Using images from the G. Eric and Edith Matson Photograph Collection of the Library of Congress, the “City of Gold in Black & White” Virtual Exhibition offered by the City of David Archive juxtaposes black & white photographs of Jerusalem taken during the late 19th and early 20th centuries with full-color photographs of the the same spots as they looks today.
The viewer is invited to become mesmerized by the effect of landmarks that remain wholly recognizable and virtually unchanged alongside the tremendous development of the area as a whole.
The exhibit will serve as an homage to Jerusalem, presenting the history of thousands of years and the progress of one hundred years and enabling viewers to experience the eternal Jerusalem in its here and now moment.
“The seamless merging of the images is the result of the unique eye of the exhibit’s photographer, Koby Harati, who not only shot from the same angle used in the older pictures, but at the same time of day, and under the same weather conditions – creating a true integration of past and present,” said Atara Spero Harow, Director of the City of David Archive.
“We spent days going through the Library of Congress collection to find high quality photographs whose specific location we could re-capture,” said Harati. “The greater challenge was pinpointing the exact position and camera angle at which the older photographs were taken – to imagine buildings and structures that no longer stood and how they would have impacted the view. We used aerial photographs and even a 3D model to visualize the spaces. When it came time to photograph, I decided to ask passers-by to be volunteer to hold the old photos. Their hands in these pictures perfectly encapsulate the variety of people and characters who experience Jerusalem, who derive meaning from it and make it what it is.”
The exhibit, which represents a sample preview of a large collection of photos being developed, features prominent sites of Biblical Jerusalem including the Shiloach Channel in the City of David, the Yad Avshalom monument, the Southern Wall and the Temple Mount.