Auction 91 Part 2 "Shanah Tovah" Postcards and Greeting Cards from the Collection of Dr. Haim Grossman
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Eight postcards with maps of Palestine and "shanah tovah" greetings. Various publishers, Palestine, USA and Europe, first half of the 20th century.
• Two undivided-back postcards printed in Odessa, with a Hebrew map of Palestine (different colors). • Two (identical) postcards published by Zion, Vienna (one partially colored with colored pencil). • Color postcard with a Hebrew map of Palestine, published by Hebrew Publishing Co., New York. • Postcard published by Eliyahu Brothers. The map shows the lands of the JNF (in 1927). • Color advertisement postcard for the Goldsmit House in Jerusalem. Sent to Hillel Yaffe in Haifa. • Postcard published by Poalei Zion in Bulgaria, for Rosh Hashanah 5708 (1947-8).
9X14 cm. Condition varies.
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.
Seventeen Zionist postcards and greeting cards with "shanah tovah" greetings. Jerusalem, Vienna, Moscow and elsewhere, late 19th and early 20th century.
• Two undivided-back postcards published by Heinrich Loewe in Jaffa, with pictures of three moshavot: Rechovot, Gedera and Rishon LeZion. One postcard bears a brief message handwritten by Loewe, dated "Kaisertag" ["Emperor's Day"]. The postcards was sent by mail in October 1898, during Emperor Wilhelm II's visit to the Holy Land.
• Color postcard signed by David Wolffsohn, president of the Zionist Congress, and his wife Fanny (sent from Baden, 1904).
• Two personalized postcards of the philanthropist Jacob Moser, founder of the Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium (1911/12).
• "Shanah tovah" postcard showing a group photograph taken in front of the Palestine pavilion of the Great Industrial Exposition of Berlin, held in 1896. Vienna: Zion, [early 20th century]. Seen in the photograph are Heinrich Loewe, Moshe David Schub and others.
• Postcard published by "Levanon", numbered 1: picture of Beit Ne'eman (later the National Library of Israel) and its founder Yosef Chasanowich (sent in 1912).
• Another postcard published by "Levanon": picture of Jewish guards (sent to Jerusalem, 1924).
• Postcards and greeting cards from the Bnei Zion society in Mykolaiv (1899); Tze'irei Zion and JNF in Russia (1919); Keren HeChalutz HaMizrachi (1935); and more.
The "shanah tovah" greetings were added to some cards and postcards by stamp or by hand.
17 items. Approx. 14X9 cm (some larger or smaller). Condition varies.
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 50 "shana tovah" cards sent by Zionist and other organizations, societies and institutions and by prominent persons. Palestine and elsewhere, ca. 1930s-1940s.
The collection comprises cards issued for and sent by organizations such as The Colonies' Popular Sick Fund, Yesud Hamaala town committee, Zichron Yaakov town committee, the Tel Aviv Women's Charity Society, Popular Hebrew Women's Association, Hapoel Motorcycle Riders' League, Palestine General Watchmen Association, the Education Fund by the Agudat Israel Youth Central Committee in Lithuania, Keren HaYesod and others; businesses such as the Lifschitz Hotel, Safed, HaGalil Press, Safed, and the Shemen oil factory; persons such as Abraham Moses Luncz, Heinrich Loewe and Rabbi Shmuel Binyamin Sonenfeld; and so on.
Including an improvised greeting card by the Shamir Brothers, consisting of a photograph of the emblem of the State of Israel, designed by them, with greetings inscribed on verso.
Size and condition vary. A number of original envelopes enclosed.
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.
Large collection of "shanah tovah" postage stamps issued by JNF, B'nai B'rith, charity associations in Jerusalem, and others. Late 19th to late 20th centuries.
Included: • Stamp issued by the German private postal service Hansa, for Rosh Hashanah 5658 (1897). • "Shanah tovah" stamps issued by JNF, 1936 to 1989. • Stamps issued by charity associations and soup kitchens in Jerusalem. • Magen David Adom stamps. • And more.
Sheets of stamps and individual stamps (some duplicates). Altogether approx. 230 stamps. 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 70 greeting cards, postcards, and various publications, with "shanah tovah" greetings. Published by or for the Jewish National Fund. Mandatory Palestine and the State of Israel, Poland, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Croatia, the Netherlands, France, the USA, Argentina, and Mexico, ca. early 20th century to 1970s.
The lot comprises illustrated and photographic cards and postcards depicting various activities of the JNF in Palestine, views of Palestine, and more. These include seven sketches for illustrated postcards by artist Brigitte Brandeis.
Enclosed: a circular by a teachers' council affiliated with the JNF, distributed on the occasion of the UN's approval of the partition plan of Palestine.
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.
"JNF fundraising form, substituting a shanah tovah greeting card". Harbin: Zionist Organization, 1918 (dated by hand). Hebrew and Russian.
Bilingual fundraising form, printed on both sides. The form opens with "shanah tovah" greetings, followed by a statement as to the form's purpose as a substitute for a "shanah tovah" greeting card. These are followed by a list of JNF's goals and a table for inscribing names of the donors and donation amounts. Stamped: "Municipal Committee of Harbin – Zionist Organization" (Hebrew).
Approx. 34.5X22 cm. Good condition. Minor stains. Fold line.
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 70 "shanah tovah" postcards and greeting cards, published by Betar, Keren Tel-Hai, the Herut party, the Likud and related organizations. [Israel, 1920s to end of 20th century].
Included: • A "shanah tovah" postcard, inscribed by hand: "Gift to the head of Betar, in honor of Z. Jabotinsky's birthday". • Many "shanah tovah" cards from members of Beitar in Rosh Pina, Grodno, Baranavichy, Vilnius, and elsewhere. • "Shanah tovah" card for Rosh Hashanah 1946 from 16 prisoners in the Acre prison. • "Shanah tovah" cards from the internment camps in Eritrea and Kenya. • "Shanah tovah" cards sent by Yehoshua Yeivin, member of the Brit HaBirionim. • And more.
Size and condition vary. Overall good condition.
Enclosed: Booklet for Rosh Hashanah 1942 for members of the Betar youth movement.
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 100 "shanah tovah" greeting cards and postcards. USA and elsewhere. Late 19th century and first decades of the 20th Century.
Most of the cards in the collection were printed in the USA; some were printed in Poland and other places, and focus on immigration to the USA.
In the collection:
• Dozens of decorated personal cards, in small format.
• "LeShanah Tovah Shiffskarte" postcards and other postcards depicting various stages of the yearned-for immigration to the USA.
• Two large, folding greeting cards, decorated with the American flag. One card features the portrait of the Vilna Gaon, the other a portrait of R. Jonathan Eybeschutz.
• Postcards published by the Jewish Welfare Board, a welfare organization for Jewish soldiers in the American military; founded in 1917.
• Early commercial postcards by "B. Manischewitz Co.", "The Sunshine Bakers" and various hotels, as well as postcards depicting different buildings and monuments; including a postcard published on the occasion of the World's Fair in St. Louis, 1904.
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.
11 "shanah tovah" postcards published by Wiener Werkstätte (Vienna Workshop), Austria, [ca. 1910].
The postcards depict Wiener Werkstätte textiles designed by Carl Otto Czeschka, Martha Alber, Wilhelm Jonasch, and others. Each card presents a colorful fabric pattern, superimposed with new year's greetings in Hebrew and German.
The Wiener Werkstätte – an association of artists, artisans, architects and designers – was established in 1903. Its members produced utilitarian items in a wide range of media, and are regarded as pioneers of modern design.
11 postcards, 9X14 cm. Overall good condition.
Enclosed: a similar postcard (published by Pantophot Vienne).
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 60 "shanah tovah" postcards and greeting cards, depicting roosters and Jews performing Kapparot. Various publishers, Poland, Germany, Austria, Hungary and elsewhere, late 19th century and first half of 20th century.
Some of the postcards depict families performing the kapparot ritual; part of the illustrations are accompanied by rhyming text in Yiddish. Others are decorated with roosters only. In some of the images, the heads of the roosters were replaced with the faces of Czar Nicholas II, Peter I King of Serbia and Hitler.
Some 15 postcards have undivided backs.
14X9 on average. Condition varies.
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 280 "shanah tovah" postcards depicting Jewish figures. Europe and the United States: various publishers, [first half of 20th century].
The postcards depict cantors, Torah reading, sermons in the synagogues, shofar blowing, lifting the Torah scroll, studying in the Beit Midrash, Jewish families, and more. Many postcards appear in numerous versions, copied from one another (varying quality), and printed by different publishers.
14X9 cm on average. Condition varies.
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 630 "shanah tovah" postcards depicting Jewish figures. Austria, Germany, Poland, USA, Palestine and Elsewhere, first half of the 20th Century.
The postcards depict Jews at the synagogue, Jewish holidays and customs, Jewish families, cantors, and more.
14X9 cm on average. Condition varies.
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.