Bidspirit auction | The Funeral of Theodor Herzl

The Funeral of Theodor Herzl – Three Weekend Issues of HaTzefirah Providing Extensive Coverage of the Funeral Procession and Eulogies. July 8–22, 1904 - Three weekend issues of HaTzefirah published following the death of Theodor Herzl, July 8–22, 1904, including the rare issue announcing Herzl's death and a subsequent issue containing extensive coverage of the funeral procession and eulogies, illustrated with rare photographs and scenes from the funeral. Rare. The first issue reporting Herzl's death and funeral was published on July 8, 1904, the Friday following the funeral. Its front page features Herzl's portrait enclosed within a black mourning border beneath the caption: ”Binyamin Ze'ev Herzl, of blessed memory.” At that stage, photographs and detailed reports from the funeral procession, which had taken place the previous day, had not yet reached the newspaper. These appeared in the following weekend issue, included here, which was devoted entirely to extensive coverage of the ”Procession of Mourning” and the funeral. The issue of July 15, 1904 opens with ”The Oration of Mourning, ” Nahum Sokolow's eulogy delivered at the funeral ceremony in Vienna, lamenting Herzl the man: ”Our beloved son, Benjamin! We lower the Hebrew pen in mourning, just as soldiers lower their rifles in tribute... Herzl, the man who awakened within us the ancient Hebrew sense of honor...” In his eulogy, Sokolow pledged: ”The day will come when we shall bring Benjamin's bones to the Land of Israel.” The issue continues with ”To Herzl's Soul” by A. Libushitzky, followed by ”Behind the Hero's Coffin, ” a detailed account of the funeral procession describing the flag bearers, the horse-drawn hearse, and the vast crowds accompanying the coffin: ”In this coffin were borne the remains of the national hero, Benjamin Ze'ev Herzl—the first of heroes...” This issue also contains rare photographs from the funeral procession, including the cantor, choir, and mourners walking before the bier, as well as the crowds following the cortege in carriages and on foot. The third weekend issue in this bound group, published on July 22, 1904, is devoted extensively to Herzl's life and is likewise illustrated with rare photographs, including Herzl in his study, a childhood portrait of Herzl, and his children, newly orphaned by their father's death. It also includes the elegy ”On the Death of Herzl” by Zvi Elatin. Three complete bound issues, comprising all of the weekend editions of HaTzefirah devoted to the death of Theodor Herzl. Overall good - very good condition.