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The Benor-Kalter Collection This important collection of old photogravure views of Jerusalem and the Holy Land (Eretz Israel) by Jacob (Ya'akov) Benor-Kalter, illustrates the early artistic work of Benor-Kalter. The work was published in Jerusalem by the Art Publishing House "Migdal" and by the Pro-Jerusalem Society in 1926. The collection includes: a) 20 plates, PP (25 cm wide by 30 cm tall). b) 17 postcards, PC (10 cm wide by 15 cm tall) and c) Three stamps from a set of Palestine Postal Stamps designed by Benor-Kalter in 1927. |
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| The logo of "Migdal" Art Publishing House 1926 |
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Curriculum vitae summary of Benor-Kalter (1897 – 1965).
Jacob (Ya'akov) Benor-Kalter was a prolific and important Jewish photographer, born in Poland in 1897.
Graduated in Practical Engineering, Architecture and Graphics, he specialized in combining photography with
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The album "Eretz Israel – A Collection of Land Views" (in Hebrew), holds 24 Photogravure Prints of Jerusalem and the Holy Land 1926, תרפ'ו. |
In 1927, Jacob Benor-Kalter was selected to design the new pictorial series of stamps for the Postmaster General of Palestine. The expanded album "Jerusalem the Old City" with 22 photogravure pictures had a second edition published in 1931 by "Divan Book and Art Shop Jerusalem" and a third edition printed in 1958 in commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the State of Israel. During the 1930's his photographic style changed to include photomontage prints which were published in several albums. In the 1940's he abandoned photography and become engaged in architectural projects, married to Behira and built his house in the seashore of Natanya. Benor-Kalter died in Jerusalem in 1969.
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Producing A Photogravure Print.
A photogravure is a photographic image that is printed from an engraved copper plate. Producing Photogravure prints during the 1920's in the Holy Land was a pioneering complicated art project that involved several stages.
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| An antique printing press for etched copper plates. Used to print photogravures. |
The first stage in the process starts with the original camera film negative, afterwards a new negative image is made from the original negative to produce a positive image. The second stage is to sensitize a sheet of pigmented gelatin gravure tissue placed on a copper plate. The third stage is to expose the film positive to the sensitized gravure tissue, hardening the gelatin in proportion to the degree of light exposed to it. The fourth stage is to adhere the exposed tissue to the copper plate. The fifth stage is to use a hot water bath to remove the paper backing and to wash away the softer, unexposed gelatin. The sixth stage is to etch the plate in a series of ferric chloride baths, creating a gravure plate with tiny wells of varying depth to hold ink. The final stage is to print the cleaned plate.
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List of 37 Pictures
| File # | Titles Of Photographs | Type |
| A0 | Rachel's Tomb on the way to Beth-Lehem | PC |
| A1 | Jerusalem, view from Mount Olives | PP |
| A2 | Jerusalem, the Temple Area with the Dome of the Rock | PP |
| A2a | Left: Jerusalem, the Citadel (David Tower). Right: View of David Street market | PC |
| A3 | Salomon Street El-Wad main street with public drinking fountain or dispensary | PP |
| A30 | Jerusalem, Garden of Gethsemane (Mary Magdalene Church). | PC |
| A4 | Right: The Wailing Wall, part of the Jewish second temple. Left: A main street in Jerusalem. | PP |
| A5 | Left: The main street near Damascus Gate in Jerusalem. Right: Beggars at the entrance to the Wailing Wall. | PP |
| A6 | Timnath-Serach, Burial place of Joshua ben Nun, the Israelite leader who succeeded Moses. | PP |
| A7 | Fountain near Jaffa, on the way to Mikve Israel. | PP |
| A8 | Arab Cafe on the sea-shore Port of Jaffa. | PP |
| A9 | Arab restaurant in Jaffa. | PP |
| Ab10 | The Technion Tecnological institute School in Haifa. | PP |
| Ab11 | Hadar HaCarmel. The northern slopes of Mount Carmel. | PP |
| Ab12 | A view of the bay and port of Haifa from Mount Carmel. | PP |
| Ab13 | The Sea of Galilee seen from the village of Migdal. | PP |
| Ab14 | The city Safed. (one of Judaism's Four Holy Cities). | PP |
| Ab15 | A Village in Southern Galilee. | PP |
| Ab16 | A Village on the Bank of the River Jordan. | PP |
| Ab17 | On the River Jordan. | PP |
| Ab18 | Carantal Mountain near the city of Jericho. | PP |
| Ac20 | Left: Street of the Chain. (Bab Sinsila) in Jerusalem. Right: The Wailing Wall. | PC |
| Ac21 | Left: Jerusalem, street near Damascus Gate. Right: A Cafe in the Old City | PC |
| Ac22 | Right: Jerusalem, Street of the Chain. (Chan a Zeit). Left: Beggars at the entrance to the Wailing Wall. | PC |
| Ac23 | Jerusalem, Temple Area (Haram a Sharif). | PC |
| Ac24 | Jerusalem, Tyropoeon valley Street (El-Wad) near Damascus Gate. | PC |
| Ac26 | Timnath-Serach, Burial place of Joshua ben Nun | PC |
| Ac27 | View of Jerusalem from Mount Scopus (A panoramic view). | PC |
| Ac28 | Left: Street near Damascus Gate in Jerusalem. Right: Tyropoeon valley Street (El-Wad) near Damascus Gate | PC |
| Ac29 | Jerusalem. The Dome of the Rock in the Temple Area (view from south). | PC |
| Ad30 | Palestine Post Office Stamps designed by Benor-Kalter in 1927 |
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