American Colony Photo Department Or Its Successor The Matson Photo Service

Place: Jerusalem

Born: 1898

Death: 1977

Biography:

The American Colony Photo Department was founded in Jerusalem in 1898 by Elijah Meyers, a Jewish convert to Christianity who had emigrated from India. The department produced over 22,000 glass and film photographic negatives and transparencies, as well as over 1,000 photographic prints and eleven albums. In 1940, the department was succeeded by the Matson Photo Service, run by G. Eric Matson and his wife Edith. The Matson Photo Service continued to produce photographs until 1977, creating a collection of over 23,000 glass and film negatives, as well as prints and albums. The collection is known for its images of the Middle East, particularly Palestine and Israel, and is housed in various institutions, including the Library of Congress and the National Gallery of Art.