Figure 1.--This Colony photograph shows a group of children, we believe to be Arab boys, harvesting Jaffa oranges. The photo is undated, but we believe was taken in the early-20th century, probably before World War I. Source: American Jerusalem Colony/Library of Congress.

Financing philanthropic work requited money. There were some contributions from America. Elijah Meyers, a member of the Colony, began taking photographs of places and events in and around Jerusalem (about 1900). This is important because the Palestinians were so backward at the time that they were not taking photgraphs. There were some photograpohers in the Ottoman Empire, many of Greek or other European origins. They were not, however, operating to any extent in Palestine. Thus the work of the American Colony photiographers are of considerable historical interest. They provide some of the few available immages of Palestine before World war I. There was great interest iunteret in America for photographs of the Holy Land. This soon proved a a profitble ctivity to help support the Colony. As a result, her photographic efforts gradually expanded into an important photographic division. including Hol Lars (Lewis) Larsson and G. Eric Matson became especially involved. They renmed the effort the Matson Photographic Service. They not onlt took photographs of religious site and ethnigraphic scenes, but archeological sites as well. A plague of locuts stripped the Jerusalem area and other areas of Palestin of vegitation (1915). Thic added to the griwing problem associated with the War, especially the food supply. Djemal Pasha, Supreme Commander of Syria and Arabia, attempted to organize a relief effort. He asked the American Colony photographers to document the locust infestation. Later the Turlish commander asked them to document the War. The Colony's invaluable photographic collection was evetually donated to the Library of Congress and is available on-line.

Created: 6:13 PM 8/25/2012
Last updated: 6:13 PM 8/25/2012