American Colony – Collection of Souvenirs from the Store of the Colony in Jerusalem – Albums of Pictures and ...

American Colony – Collection of Souvenirs from the Store of the Colony in Jerusalem – Albums of Pictures and Pressed Flowers, a Guide to Palestine, and More
Collection of souvenirs made by the American Colony store in Jerusalem, "Vester & Company, the American Colony Store". [Early 20th century to 1930s].
In the early 20th century, the American Colony purchased the store of Ferdinand Vester – manufacturer of wooden souvenirs and albums of pressed flowers - near the Jaffa gate. Vester's son, Friedrich, was appointed manager of the store, which began selling products of the Colony – photographs, postcards, albums of pressed flowers and more. Over the years, the store became one of the most beloved manufacturers of quality souvenirs in Jerusalem. Before us is a collection of souvenirs from the store:
1. Early postcard with an illustration of the Dome of the Rock and an advertisement for the store. Undivided.
2. Jerusalem and the Holy land, album with 24 quality prints (photogravures) of photographs from Palestine – Jerusalem, the Jordan River, the Dead Sea, Haifa Bay and more. Jerusalem, [ca. mid 1920s to early 1930s].
3. The American Colony Palestine Guide, by G. Olaf Matson. Guide to Palestine published by the store. Jerusalem, 1930. Third edition. Includes 12 prints - pictures from various sites across the land, folded sketches of important buildings and two large maps – Palestine and Jerusalem.
4-6. Three albums with pressed flower arrangements, bound in olivewood bindings. Two include color pictures of sites in the country (mounted alongside the flowers). In one album, the scientific names of the plants are printed alongside references to their place of appearance in the Scriptures.
The pressed-flower albums of the American Colony were considered especially beautiful, and were the first to depict arrangements of Biblical flowers alongside their scientific names and the verses that refer to them (presumably, these albums were made with the assistance of botanist and educator John Edward Dinsmore, director of the herbarium of the American Colony). Since the Colony operated an advanced photography department, some of the albums were decorated with pictures of sites in the country, which were sometimes matched to the place where the flowers grew.
Size and condition vary. Good-fair overall condition.