Very large collection consisting of about 3,300 printed photographs taken by the well-known Jerusalem photographer Kalman Weiss, owner of the “Photo Weiss” brand. The photos were taken in the 1960s-1980s, and printed c. 1960s-1990s. Exceptionally rare.
This huge collection depicts life in the Land of Israel in general, and in Jerusalem in particular. It depicts the Western Wall (many photographs), the demolition of the Mughrabi Quarter next to the Western Wall, demonstrations against autopsies, Black Panther demonstrations, demonstrations at the Western Wall for the release of the prisoners of Zion, demonstrations against missionaries, demonstrations for the Jews of Iraq; graves of the tana’im and amorai’m , marches, conferences, mass receptions (apparently some of them for the Admo”r of Satmar), demonstrations, funerals; photographs of memorial plaques for donors, etc., photographs of holy arks, ritual items and synagogues, founding declarations of various organizations, buildings and architecture; military and security personnel, chiefs of staff and commissioners, politicians and activists – David Ben-Gurion, Abba Eban, Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, Golda Meir, Zalman Shazar, Menachem Begin, Moshe Dayan, Yigal Alon, Yigal Yadin and many others; Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach at various events (over ten photographs), and much, much more.
Also, hundreds of photographs of various rabbis appear in this collection. Among the rabbis photographed: the Admo”r Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum of Satmar, author of VaYoel Moshe (three photographs from his visits to the Land of Israel), the Admo”r Rabbi Aharon Rokeach of Belz (four photographs), the Admo”r the Beit Yisrael of Gur, the Admo”r the Lev Simchah of Gur, Rabbi Tzvi Pesach Frank (his final picture), the Shefa Chaim of Sanz Klausenburg (at prayer by the Western Wall), the Admo”r Rabbi Shalom Noach Berzovsky – author of Netivot Shalom of Slonim, Rabbi Isser Zalman Meltzer, Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Charlop, Rabbi Yechezkel Abramsky, several Admo”rim from the Sadigura dynasty, Rabbi Chaim Meir Hagar of Vizhnitz, Rabbi Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky, Rabbi Chaim Kreiswirth, Rabbi Yaakov Kaminetzky, Rabbi Aharon Kotler, Rabbi Shneur Kotler, the Admo”r Rabbi Moshe Mordechai Biderman of Lelov, Rabbi Dov Berish Weidenfeld of Tshebin, Rabbi Aryeh Levin, Rabbi Zalman Sorotzkin, Rabbi Eliezer Silver, the zealot Rabbi Amram Blau, Rabbi Bezalel Zolty, Rabbi Tzvi Yehudah HaCohen Kook; the chief rabbis and Rishonim LeTziyon : Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac HaLevi Herzog, Rabbi Isser Yehudah Unterman, Rabbi Yitzchak Nissim, Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef, Rabbi Shlomo Goren, Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, Rabbi Avraham Elkanah Kahana Shapira and more.
One of the unique features of this collection is the large number of photographs from the Meah She’arim neighborhood and its environs, where photographers rarely ventured (and certainly not on a regular basis). This collection depicts, inter alia , Yerushalmi life from its authentic roots, daily life and special occasions.
Most of the photographs: Approximately 12×18 cm. Several in a larger format, 24×18 cm.
Several hundred photographs are stamped in the back with the studio’s stamp. The back of most of the photographs bear stamps and scribbles in pen, with the [Hebrew] inscription “History of the Jewish settlement in the Land of Israel.”
Overall moderate-very fine condition; several photographs in poor-moderate condition. Creases and stains in some of the pictures. Many pictures are placed in plastic for protection. The pictures are placed in 12 27.5×22.5×8 cm boxes. The collection is being sold as is.