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An album with approx. 250 press photographs, documenting the battle over Palestine and the battles in the Middle East during World War I. Palestine, Sinai Desert, Syria, Iraq and elsewhere, ca. 1915-1918.
World War I is considered a turning point in the history of photography, being the first war that was photographed by all fighting parties. Although most of the photographers were sent to the main front in Eastern Europe, a smaller number of photographers operated also in the Middle East (some of them were soldiers who were appointed as photographers during the war, having no professional background) and their photographs constitute an early, important documentation of Palestine and the events of the war: the movement of the forces in desert areas, historic battles, the soldiers of the various armies, and of course – the views, holy sites and old cities, as they looked after hundreds of years without European presence.
The album before us contains an extraordinary number of photographs that were taken in Palestine and its surroundings, presumably by the British Army. Among others, appear in the album: a photograph of a British canon making its way to the front in the Sinai Desert, by means of a carriage harnessed to twenty-six horses; a photograph of the British forces preparing for the Battle of Romani (Sinai Desert, August 1916); group photograph of soldiers of four different nations, fighting for the same side: Indian, British, Italian and Algerian; Photograph of British soldiers getting dressed before the battle over Jerusalem; a large photograph of Allenby reading the Jerusalem Declaration at the foot of David's Tower; an aerial photograph of Jerusalem during the war; photograph of Jews in traditional attire and British soldiers at the Western Wall Plaza; photograph of the Zionist reception for the British army – a formation of boys saluting General Allenby and raising a welcome sign; a photograph of Indian horsemen riding in the streets of downtown Haifa; a series of photographs – building a bridge of barrels across a river in Palestine [The Jordan River?]; many photographs of prisoners of war of the Turkish army (among them photographs from detention camps in Egypt); sports competitions conducted in the desert (boxing, riding, wrestling on camels and more); several photographs of the Zionist Commission delegation headed by Chaim Weizmann, which arrived in Palestine during the war (one photograph depicts Weizmann visiting Tel-Aviv, whose residents were driven out to Northern Palestine by the Turks); and more.
In addition, the album contains photographs documenting other places and battles in the Middle Eastern front as well as photographs from other places and times, used for propaganda purposes: a group of Arab rebels from the city of Hijaz (Saudi Arabia), raising the Arab Revolt flag; Arab Revolt leader Faisal bin Hussein (the future Faisal I, king of Iraq) in a tent, meeting the representative of the British Army; many photographs of British soldiers during the battles in Iraq and Damascus; a photograph of Wilhelm II, the German Emperor, standing on an oriental rug and wearing a tarbush (the photograph was distributed among the Arab population in the Middle east, with the intention to present the Emperor as the friend and protector of the Muslims); and more.
The photographs are mounted on the leaves of the album at their edges (so that they can be lifted and their verso, as well as other photographs mounted under them, can be seen). On the margins of most of them there are press information notes (English) and on verso, various stamps. Several photographs are captioned by hand on verso (French). Two of the photographs are stamped on their lower margins: Bonfils (presumably, they were used during the war, due to lack of photographs from Palestine).
Photographs of varying size and condition. Fair-good overall condition. Creases, stains and blemishes. Some of the photographs are detached. Album: approx. 35 cm. Creases, stains and small tears to margins of leaves. Several leaves detached or partly detached. Worn and rubbed binding (especially in the edges). Worn cloth spine, with tears to edges.