Beschreibung:

MACCABAEAN LAND COMPANY
MACCABAEAN LAND COMPANY A collection of glass slides of views of the first Anglo-Jewish settlement in Palestine at Gezer [Abu Shusha] and Modin, 1923-1924. 4 glass negatives of the inauguration ceremony, and 47 (of 52) glass negatives of the settlement and surroundings (82 x 82mm), 3 of the latter captioned in ink manuscript, all numbered with printed or manuscript labels, some negatives with more conventional views with the labels of the Palestine Exploration Fund. (Lacking 5 negatives, nos. 12-16, negative 3 of the inauguration ceremony cracked with 20 x 8mm piece missing and repaired with tape, no. 52 cracked at edge, minor wear to others.) Contained in the original wooden box with type contents list on verso of lid (hinges broken, extremities rubbed). AN IMPORTANT PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD OF THE INAUGURATION OF THE FIRST ANGLO-JEWISH SETTLEMENT IN PALESTINE ON 8 MAY 1923. The photographs show the sod-cutting ceremony, inauguration address, the official inauguration delegation and the Union Flag and the Zionist Flag flying together. These four photographs appear to be extra to the main collection, evidently published as publicity to promote the Joint Zionist Council of Great Britain (JZCGB) and Order of Ancient Maccabeans’ (OAM) attempts to establish Zionist colonies in Palestine. The farm at Abu Shusha had formerly belonged to the Bergheim family, but was sold in 1913, with 3,600 dunams purchased by the Arab villagers, and the remaining 6,400 dunams by Jewish Colonization Association (JCA). For the first 8 years, the JCA leased the land to Arab sharecroppers, before it was sold to the Maccabaean Land Company, a fund established by the JZCGB. On 8 May 1923, numerous dignitaries, including the High Commissioner Sir Herbert Samuel, participated in the inauguration of the new settlement. Samuel can be made out in a number of the photographs. Although the negatives here depict Chlutzim (pioneers) working the fields and images of new roads and infrastructure, the settlement was not a success, and was only cultivated successfully after the establishment of Kibbutz Bezer in 1945. Other images include views of the Arab villagers and workers in the fields.