Early 20th Century Palestine: Keystone and Underwood Stereoviews of Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Regional Topography

Early 20th Century Palestine

Archive

Unidentified photographers, Palestine stereoview archive, ca. 1900–1930, documents religious geography, pilgrimage activity, and daily life in Palestine during the late Ottoman and British Mandatory periods, supporting research into colonial visual culture, Western educational media, and representations of the Holy Land. The archive reflects the widespread use of stereoscopic imagery in classrooms and lecture circuits, where photographic views of biblical sites and contemporary inhabitants were circulated to shape Western understanding of the region. The images foreground Christian pilgrimage locations while also incorporating local populations and landscapes, offering a layered record of how Palestine was visually interpreted for foreign audiences in the early twentieth century.
Twenty-one albumen stereoview photographs, primarily produced by Keystone View Company and Underwood & Underwood, depicting locations across Palestine including Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth, and surrounding regions. Views include the Mount of Olives, pilgrims walking along the Via Dolorosa, the Garden of Gethsemane, and the village of Siloam (Silwan). Landscape images show the plains of Jericho, the Sharon plain, and the hills of Samaria with visible architectural ruins, including freestanding stone columns. Several images depict daily activity, including a Samaritan woman drawing water from Jacob’s Well, a cattle drive moving through the Valley of Hinnom, and individuals traveling mountainous terrain with pack animals. Interiors and urban edges are suggested through narrow streets and clustered buildings. Many mounts include printed captions on the verso in multiple languages. One Keystone stereoview dated 1909 describes the view from the Mount of Olives overlooking Jerusalem, referencing the Valley of Jehoshaphat, the Golden Gate, and the city’s religious divisions. Another caption provides a descriptive overview of Jerusalem’s population, industries, and urban conditions, framing the city for an արտաքին educational audience.

Produced during a period of transition from Ottoman to British control, the archive reflects how Palestine was mediated through commercial photography for Western consumption, particularly emphasizing biblical associations and pilgrimage routes while presenting local populations within ethnographic and orientalist frameworks. The stereoview format itself functioned as both entertainment and instruction, reinforcing spatial and cultural narratives through three-dimensional illusion. Light edge wear and minor surface handling consistent with use; images remain clear with well-preserved contrast. Overall in very good condition.

Item #20643

Price: $485.00