Impressive Photo Album – City of Slonim, 1923

Impressive Photo Album – City of Slonim, 1923
Album with 44 large professional photos of the city of Slonim, 1923.
On the album cover, designed and bound as a book, appears an embossed inscription: "a gruss fun slonim 1923" [regards from Slonim, 1923].
Large photos (18X23.5 cm) are mounted on the album's leaves, portraying sites and different buildings in the city: The pharmacy, the synagogue (exquisite exterior and interior photos), commercial street, market on Thursday, Jewish cemetery, city's rabbi, head of the Yeshivah, jubilee ceremony of the fire department, factories, city after a fire, the mosque, the prison, orphanage, Magen David Adom, school's pupils and teachers and other Jewish institutes, etc.
The origin of the Jewish congregation of Slonim dates back to the 16th century and the oldest gravestone in the old Jewish cemetery is from 1529. When WW II broke out 16,000 Jews lived in the city – about half of the total population. Most Jews were involved with labor and industry. Zionist parties and youth movements were active in the city, where there were schools of "Tarbut", "Beit Ya'akov", Tachkemoni", a Yiddish school, a Jewish Gymnasium and a Yeshivah. Culture institutes also operated in the city such as clubs and libraries, which also published several Jewish papers.
Album: 29 cm, damages caused to the binding, some of which are restored. Photos and leaves in good condition. Two last photos: 12X16.5 cm.