The creation of the state of Israel on what was claimed to be a deserted land in 1948, was reinforced by photographic representations of Palestine in the 19th century, as a biblical site, and an unpopulated ancient land. Contrary to those claims, old photography albums of Palestinian families testify on the existence of urban centers in Jerusalem, Nablus, Ramallah, and Jaffa. The photographs testify on the function of photography in the family, within institutions, and as a product of tourist/ pilgrim economy.

In 1880, Armenian convent St. James held the first photographic workshop for the reproduction of old documents under Yessai Garabedian's (the Armenian Patriarch). Key photographers from the region such as Gulbenk Gulbenk from Aleppo, and Garabed Krikorian in Jerusalem, studied there and later opened commercial photography studios that lasted for more than 2 generations. Krikorian's granddaughter Aida lives now in Amman -Jordan and still remembers how she used to visit her grandfather's studio in Jerusalem. She remembers the traditional Jerusalem costumes that he provided his tourist clients with as a souvenir from Jerusalem. Her mother and her have been photographed by him, disguised in different costumes as well. They spoke Arabic and English despite the fact that they were Armenians. She says "My father didn't teach us Armenian and was not nationalist. We didn't think if we were Arabs or Armenians. We were Palestinian Jerusalemites."

Aida's father, (Garabed's only son Yohannes) took the studio after his father's death and continued to work until 1948. Garabed's friend and relative Khalil Raad opened a studio of his own in the same neighborhood and used the same traditional Palestinian costumes to attract the tourists. He quickly left Jerusalem and settled in Lebanon when the war started. His collection of negatives was rescued by his friends, and later reached the archive of the Institute of Palestinian Studies. Yohannes didn't leave Jerusalem hoping that one day he would be allowed to go back into his studio. He tried to rescue his archive, but it was too dangerous to reach. He was told his studio was robbed.

"Old photographs revive the past but cannot return us physically in time, cannot return violated rights nor make us happy as we used to be." With such despair,:

Hisham Abdel Hadi commented while looking at his personal photo album, which included his personal photographs from Jericho and Jerusalem. The albums reflect a certain liberty of circulation in the region without borders or barriers. He could easily drive his MG car from Jerusalem to Beirut, race in the mountains of Dahr el Baydar, and return back in the same day. "It was all one country" he says and expresses his amazement at how he can recall the past in its smallest detail, but not the present.

Abdel Hadi belongs to a generation of Palestinians who were forced to leave home after the creation of Israel in 1948. Like many of them, he decided to live in Jordan before he was followed by a significant number of Palestinians who were forced to leave home. They left behind them houses, land, furniture, carpets, clothes, and photographs, and relocated in other countries, thinking that this was only a temporary displacement. Despite the passage of 56 years now, Palestinians still keep a strong attachment to their homeland, which they are keen on transmitting to their children by telling them stories and showing them old photographs.

Samia Sukkar Salfiti tells her son about her grandparent's life in Jaffa, as they were known to hold yearly masquerade parties to celebrate Easter. She showed him photographs dating to 1934-35, in which the family was disguised in Arab medieval upper-class clothes. Samia returned to Jaffa to visit her grandparents' house in 68, when it was used as residence of the French consul. The consul's wife welcomed her after she recognized who her grandfather was. His name "Alfred Roch" was apparently written on all the books and engraved on most the silverware still kept in the house. She was offered to carry them back home, but she refused like most Palestinians who say, "nothing compensates us for the loss of the land." A guard (guardian) who helped her grandparents once deposit their most precious objects in the basements of two convents guided her through her search. When she entered one of the basements he pointed at a corner and said, "these are your grandmother' suitcases. They are still kept in the same place."

Samieh Khairy is happy for the fact that her father Abdel Rahman al Taji, died before 1948. She says, "at least he died when the country was still his." He had built a huge house in the middle of orange fields in Wadi Hnein, near Ramleh. She remembers how the Sisters used to insist on bringing her from boarding school back home for Christmas and walk her through the orange trees to smell the orange blossoms. Their house was visited by most British officials who passed through Palestine, including Princess Mary. The British governor used to tell his guests, "Come see the paradise." Her father used to show them how to pack the oranges for exportation to Germany. She studied music in school, ranked first in a major piano competition, and won a scholarship to continue her studies in London. But her father refused to send her to England. She spent most of her time doing metal work on canvas and embroidery. On her engagement day, her father insisted that a woman photographer comes home to take her picture. On her wedding day, she changed seven dresses of seven different colors. She lived with her husband in Jerusalem until 1948 when they were asked by the British to leave the city. They went to Ramleh, from there to Jericho, and from Jericho to Amman. She regrets losing all her embroidery work after she left. Her father's house in Wadi Hnein was transformed later into a mental asylum.

Samieh still spend her days doing embroidery work, and gives them as special gifts to her grandchildren, hoping that they remind them of their lost Paradise.

Akram Zaatari October 21, 1999

About the Arab Image Foundation:

The Arab Image Foundation is a non-profit organization that was established in Beirut (Lebanon) in 1997 to locate, collect, preserve, interpret and present the photographic heritage and visual culture of the Middle East, North Africa and the Arab diaspora from the early 19th century to the present. The ongoing research and acquisition of photographs started in 1997 and covered to date, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Iraq, Iran, Mexico, Argentina and Senegal. The collections acquired include 200,000 photographs.

The Arab Image Foundation aims to make its collection accessible to the general public, through the wide spectrum of activities it initiates, among which are exhibitions, publications, videos and website.

http:/ /www.fai.org.lb