18 portrait photographs (most are cabinet cards) of authors, poets and scholars, friends or subjects of researches by the scholar and author Avraham Kahana. [Different places, second half of 19th century / first decade of 20th century].
Among the photographed: * Shmuel David Luzzatto at his desk. Photographer: Alpron, Padua [ca. 1860-1865]. * Joseph Luzzatto (son of Shadal), Palermo, ca. 1892. * Yesha'ayahu Luzzatto (two photographs). * Rabbi Israel Costa (Hebrew author, rabbi, commentator and editor), Livorno, ca. 1894 (the photograph was given to Kahana by Costa's son in law). * Prof. Lelio Della Tórre. * Rabbi Elijah Benamozegh. * Rabbi Jacob Ottolenghi from Thessaloniki (disciple of Benamozegh). * Prof. Shmuel Krauss (with a handwritten dedication). * Zvi Peretz Chajes (with a dedication in his handwriting), Lvov, 1901. * Shmuel Abba Horodetzky (two photographs, both with handwritten dedications), 1901-1902. * Moshe Kleinman, Berdichev, ca. 1901 (with a handwritten dedication), and other portraits.
Size varies, approx. 6X10 cm to 11X16 cm. Condition varies; some photographs are faded or stained.
Provenance: Collection of Ben Zion Kahana.