Jerusalem and Israel 1930's Behind the lens of Hannah and Efraim Degani

Behind the lens of Hannah and Efraim Degani

Couple that owned Photo Prisma photography shop in Jerusalem documented landscapes of capital, country over many decades. New exhibition displays their fascinating work

Nadav Man

Published:  11.13.09, 07:45 / Israel Travel

Many of Jerusalem's residents are familiar with the Photo Prisma photography shop on the capital's Zion Square. The store was purchased by the Degani couple in the 1940s and is still active to this very day.


Efraim (1912-2001) was born in Germany, studied medical photography in Italy, arrived in Jerusalem in 1935 and began working as a medical photographer at the Hadassah Hospital.


Hannah Degani (nee Shoyer) was born in Germany in 1917, and studied photography as well. She arrived in Tel Aviv in 1936 and worked in a photography shop. In 1940 she studied photomicrography techniques and was employed by Hadassah. She met Efraim at the hospital and the two were married.

Hannah and Efraim were ardent Zionists and perpetuated in their photos the landscapes of the Land of Israel, the building of the land, historic events, important people and the country's population.


I found a treasure of photos of Israel when I visited the couple's daughters, Edna and Daniela. A selection from this collection is displayed in an exhibition which opened last week at the Eretz Israel Museum in Tel Aviv. An additional selection will be presented here, in the "Trip to the Past" section.



1. Haifa, Carmelheim (Ben-Gurion Boulevard)


 
2. Water pool in Jericho


 
3. Jordan River


 
4. Yarkon River


 
5. Tel Aviv beach


 
6. Hurva Synagogue in Jerusalem's Jewish Quarter


 
7. Tiferet Israel Synagogue in Jerusalem's Jewish Quarter, 1937


 
8. Tiferet Israel Synagogue in Jerusalem's Jewish Quarter, 1937


 
9. Christian Quarter in Jerusalem's Old City, Lutheran Church of the Redeemer and Muristan neighborhood


 
10. Ambulance hit in a terror attack in Jerusalem


 
11. Another ambulance hit in the Jerusalem terror attack 


 
12. November 17, 1949. State funeral in Jerusalem for more than 300 people killed in Gush Etzion and in the battles of Radar Hill, Latrun and Neve Yaakov


13. People in Jerusalem



14. People in Jerusalem


  
15. One of first the IDF parades in Jerusalem


 
16. The first Israel Railways journey to Jerusalem took place on August 7, 1949. From right to left: Former Minister Dov Yosef and former Prime Ministers Golda Meir and David Ben-Gurion


 
17. Southeastern corner in Old City wall in Jerusalem. A Hannah Degani photo from 1938

• Nadav man arranged and prepared the exhibition at the Eretz Israel Museum