Auction 91 Part 2 "Shanah Tovah" Postcards and Greeting Cards from the Collection of Dr. Haim Grossman
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Lot 272 Five Glass Negatives for Printing "Shanah Tovah" Greeting Cards – Palestine, 1930s and 1940s
Five glass negatives for printing "shanah tovah" greeting cards and four cards printed from the negatives. Palestine, [1930s and 1940s].
1-4. Four glass negatives for photographic "shanah tovah" cards, Photo D. (Daniel) Kaplan, Kfar Saba. Enclosed: four greeting cards with portraits of the senders, printed from the negatives.
5. Colored glass negative for a promotional "shanah tovah" greeting card from the Meshi Silks company. Signed: Melnik.
Approx. 10X5.5 to 10X7.5 cm. Overall good-fair condition. Blemishes and breaks to negatives.
Provenance: The Dr. Haim Grossman collection.
Dr. Chaim Grossman's Israeliana collection is exceptional in size, quality and variety. Grossman, an educator, historian and folklorist, was a methodical, knowledgeable and meticulous collector, and his deep understanding of Palestinian-Yishuv and Israeli material culture set the ground for a one-of-a-kind collection of mundane and less than mundane objects – from the ephemeral, the negligible, the widely available to the rare and singular.
The "shana tovah" collection left by Grossman – a considerable part of which is offered in the present auction – comprises thousands of postcards, cards, letters and other paper items made and sent year after year in, by and for Jewish communities: in Eastern and Western Europe, Palestine, Iran, Iraq, North Africa, North and South America, as part of the tradition of sending hand-written, hand-drawn or printed new year’s greetings, which originated in German Jewry but with the rise of postcards spread to most communities. The earliest items in the collection date to the 1860s; the latest were made in the late 20th century. It includes both beautifully designed, rare, early and singular postcards and cards, and mass-made, highly popular items sold in large quantities, in varying production quality and in dozens of repeating versions, each according to the technical abilities achieved by the local publication industry.
The collector's devotion to his collection is evident in the sheer number of items, in the wealth of techniques, visuals and themes, and in the thorough, intersectional categorization by period, origin, motif, technique and material. Glitter and relief embossing, scraps, lace and golden ink, lithography and celluloid transparencies, plastic, textile and metal decorations; Yiddish, Hebrew, English, Russian, French, Polish, German greetings; children, angels, families, pets, immigrants, travelers, professionals; portraits and tinted reproductions; Judaism, Zionism, the state, the army; the ritual and the mundane; any new year's greeting, in any form whatsoever, had a place in Grossman's collection and was honored as a historical testimony, as a timeless, invaluable treasure.
Some 370 small personalized portrait "shana tovah" cards. Poland, Russia, Lithuania, Hungary, Romania, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Palestine, USA, Canada, South Africa and Argentina, first half of the 20th century.
A number of cards designed as visiting cards; other cards embossed, printed in color or with golden ink. Most cards printed and sent in Poland.
Size and condition vary.
Provenance: The Dr. Haim Grossman collection.
Dr. Chaim Grossman's Israeliana collection is exceptional in size, quality and variety. Grossman, an educator, historian and folklorist, was a methodical, knowledgeable and meticulous collector, and his deep understanding of Palestinian-Yishuv and Israeli material culture set the ground for a one-of-a-kind collection of mundane and less than mundane objects – from the ephemeral, the negligible, the widely available to the rare and singular.
The "shana tovah" collection left by Grossman – a considerable part of which is offered in the present auction – comprises thousands of postcards, cards, letters and other paper items made and sent year after year in, by and for Jewish communities: in Eastern and Western Europe, Palestine, Iran, Iraq, North Africa, North and South America, as part of the tradition of sending hand-written, hand-drawn or printed new year’s greetings, which originated in German Jewry but with the rise of postcards spread to most communities. The earliest items in the collection date to the 1860s; the latest were made in the late 20th century. It includes both beautifully designed, rare, early and singular postcards and cards, and mass-made, highly popular items sold in large quantities, in varying production quality and in dozens of repeating versions, each according to the technical abilities achieved by the local publication industry.
The collector's devotion to his collection is evident in the sheer number of items, in the wealth of techniques, visuals and themes, and in the thorough, intersectional categorization by period, origin, motif, technique and material. Glitter and relief embossing, scraps, lace and golden ink, lithography and celluloid transparencies, plastic, textile and metal decorations; Yiddish, Hebrew, English, Russian, French, Polish, German greetings; children, angels, families, pets, immigrants, travelers, professionals; portraits and tinted reproductions; Judaism, Zionism, the state, the army; the ritual and the mundane; any new year's greeting, in any form whatsoever, had a place in Grossman's collection and was honored as a historical testimony, as a timeless, invaluable treasure.
Collection of printed greeting cards, most of them for Rosh HaShanah. Iran, Iraq, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, and elsewhere. Ca. early 20th century to 1970s.
Some 40 fine greeting cards, including: • A card with the inked stamp of "Brit Chalutzim Datiim / Bnei Akiva / Torah v'Avodah", Tunisia. • Photographic greeting cards with the inscription "Greetings from Aram-Naharaim" (Hebrew). • Embossed greeting cards from Iran. • Fine "Shanah Tovah" postcard printed in Germany for American Jews, sent from Baghdad to Palestine in 1926.
Size and condition vary.
Enclosed: admission ticket to a service in the "Rehovot" synagogue in Jerusalem, attended by Herbert Samuel, British High Commissioner for Palestine (Sukkot, 1922).
Provenance: The Dr. Haim Grossman collection.
Dr. Chaim Grossman's Israeliana collection is exceptional in size, quality and variety. Grossman, an educator, historian and folklorist, was a methodical, knowledgeable and meticulous collector, and his deep understanding of Palestinian-Yishuv and Israeli material culture set the ground for a one-of-a-kind collection of mundane and less than mundane objects – from the ephemeral, the negligible, the widely available to the rare and singular.
The "shana tovah" collection left by Grossman – a considerable part of which is offered in the present auction – comprises thousands of postcards, cards, letters and other paper items made and sent year after year in, by and for Jewish communities: in Eastern and Western Europe, Palestine, Iran, Iraq, North Africa, North and South America, as part of the tradition of sending hand-written, hand-drawn or printed new year’s greetings, which originated in German Jewry but with the rise of postcards spread to most communities. The earliest items in the collection date to the 1860s; the latest were made in the late 20th century. It includes both beautifully designed, rare, early and singular postcards and cards, and mass-made, highly popular items sold in large quantities, in varying production quality and in dozens of repeating versions, each according to the technical abilities achieved by the local publication industry.
The collector's devotion to his collection is evident in the sheer number of items, in the wealth of techniques, visuals and themes, and in the thorough, intersectional categorization by period, origin, motif, technique and material. Glitter and relief embossing, scraps, lace and golden ink, lithography and celluloid transparencies, plastic, textile and metal decorations; Yiddish, Hebrew, English, Russian, French, Polish, German greetings; children, angels, families, pets, immigrants, travelers, professionals; portraits and tinted reproductions; Judaism, Zionism, the state, the army; the ritual and the mundane; any new year's greeting, in any form whatsoever, had a place in Grossman's collection and was honored as a historical testimony, as a timeless, invaluable treasure.
18 printed items with "shanah tovah" greetings. Jerusalem, Alexandria, Casablanca, Djerba, Tripoli and other places, first half of the 20th century.
The lot comprises: • Embossed "shanah tovah" greeting card, accompanied by a card from the Ashkenazic synagogue in Alexandria, 1917 (French). • Printed leaf listing the Rosh Hashanah symbolic foods in Judeo-Persian, by Yedidia Yosofoff. Jerusalem: Zuckermann press, [first decades of 20th century]. • Card for Rosh Hashanah 5687 (1926) from R. Sabetay Joseph Djaen, rabbi of Bitola (Monastir, present day: Macedonia). • Printed leaf, for Rosh Hashanah 5697 (1936-7), listing segulot for each month of the year, by R. Avraham Ben Alloun, Casablanca • Booklet of prayers and segulot for the High Holidays and year-round. Djerba: Partners Idan, Cohen and Sabban, [ca. 1945]. • Shanah Tovah greeting card from the press of Simon Simon M. Dahan, Casablanca. • Printed letter sent to Yemenite Jews in the Aden transit camp from the Histadrut's Central Committee for Yemenite Matters. Rosh Hashana 5708 (1947). • Two "shanah tovah" greeting cards from Yitzchak Rachamim, Iraq. One dated 1947. Photographs on the front – the sender in the synagogue and a family boating on the Shatt al-Arab river, Basra. • "shanah tovah" card from R. Shlomo Illouz, chief rabbi of Tripoli (ca. 1946-1949). • And more.
Size and condition vary.
Provenance: Collection of Dr. Chaim Grossman.
Dr. Chaim Grossman's Israeliana collection is exceptional in size, quality and variety. Grossman, an educator, historian and folklorist, was a methodical, knowledgeable and meticulous collector, and his deep understanding of Palestinian-Yishuv and Israeli material culture set the ground for a one-of-a-kind collection of mundane and less than mundane objects – from the ephemeral, the negligible, the widely available to the rare and singular.
The "shana tovah" collection left by Grossman – a considerable part of which is offered in the present auction – comprises thousands of postcards, cards, letters and other paper items made and sent year after year in, by and for Jewish communities: in Eastern and Western Europe, Palestine, Iran, Iraq, North Africa, North and South America, as part of the tradition of sending hand-written, hand-drawn or printed new year’s greetings, which originated in German Jewry but with the rise of postcards spread to most communities. The earliest items in the collection date to the 1860s; the latest were made in the late 20th century. It includes both beautifully designed, rare, early and singular postcards and cards, and mass-made, highly popular items sold in large quantities, in varying production quality and in dozens of repeating versions, each according to the technical abilities achieved by the local publication industry.
The collector's devotion to his collection is evident in the sheer number of items, in the wealth of techniques, visuals and themes, and in the thorough, intersectional categorization by period, origin, motif, technique and material. Glitter and relief embossing, scraps, lace and golden ink, lithography and celluloid transparencies, plastic, textile and metal decorations; Yiddish, Hebrew, English, Russian, French, Polish, German greetings; children, angels, families, pets, immigrants, travelers, professionals; portraits and tinted reproductions; Judaism, Zionism, the state, the army; the ritual and the mundane; any new year's greeting, in any form whatsoever, had a place in Grossman's collection and was honored as a historical testimony, as a timeless, invaluable treasure.
Some 100 uncommon "shana tovah" cards. USA, Germany, France, Palestine, Russia, Hungary, Brazil and Argentina, first half of the 20th century.
Small, elegant cards, mostly in color, some with golden ink; featuring embossed patterns, openwork, flowers, birds, hearts, horseshoes, landscapes and Jewish and Zionist themes.
Size and condition vary.
Provenance: The Dr. Haim Grossman collection.
Dr. Chaim Grossman's Israeliana collection is exceptional in size, quality and variety. Grossman, an educator, historian and folklorist, was a methodical, knowledgeable and meticulous collector, and his deep understanding of Palestinian-Yishuv and Israeli material culture set the ground for a one-of-a-kind collection of mundane and less than mundane objects – from the ephemeral, the negligible, the widely available to the rare and singular.
The "shana tovah" collection left by Grossman – a considerable part of which is offered in the present auction – comprises thousands of postcards, cards, letters and other paper items made and sent year after year in, by and for Jewish communities: in Eastern and Western Europe, Palestine, Iran, Iraq, North Africa, North and South America, as part of the tradition of sending hand-written, hand-drawn or printed new year’s greetings, which originated in German Jewry but with the rise of postcards spread to most communities. The earliest items in the collection date to the 1860s; the latest were made in the late 20th century. It includes both beautifully designed, rare, early and singular postcards and cards, and mass-made, highly popular items sold in large quantities, in varying production quality and in dozens of repeating versions, each according to the technical abilities achieved by the local publication industry.
The collector's devotion to his collection is evident in the sheer number of items, in the wealth of techniques, visuals and themes, and in the thorough, intersectional categorization by period, origin, motif, technique and material. Glitter and relief embossing, scraps, lace and golden ink, lithography and celluloid transparencies, plastic, textile and metal decorations; Yiddish, Hebrew, English, Russian, French, Polish, German greetings; children, angels, families, pets, immigrants, travelers, professionals; portraits and tinted reproductions; Judaism, Zionism, the state, the army; the ritual and the mundane; any new year's greeting, in any form whatsoever, had a place in Grossman's collection and was honored as a historical testimony, as a timeless, invaluable treasure.
Twenty "shanah tovah" greeting cards decorated with photo albums. Poland and elsewhere, first decades of 20th century.
The collection includes: • Eleven greeting cards from a series printed in Poland in the 1920s. Colorful cards with fine embossed ornaments; an accordion-folded strip of paper with a series of pictures on various topics is pasted on each card: vehicles bearing new year's greetings, famous writers, biblical women, sites in Palestine, synagogues worldwide, and more (one postcard lacking album). • Folded greeting card published by Palestine Wine & Trading Co., London, 1921. • Miniature greeting card with a calendar for 5691 (1930-1931), published by Carmel Wineries, with blessings from the rabbi of the city. • Folded cards depicting Jewish scenes.
Size and condition vary.
Provenance: The Dr. Haim Grossman collection.
Dr. Chaim Grossman's Israeliana collection is exceptional in size, quality and variety. Grossman, an educator, historian and folklorist, was a methodical, knowledgeable and meticulous collector, and his deep understanding of Palestinian-Yishuv and Israeli material culture set the ground for a one-of-a-kind collection of mundane and less than mundane objects – from the ephemeral, the negligible, the widely available to the rare and singular.
The "shana tovah" collection left by Grossman – a considerable part of which is offered in the present auction – comprises thousands of postcards, cards, letters and other paper items made and sent year after year in, by and for Jewish communities: in Eastern and Western Europe, Palestine, Iran, Iraq, North Africa, North and South America, as part of the tradition of sending hand-written, hand-drawn or printed new year’s greetings, which originated in German Jewry but with the rise of postcards spread to most communities. The earliest items in the collection date to the 1860s; the latest were made in the late 20th century. It includes both beautifully designed, rare, early and singular postcards and cards, and mass-made, highly popular items sold in large quantities, in varying production quality and in dozens of repeating versions, each according to the technical abilities achieved by the local publication industry.
The collector's devotion to his collection is evident in the sheer number of items, in the wealth of techniques, visuals and themes, and in the thorough, intersectional categorization by period, origin, motif, technique and material. Glitter and relief embossing, scraps, lace and golden ink, lithography and celluloid transparencies, plastic, textile and metal decorations; Yiddish, Hebrew, English, Russian, French, Polish, German greetings; children, angels, families, pets, immigrants, travelers, professionals; portraits and tinted reproductions; Judaism, Zionism, the state, the army; the ritual and the mundane; any new year's greeting, in any form whatsoever, had a place in Grossman's collection and was honored as a historical testimony, as a timeless, invaluable treasure.
Some 350 "shana tovah" postcards and greeting cards; in color, scrap-like, embroidered, with textile, glitter and more. Germany, France, USA, Argentina and Palestine, first half of the 20th century.
Elegant postcards and cards, with new year's greetings in Hebrew, Yiddish, English, German, French and Spanish. Mostly with animal, vegetal and decorative motifs – lions, birds, flowers, baskets, vases, purses, fans, elegant shoes, horseshoes, ships, cars, hearts, musical instruments and more; others with Jewish motifs – stars of David, Torah scrolls, menorahs, the Tablets of the Covenant and more; and national symbols, such as Hebrew and American flags.
Enclosed: two plastic relief "shana tovah" postcards, made by Beilis, Israel.
Size and condition vary.
Provenance: The Dr. Haim Grossman collection.
Dr. Chaim Grossman's Israeliana collection is exceptional in size, quality and variety. Grossman, an educator, historian and folklorist, was a methodical, knowledgeable and meticulous collector, and his deep understanding of Palestinian-Yishuv and Israeli material culture set the ground for a one-of-a-kind collection of mundane and less than mundane objects – from the ephemeral, the negligible, the widely available to the rare and singular.
The "shana tovah" collection left by Grossman – a considerable part of which is offered in the present auction – comprises thousands of postcards, cards, letters and other paper items made and sent year after year in, by and for Jewish communities: in Eastern and Western Europe, Palestine, Iran, Iraq, North Africa, North and South America, as part of the tradition of sending hand-written, hand-drawn or printed new year’s greetings, which originated in German Jewry but with the rise of postcards spread to most communities. The earliest items in the collection date to the 1860s; the latest were made in the late 20th century. It includes both beautifully designed, rare, early and singular postcards and cards, and mass-made, highly popular items sold in large quantities, in varying production quality and in dozens of repeating versions, each according to the technical abilities achieved by the local publication industry.
The collector's devotion to his collection is evident in the sheer number of items, in the wealth of techniques, visuals and themes, and in the thorough, intersectional categorization by period, origin, motif, technique and material. Glitter and relief embossing, scraps, lace and golden ink, lithography and celluloid transparencies, plastic, textile and metal decorations; Yiddish, Hebrew, English, Russian, French, Polish, German greetings; children, angels, families, pets, immigrants, travelers, professionals; portraits and tinted reproductions; Judaism, Zionism, the state, the army; the ritual and the mundane; any new year's greeting, in any form whatsoever, had a place in Grossman's collection and was honored as a historical testimony, as a timeless, invaluable treasure.
Some 30 pop-up "shanah tovah" greeting cards. Germany-USA, [ca. 1910-1920].
Large cards depicting Jewish holidays, weddings, immigration to America, the "daughter of Zion" holding a Hebrew flag, biblical scenes, and more. Three cards depict a panoramic view of Tel Aviv.
Size and condition vary.
Provenance: The Dr. Haim Grossman collection.
Dr. Chaim Grossman's Israeliana collection is exceptional in size, quality and variety. Grossman, an educator, historian and folklorist, was a methodical, knowledgeable and meticulous collector, and his deep understanding of Palestinian-Yishuv and Israeli material culture set the ground for a one-of-a-kind collection of mundane and less than mundane objects – from the ephemeral, the negligible, the widely available to the rare and singular.
The "shana tovah" collection left by Grossman – a considerable part of which is offered in the present auction – comprises thousands of postcards, cards, letters and other paper items made and sent year after year in, by and for Jewish communities: in Eastern and Western Europe, Palestine, Iran, Iraq, North Africa, North and South America, as part of the tradition of sending hand-written, hand-drawn or printed new year’s greetings, which originated in German Jewry but with the rise of postcards spread to most communities. The earliest items in the collection date to the 1860s; the latest were made in the late 20th century. It includes both beautifully designed, rare, early and singular postcards and cards, and mass-made, highly popular items sold in large quantities, in varying production quality and in dozens of repeating versions, each according to the technical abilities achieved by the local publication industry.
The collector's devotion to his collection is evident in the sheer number of items, in the wealth of techniques, visuals and themes, and in the thorough, intersectional categorization by period, origin, motif, technique and material. Glitter and relief embossing, scraps, lace and golden ink, lithography and celluloid transparencies, plastic, textile and metal decorations; Yiddish, Hebrew, English, Russian, French, Polish, German greetings; children, angels, families, pets, immigrants, travelers, professionals; portraits and tinted reproductions; Judaism, Zionism, the state, the army; the ritual and the mundane; any new year's greeting, in any form whatsoever, had a place in Grossman's collection and was honored as a historical testimony, as a timeless, invaluable treasure.
Some 180 pop-up greeting cards and scraps with "shanah tovah" greetings. Germany-USA. [ca. 1910-1920].
The cards and scraps depict Jewish holidays and customs, scenes from Jewish life, biblical scenes, children, flowers, and more. The collection includes large, embossed greeting cards, decorated with scraps, as well as individual scraps and many pop-up greeting cards.
Size and condition vary.
Provenance: The Dr. Haim Grossman collection.
Dr. Chaim Grossman's Israeliana collection is exceptional in size, quality and variety. Grossman, an educator, historian and folklorist, was a methodical, knowledgeable and meticulous collector, and his deep understanding of Palestinian-Yishuv and Israeli material culture set the ground for a one-of-a-kind collection of mundane and less than mundane objects – from the ephemeral, the negligible, the widely available to the rare and singular.
The "shana tovah" collection left by Grossman – a considerable part of which is offered in the present auction – comprises thousands of postcards, cards, letters and other paper items made and sent year after year in, by and for Jewish communities: in Eastern and Western Europe, Palestine, Iran, Iraq, North Africa, North and South America, as part of the tradition of sending hand-written, hand-drawn or printed new year’s greetings, which originated in German Jewry but with the rise of postcards spread to most communities. The earliest items in the collection date to the 1860s; the latest were made in the late 20th century. It includes both beautifully designed, rare, early and singular postcards and cards, and mass-made, highly popular items sold in large quantities, in varying production quality and in dozens of repeating versions, each according to the technical abilities achieved by the local publication industry.
The collector's devotion to his collection is evident in the sheer number of items, in the wealth of techniques, visuals and themes, and in the thorough, intersectional categorization by period, origin, motif, technique and material. Glitter and relief embossing, scraps, lace and golden ink, lithography and celluloid transparencies, plastic, textile and metal decorations; Yiddish, Hebrew, English, Russian, French, Polish, German greetings; children, angels, families, pets, immigrants, travelers, professionals; portraits and tinted reproductions; Judaism, Zionism, the state, the army; the ritual and the mundane; any new year's greeting, in any form whatsoever, had a place in Grossman's collection and was honored as a historical testimony, as a timeless, invaluable treasure.
Some 80 printed items with "shanah tovah" greetings and portraits of Theodor Herzl. Mandatory Palestine and the State of Israel, Germany, USA, Poland, Russia, Bulgaria, Austria, Germany, Canada and South Africa, late 19th to late 20th centuries.
The lot comprises: • Postcards documenting the first Zionist Congress. • Greeting card issued by JNF in Bulgaria, 1946. • Greeting cards designed as banknotes. • Five "shanah tovah" stamps issued by JNF for the 100th anniversary of Herzl's birth. • Photographic greeting cards with pictures of Herzl's burial in Israel. • And more.
Size and condition vary.
Provenance: The Dr. Haim Grossman collection.
Dr. Chaim Grossman's Israeliana collection is exceptional in size, quality and variety. Grossman, an educator, historian and folklorist, was a methodical, knowledgeable and meticulous collector, and his deep understanding of Palestinian-Yishuv and Israeli material culture set the ground for a one-of-a-kind collection of mundane and less than mundane objects – from the ephemeral, the negligible, the widely available to the rare and singular.
The "shana tovah" collection left by Grossman – a considerable part of which is offered in the present auction – comprises thousands of postcards, cards, letters and other paper items made and sent year after year in, by and for Jewish communities: in Eastern and Western Europe, Palestine, Iran, Iraq, North Africa, North and South America, as part of the tradition of sending hand-written, hand-drawn or printed new year’s greetings, which originated in German Jewry but with the rise of postcards spread to most communities. The earliest items in the collection date to the 1860s; the latest were made in the late 20th century. It includes both beautifully designed, rare, early and singular postcards and cards, and mass-made, highly popular items sold in large quantities, in varying production quality and in dozens of repeating versions, each according to the technical abilities achieved by the local publication industry.
The collector's devotion to his collection is evident in the sheer number of items, in the wealth of techniques, visuals and themes, and in the thorough, intersectional categorization by period, origin, motif, technique and material. Glitter and relief embossing, scraps, lace and golden ink, lithography and celluloid transparencies, plastic, textile and metal decorations; Yiddish, Hebrew, English, Russian, French, Polish, German greetings; children, angels, families, pets, immigrants, travelers, professionals; portraits and tinted reproductions; Judaism, Zionism, the state, the army; the ritual and the mundane; any new year's greeting, in any form whatsoever, had a place in Grossman's collection and was honored as a historical testimony, as a timeless, invaluable treasure.
Two "shanah tovah" cards:
1. Unfolding "shanah tovah" card published by Yehuda Katzenellenbogen (Judah Meyer Katzenellenbogen, among the founders of the Hebrew Publishing Company), [1899]. Missing several parts.
The card's exterior is made of gold embossed paper. The card is divided into a number of unfolding sections, with each face opening in several directions, inside and out, resembling a window with numerous wings folded over each other. In the interior sections there are new year's greetings and numerous portrait photographs and drawings of characters and personalities from Jewish history, as well as rabbis and Zionist figures – Moses, Aaron, the Gaon of Vilna, Moses Mendelssohn, Theodor Herzl, Max Nordau, Sir Moses Montefiore, and many others. One face bears the portraits of all the representatives participating in the First Zionist Congress held in Basel, Switzerland in 1897.
Other pictures include a group photo of the students and staff of the Jaffa Boys' School; a print showing Yom Kippur services at an army camp near the city of Metz, France; portraits of prominent Jewish Rabbis; and a host of other images. Interspersed among all these items pertaining to the Jewish world are portraits of non-Jewish figures such as George Washington, Christopher Columbus, Theodore Roosevelt, and others.
The card is missing several parts. See: Kedem Auction 87, lot 126.
In folded state: 12X9 cm. Fair-good condition. Tears and blemishes. One section detached, other sections partially detached.
2. Unfolding "shanah tovah" card with pictures and a map of Palestine. [Hebrew Publishing Company, New York, 1910?].
A sheet printed on both sides, folded and hardbound; "A Happy New Year" greeting on binding.
On one side of the sheet, poems for the new year and a series of pictures – portrait picture of R. Chaim Nahum Effendi, chief rabbi (Hakham Bashi) of the Ottoman Empire, and pictures of various sites and settlements in Palestine.
On the other side of the sheet, a Yiddish language map, printed in color – "Keller's Map of Palestine, Jerusalem and Syria" ("copyright 1910, Hebrew Publishing Company, New York"). The map shows the territories of the Twelve Tribes of Israel as well as the new Jewish settlements established in Palestine in early 20th century.
In folded state: 12X14 cm. Fair-good condition. Tears, some long, to fold lines. Some small open tears. Stains. Blemishes to binding. Open tear to spine.
Provenance: The Dr. Haim Grossman collection.
Dr. Chaim Grossman's Israeliana collection is exceptional in size, quality and variety. Grossman, an educator, historian and folklorist, was a methodical, knowledgeable and meticulous collector, and his deep understanding of Palestinian-Yishuv and Israeli material culture set the ground for a one-of-a-kind collection of mundane and less than mundane objects – from the ephemeral, the negligible, the widely available to the rare and singular.
The "shana tovah" collection left by Grossman – a considerable part of which is offered in the present auction – comprises thousands of postcards, cards, letters and other paper items made and sent year after year in, by and for Jewish communities: in Eastern and Western Europe, Palestine, Iran, Iraq, North Africa, North and South America, as part of the tradition of sending hand-written, hand-drawn or printed new year’s greetings, which originated in German Jewry but with the rise of postcards spread to most communities. The earliest items in the collection date to the 1860s; the latest were made in the late 20th century. It includes both beautifully designed, rare, early and singular postcards and cards, and mass-made, highly popular items sold in large quantities, in varying production quality and in dozens of repeating versions, each according to the technical abilities achieved by the local publication industry.
The collector's devotion to his collection is evident in the sheer number of items, in the wealth of techniques, visuals and themes, and in the thorough, intersectional categorization by period, origin, motif, technique and material. Glitter and relief embossing, scraps, lace and golden ink, lithography and celluloid transparencies, plastic, textile and metal decorations; Yiddish, Hebrew, English, Russian, French, Polish, German greetings; children, angels, families, pets, immigrants, travelers, professionals; portraits and tinted reproductions; Judaism, Zionism, the state, the army; the ritual and the mundane; any new year's greeting, in any form whatsoever, had a place in Grossman's collection and was honored as a historical testimony, as a timeless, invaluable treasure.
Two booklets with "shana tovah" greetings on cover:
1. Souvenir von Jerusalem. Jerusalem: Samuel Bak, [late 19th or early 20th century].
Hardcover accordion-folded leaflet depicting Jerusalem, early colonies and more. Gold-embossed cover, with Hebrew and English new year's greetings on back cover.
Folded sheet (14 pp.), 19.5X14.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Sheet mostly detached from cover (aside from first and last pages, pasted down to covers). Minor tears and damage. Adhesive tape to fold marks (on verso). Blemishes and wear to cover.
2. "Map of Palestine and the Colonies, happy new year" (Hebrew), booklet containing two folding sheets: folding color map of Palestine (Jerusalem: A. Landau); "The Land and The Colonies", containing information about the first Aliyah colonies. Pastedowns consisting of maps of Palestine, one with new year's greetings; sender's and addressee's name, address and date inscribed by hand (sent to Lodz before Rosh HaShana 1919).
[2] folding sheets (map and text) 11.5X14.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains. Tears to fold lines. Minor worming. Blemishes and wear to cover. Several tears restored with acid-free tape.
Provenance: The Dr. Chaim Grossman Collection.
Dr. Chaim Grossman's Israeliana collection is exceptional in size, quality and variety. Grossman, an educator, historian and folklorist, was a methodical, knowledgeable and meticulous collector, and his deep understanding of Palestinian-Yishuv and Israeli material culture set the ground for a one-of-a-kind collection of mundane and less than mundane objects – from the ephemeral, the negligible, the widely available to the rare and singular.
The "shana tovah" collection left by Grossman – a considerable part of which is offered in the present auction – comprises thousands of postcards, cards, letters and other paper items made and sent year after year in, by and for Jewish communities: in Eastern and Western Europe, Palestine, Iran, Iraq, North Africa, North and South America, as part of the tradition of sending hand-written, hand-drawn or printed new year’s greetings, which originated in German Jewry but with the rise of postcards spread to most communities. The earliest items in the collection date to the 1860s; the latest were made in the late 20th century. It includes both beautifully designed, rare, early and singular postcards and cards, and mass-made, highly popular items sold in large quantities, in varying production quality and in dozens of repeating versions, each according to the technical abilities achieved by the local publication industry.
The collector's devotion to his collection is evident in the sheer number of items, in the wealth of techniques, visuals and themes, and in the thorough, intersectional categorization by period, origin, motif, technique and material. Glitter and relief embossing, scraps, lace and golden ink, lithography and celluloid transparencies, plastic, textile and metal decorations; Yiddish, Hebrew, English, Russian, French, Polish, German greetings; children, angels, families, pets, immigrants, travelers, professionals; portraits and tinted reproductions; Judaism, Zionism, the state, the army; the ritual and the mundane; any new year's greeting, in any form whatsoever, had a place in Grossman's collection and was honored as a historical testimony, as a timeless, invaluable treasure.