Photograph album from the estate of Shlomo Lev-Ami (Levi), a senior member of Etzel's command, "Etzel's Head of Staff", [1940s].
In the beginning of 1945, Lev Ami was handed over to the British and exiled to Africa where he took part in the large escape of 45 exiles from the internment camp in Eritrea, but was caught after three months and sent back to the camp. Lev Ami returned to Eretz Israel with the last of the exiles from Kenya on July 12, 1948. The album contains 75 photographs, mostly family photographs, and 19 loose photographs. Approximately 30 photographs were taken in the internment camps in Kenya and Eritrea, which document various events of camp life: Chanukkah party, plays, photograph with people that visited the camp, etc.
The photographs are placed in a fancy album made of thick leather and a wooden plate with an etched illustration portraying the battle to conquer Jaffa in April 1948 by soldiers waving a flag with the Etzel symbol - "Just so". Possibly, the wooden plate was made in one of the detention camps where Lev-Ami stayed. Shlomo Lev-Ami's brother, Yosef, was the most senior commander of Etzel, and fell in the battle to conquer Jaffa. Total of more than 90 photographs, average size 9x6.5 cm, album 23.5x14 cm. Good condition.