EXTRAORDINARY ARCHIVE OF NEARLY 400 ORIGINAL PRESS PHOTOGRAPHS DEPICTING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL, 1912-51

(ISRAEL). Archive of original news photographs chronicling the establishment of the state of Israel. Associated Press, circa 1912-51. Hundreds of original photographs, most 8 by 10 inches, housed in three slipcased cloth portfolios.

Extraordinary archive of almost 400 original press photographs (most 8 by 10 inches) depicting Jewish immigration to Palestine during the early 1940s, World War II Palestine, the bloody battles of the War of Independence, and Israeli settlers following World War II. Every photograph is accompanied by its original press description, attached when originally taken.

This massive, unique archive of photographs begins chronologically in the early part of the 20th century, with photographs of the founding of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, including one of General Allenby and Chaim Weizmann as they help to lay the foundation stones of the school. It continues with photographs of Jewish soldiers fighting Nazi troops in the Middle East during World War II. Numerous photographs feature Jewish settlers’ efforts to “make the desert bloom,” and create viable industries in Palestine. There are photographs documenting illegal immigration into Palestine by Jewish refugees from the Nazis, as well as of street scenes after the 1947 UN partition plan for Palestine was announced. The settling of recent immigrants is well documented with a large number of photographs of refugee camps. A young Moshe Dayan is featured in one photograph. There are rare contemporary photographs of both David Ben-Gurion and Chaim Weizmann voting in Israel’s first elections, Weizmann being sworn in as Israel’s first president, and Israel’s first cabinet, including Ben-Gurion, Golda Meir, and Moshe Sharett. The Israeli War of Independence is featured through photographs of troops, street scenes, destruction, and refugees. Operation Magic Carpet, in which Yemen’s Jewish population was evacuated to Israel in 1949, is documented as well. Many of the photographs were featured in appeals for donations from the United Palestine Appeal (and its later name, the United Jewish Appeal). All aspects of Israeli life are featured, from political and military to agricultural, industrial, religious, and family life, in cities and on kibbutzim. Almost all of the photographs are accompanied by their original descriptions, which had been attached after they were taken. Tipped to the versos of some photographs are accompanying newspaper clippings of the text used by newspapers. Many of the photographs are marked for publication.

An extraordinary, fine, unique collection of some of the most dramatic and important times in Jewish and Israeli history.