish Soldiers' House (established for the benefit of soldiers of the Jewish Legion with the support of the Council of Delegates and funded by James de Rothschild); wooden grave markers to fallen Jewish soldiers (including a marker over the grave of Joseph Arditti, an officer in the French Army's Legion d'Orient that took part in the conquest of Jerusalem); roll calls; tent camps; boxing matches; Zionist and other Jewish sites and buildings (including Haifa's Technion, the Bezalel School, and the Tombs of Absalom, Zechariah, and Benei Hezir); deck of SS Kaisar-i-Hind, that served in transporting British army units from 1917 to 1921; and more. A small part of photographs most probably document the life of the soldier and his family in the postwar years, either in the US or Europe.
Approx. 300 photographs, size and condition vary. Most of the photos are grouped and pasted onto loose album sheets, approx. 26.5X18 cm. Overall fair-good condition. Stains, creases, and blemishes. Tears, including open tears, to edges of some photos. Many photos blurry or faded. Some photos detached, with remnants of glue on back. Leaves crumbling, with multiple open tears and blemishes.
Category
WWI and WWII – Jewish Soldiers
Catalogue
Auction 84 - Jewish and Israeli History, Culture and Art
December 21, 2021
Opening: $100
Sold for: $1,125
Including buyer's premium
Three abbreviated prayer books for Jewish soldiers serving in different armies during World War I, and one booklet titled "Der Krieg und wir Juden" ["The War and Us Jews", German]. Berlin, Paris and Philadelphia, 1914-1917. Hebrew, German, French and English.
1. Prayer book for Jewish soldiers in the German army: Feldgebetbuch für die jüdischen Mannschaften des Heeres. Berlin: H. Itzkowski, 1914. Hebrew and German. 29, [1], 22 pp., approx. 13.5 cm. 2. Der Krieg und wir Juden [The War and Us Jews], no. 1 of the booklet series Lamm's Jüdische Feldbücherei for Jewish soldiers. Berlin: Louis Lamm, 1915. German. 61 pp., 13.5 cm. 3. Prayer book for Jewish soldiers in the French army: La Tefila du Soldat. Paris: N. L. Danzig, 1915. Hebrew and French. Including a calendar and a prayer for the welfare of France. 62, [10], 36, [4] pp., 15.5 cm. 4. Prayer book for Jewish soldiers in the American army: Abridged prayer book for Jews in the Army and Navy of the United States. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society of America, 1917. Hebrew and English. Including a calendar, a prayer for the welfare of the government, and the lyrics for the songs "America", "Hail, Columbia" and "The Star-Spangled Banner" (all three were sung as unofficial anthems of the USA until 1931, when the "Star-Spangled Banner" was made the official anthem). vi, [1], 80, 85 pp., approx. 15 cm.
Condition varies. Some damage. Bindings partly detached, with worming.
Category
WWI and WWII – Jewish Soldiers
Catalogue
Auction 84 - Jewish and Israeli History, Culture and Art
December 21, 2021
Opening: $400
Sold for: $1,875
Including buyer's premium
Collection of booklets and journals of Jewish units in the British army. The first half of the 1940s.
Approx. 40 booklets and journals (mostly mimeographed typescripts), printed for various Jewish units in the British army, including the Jewish Brigade and transport companies. The journals provide much information about the activity of the units, the battles and the lives of the Jewish soldiers in Europe. Some of them are accompanied by illustrations. Included: • "Basha'ar" (At the Gate), internal booklet no. 3, 1941 – a booklet encouraging students to enlist in the British army. • Journals of No. 5 Water Tank Coy. R.A.S.C; 462 General Transport Coy. R.A.S.C; company 553, R.A.O.C; 178 General Transport Coy. R.A.S.C; and other companies. • Issue no. 3 of the journal of the 1st Palestinian Light Anti-Aircraft Battery. Merchavya, 1943. One of the articles in the issue deals with the need to enlist and fight for the Jewish Yishuv in face of the news about the destruction of European Jewry. • Issues 4-5 of "Bama'avak" (In the Struggle), the journal of the Jewish Brigade. Belgium, 1945. • A volume compiling various journals and leaflets; most of them of the Jewish transport companies. • and more.
A total of approx. 40 items (some of them bound together). Size and condition vary.
Provenance: The Rimon Family Collection.
Category
WWI and WWII – Jewish Soldiers
Catalogue
Auction 84 - Jewish and Israeli History, Culture and Art
December 21, 2021
Opening: $150
Sold for: $225
Including buyer's premium
Five anthologies of songs (with musical notes) and various texts, including an anthology of Passover and spring songs, printed for Jewish soldiers in the British army during World War II. Egypt, Italy, and elsewhere, ca. 1943-1944. Hebrew.
1. "Shirey Pesach VeAviv [Passover and Spring Songs]", collected by Eliyahu Goldenberg. Issued by the Senior Jewish Chaplain M.E.F. (publication information on top of first page: "Senior Jewish Chaplain M.E.F. c/o headquarters 17 area M.E.F."). 1943. Five pages (stapled together), containing songs for the Passover Seder; some taken from the Haggadah, others from the modern Eretz Israel Passover Seder. Most of the songs are accompanied by musical notes. With illustrations. [5] ff., 33 cm. Good condition. 2-4. Three anthologies of songs and various texts: • "Al Yad HaPyramidot […]", published by the Art Department of the Chief Military Rabbinate, Cairo. • "Tochnit Heh, Erev Shabbat BaAyara", edited by Eliyahu Goldenberg. Published by the Senior Jewish Chaplain M.E.F, 1944. • "Erev HaZemer 'Ey Sham'", 6th program, edited by Eliyahu Goldenberg. Published by the Senior Jewish Chaplain M.E.F, 1944. Number of pages varies, 33 cm. Good condition. Minor stains. 5. "Leket Shirim LeYaldey Gola, Shay MeHayalim Ivrim". Anthology of songs, published by "Hahayal Ha'Ivri" – a biweekly journal of the 178 General Transport Coy. (dated: "Spring 1944, Italy"). [1], 105 pp., 15 cm. Good condition. One leaf detached.
Category
WWI and WWII – Jewish Soldiers
Catalogue
Auction 84 - Jewish and Israeli History, Culture and Art
December 21, 2021
Opening: $200
Unsold
A booklet (mimeographed typescript) marking the anniversary of the sinking of SS Erinpura which carried hundreds of soldiers of the 462nd Transport Company of the British Army. Published by the 462nd Transport Company, May 1, 1944.
A booklet commemorating the soldiers of the 462nd Transport Company, volunteers of the Jewish Yishuv in the British Army, who perished with the sinking of the SS Erinpura on their way to Malta, before the invasion of the Allies to Sicily. The booklet was printed by the surviving members of the company to mark the anniversary of the sinking of the ship. It contains a list of the members of the company who perished at sea, alongside testimony by one of the survivors, a short tribute by company commander Major Harry Yoffe, and additional texts. Enclosed are three leaves of the newspaper "A Missive to the Male and Female Soldiers" issued by the executive committee of the Histadrut Labor Federation (June 1943 / May 1944), which contain articles about the 462nd Transport Company and the sinking disaster. One of the articles covers a memorial service the company held on the anniversary of the sinking of the Erinpura, noting that "the company published a special booklet in their memory that was distributed among the participants" (presumably, referring to the booklet before us).
On April 29, 1943, the SS Erinpura sailed from the port of Alexandria towards the island of Malta as part of a maritime convoy of 27 ships carrying equipment and supplies for the British army and 11 warships – a convoy that was supposed to take part in the invasion of Sicily. On board of the Erinpura were more than 300 officers and soldiers of the 462nd Transport Company, two companies of soldiers from South Africa, crewmen from India and several dozens of British people. On Saturday, May 1, 1943, two days after departure, the convoy was bombed by 12 German bombers. One of the bombs hit the Erinpura directly, leading to its sinking within minutes. Approx. 140 soldiers of the 462nd Transport Company drowned or were hit by machine gun fire. The survivors were brought back to Tripoli and Benghazi and then sent on leave to Palestine.
Booklet: 13 leaves, in a transparent nylon cover (new), 16.5X22 cm. Good condition. Stains. Worming. Closed and open tears to edges, most of them restored. Enclosed leaves: 25 cm. Numerous stains. Small tears, holes and filing holes.
Not in NLI.
Provenance: The Rimon Family Collection.
Category
WWI and WWII – Jewish Soldiers
Catalogue
Auction 84 - Jewish and Israeli History, Culture and Art
December 21, 2021
Opening: $100
Sold for: $138
Including buyer's premium
Special Order of the Day, broadside issued by the Allied Mediterranean headquarters. May 2nd, 1945. English.
Special Order of the Day by British Field marshal Harold Rupert Alexander (signed in print), congratulating soldiers, sailors and airmen of the Allied Forces in the Mediterranean theatre on their victory of the Italian campaign (on May 2nd, the last of Allied forces in Italy surrendered).
[1] f., 20 cm. Stains. Minute tears to edges. Fold lines and some stains.
Category
WWI and WWII – Jewish Soldiers
Catalogue
Auction 84 - Jewish and Israeli History, Culture and Art
December 21, 2021
Opening: $300
Unsold
"Souvenir of Palestine", embroidered souvenir for soldiers in World War II. [Palestine], 1941. Embroidery threads on cotton sateen; paint. White cotton lining. The Australian Rising Sun Badge is in the center, surmounted by the British Imperial crown, spreading a blue canopy around the badge. A caravan of small figures depicted below – two shepherds, two camels, a donkey and a goat, flanked by two palm trees, each flying a flag – the Australian flag to the right and the United Kingdom flag to the left. Inscribed "Souvenir of Palestine" and "1941". Embroidered souvenirs for soldiers were popular during World War I, when the soldiers of the Allies were stationed in Egypt. The Egyptian embroideries usually read "Souvenir of Egypt", and feature the emblems of the fighting states and illustrations of pyramids and other edifices identified with Egypt. The "Souvenir of Palestine" embroideries were made during WWII. They were of a similar design to that of the Egyptian embroideries and were decorated with palm trees, animals and often, monuments identified with Palestine.
Approx. 82X63 cm (without the fringes). Good-fair condition. Stains (mainly to verso). Wear and unraveling to fabric and embroidery. Fold lines. Missing fringes.
Category
WWI and WWII – Jewish Soldiers
Catalogue