Bidspirit auction | 10 Photographs and a Document

10 Photographs and a Document – Construction Work in Eretz Israel, 1920s–30s – Third Aliyah -  A lot of 10 original photographs from the 1920s–30s, from the archive of Yonatan Schlein — a young immigrant from Zwiahel in the Volhynia region. The photographs depict construction work and early settlement activity in the formative years of the Jewish Yishuv: a packing facility or warehouse with large stacks of wooden crates; casting work and concrete molds; building frames under construction and tiled roofs in early stages; groups of Jewish and Arab laborers working on scaffolding; wooden huts and early residential structures, including an interior view of a simple room. Dimensions: • The packing-house photograph: 16 × 12 cm, stamped “Crystal” Studio, Hadera. • The photograph of four men in front of a roof under construction: 18 × 13 cm. • The adjacent photograph: 11.5 × 16 cm, stamped by photographer P. Zibelin. • The interior room photograph: 16 × 12 cm. • The remaining photographs are postcard-size. Additionally, a photograph of a cornerstone-laying ceremony for a youth home for maritime training, featuring Rabbi Rubin (?) and Dr. Aloni. Photographer: Y. Berez, Yad Eliyahu. Postcard size. The photographs are in good to very good condition, some with light wear. Yonatan Schlein (Schlein), originally from Zwiahel, is mentioned in Volhynian Jewish community sources as a young Zionist activist who assisted in teaching Hebrew and preparing youth for immigration. After immigrating to Eretz Israel in the early 1920s, his name appears in the records of the Association of Volhynia Immigrants in Israel; he later served as an active member and even Vice-Chairman of its Construction Committee during the 1960s. Accompanying Document (included in the lot) Certificate from the Palestinian Department for the immigrant Yonatan Schlein of Zwiahel An official certificate dated 24 January 1921, issued by the Palestinian Department of the Central Zionist Organization in Poland (Centralny Wydział Palestyński w Polsce) for the immigrant Yonatan (Jonusin) Schlein, born in Zwiahel in the Volhynia area, profession malarz — painter / craftsman. “The Palestinian Department of the Central Zionist Organization hereby certifies that Mr. Jonusin Szlajen, of Zwiahel, by profession a painter (malarz), is carrying the following tools, which are his property: 10 small brushes 4 large brushes 2 shovels 3 chisels of various types 3 hand saws 2 pliers 2 gouges 2 files 2 small axes 1 axe Warsaw, 24 January 1921 Signatures: Secretary of the Department and Approving Officer Stamp: Centralny Wydział Palestyński” The document bears an original round stamp and original signatures. Dimensions: 28 × 21 cm. Original folds, slight handling wear at the edges, no damage to text. Print and signatures are clear. Four original documents issued by the Tel Aviv Municipality Building Department and by the engineer/architect Jonathan Shlein, all relating to a building permit process in the early 1930s. The documents concern a property on G. Street, Plot 55, Parcel 89 in Block 20 (Montefiore Quarter), and reflect the stages of permits, inspections, and conditions for carrying out construction and extension works. Official letter from Jonathan Shlein’s office, Tel Aviv, 8.12.1935 – A communication to the District Officer of the Tax Department, confirming that “we notified the client regarding the start of construction.” Signed in Shlein’s handwriting. Original letterhead with the printed commercial design of the office. Completion Certificate No. 216, Tel Aviv Municipality – Building Committee, 30.11.1933 – Certifying that the building on G. Street No. 55 was completed in accordance with Building Permit No. 2156. Two “Hadovitl – For Our Children” municipal stamps affixed on the left. Signed by the Chairman of the Building Committee and the Municipal Engineer. Building Permit No. 2156, Tel Aviv Municipality – Technical Department, 6.9.1933 – A permit for the construction of three rooms, a kitchen, and an additional extension. Includes an embossed municipal seal and signatures of relevant officials. Lower section includes a blank inspection table for recording supervisory visits. Permit Conditions Sheet – A printed regulation sheet of the Building Committee listing 19 clauses covering the submission of plans, supervision requirements, construction conduct, responsibilities of the property owner, safety obligations, and procedural rules typical of early 1930s Tel Aviv building policy. All documents in overall good condition, with expected folds, light usage marks, and scattered age-related paper spots, consistent with materials of this period.