Land of Israel in 19th century, in color

US Library of Congress presents fascinating collection of photos taken by American who toured country from 1890 to 1900

Ynet|Published: 12.05.13 , 16:28

Up until now, one could only read about what the Land of Israel looked like in the 19th century through the eyes of an American tourist, in Mark Twain's famous travel memoir "The Innocents Abroad." Now, we have the opportunity to see it too through the lens of the camera of an American who toured the country from 1890 to 1900.

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Jerusalem in black and white

The United States Library of Congress has published this fascinating collection of photos documenting the country between the First Zionist Aliyah and the Second Aliyah.

The pictures were refurbished in the photochrom technique – in other words, black and white photos were colored. It's unclear who the photographer was and what he was doing in the Middle East. In addition to the Land of Israel, the series also includes pictures from Lebanon and Syria.