Skip to main content

Distributed for Brandeis University Press

Photographing the Jewish Nation

Pictures from S. An-sky’s Ethnographic Expeditions

From 1912 to 1914, S. An-sky and the photographer Solomon Iudovin gathered materials and took photographs of Jewish daily life in pre-Revolutionary Russia’s Pale of Settlement. Photographing the Jewish Nation offers English-language readers their first look at over 170 extraordinary, recently rediscovered photographs from their expeditions. The pictures provide visual texture—in remarkable detail—that rarely appears in written sources. This volume includes a critical introduction and five chapters that document all aspects of Jewish life inside the Pale, including work, education, and religious and cultural traditions.

Brandeis University Press image

View all books from Brandeis University Press

Table of Contents

Preface and Acknowledgments • Map of Volynia, Podolia, and Kiev Provinces • Photographing the Jewish Nation – Eugene M. Avrutin & Harriet Murav • The Making of a Young Photographer • From Ethnography to Art – Alexander Ivanov • “Brothers and Sisters in Toil and Struggle” • Jewish Workers and Artisans on the Eve of Revolution – Valerii Dymshits • “The Jewish Nursery” • Educating the Next Generation – Alexander Lvov • The Space of Jewish Tradition • Sacred and Profane Places – Alla Sokolova • The First Jewish Museum – Valerii Dymshits • A list of illustrations follows each chapter

Be the first to know

Get the latest updates on new releases, special offers, and media highlights when you subscribe to our email lists!

Sign up here for updates about the Press