Flowers and Views of the Holy Land Jerusalem
A.L. Monsohn (Lithographer)
Flowers and Views of the Holy Land Jerusalem
Jerusalem: A. K. Kahane, ca. 1890s
Albums with pressed flowers were once fashionable souvenirs for travelers visiting the area known by followers of the Abrahamic faiths as the Holy Land. They were sold at countless small shops at pilgrimage destinations and were ideal gifts to take home for friends and family. Preserved for more than 120 years, these beautiful and delicate flowers made a tangible connection with the land and its past.
The small album presented here features full-page photochrome prints depicting the legendary landmarks of the Holy Land, such as Jerusalem, Mount Carmel, Mount Zion, Rachel’s Tomb, Jaffe, and Mount of Olives, among others. Each print is complemented by a lovely floral arrangement on the facing page, composed of plants and flowers claimed to be collected in the same areas.
In this image, a floral ornament woven in the shape of the Star of David is adorned by small flower petals said to originate from Mount Zion. It accompanies an image on the opposite side, likely a colored reproduction of the photograph dated ca. 1870s by the French photographer Felix Bonfils (1831–1885). It shows a complex of landmarks of different confessions on Mount Zion, such as the location of the Tomb of King David, Room of the Last Supper, Chapel of the Holy Spirit, and the Nabi Daud Mosque.
The Hebrew inscription on the top of the flower ornament references a stanza from Psalm 128, which translates as “May the Lord bless you from Zion.” The inscriptions below the ornament are Russian, English, French, and German.
The album is bound with handsome olivewood covers.
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