Fili’s world

Celebrating Israel’s 60 years of independence Taipei Fine Arts museum is showing the works of Israeli Paul Goldman, a somewhat unknown name who’s behind some great - even historical - Israeli photography (link). Exhibition will run from 11th of March to 22th of June. Here’s a bit about that (thanks V for the translation):

Tribute to Paul Goldman, Press Photographer 1943-1965

Born in Budapest in 1900, Paul Goldman came to Israel – then Palestine – in 1940 following a troublesome journey. He was accompanied by his new young wife on one hand, and a camera in the other. Upon arrival, the Goldmans were interned as “illegal immigrants” in Atlit, near Haifa.

Shortly after, Paul Goldman enlisted in the British Army where he was wounded twice in Tobruk, then under siege by the “Desert Fox”, German Field Marshal Rommel. Following his honorable discharge Goldman started making his living as a photographer. His meticulously kept archive holds some 40,000 negatives, mostly shot on assignment for international press agencies between 1943 and 1965. Goldman passed away in 1986. In September 2004 the first exhibition of his work took place in Tel-Aviv. A man’s life, a saga of a life as told by images that he captured.

The period captured by Goldman with his wonderful photographs, as well as the scope of his work, enhanced his standing as an important and significant press photographer. He recorded the period of the British Mandate, the Jewish settlements, the immigrant transit camps, the “illegal” immigrant camps in Cyprus, the arrival of the survivors of the Holocaust, the War of Independence and operation “Magic Carpet” that brought the Jews of Yemen to Israel. His subjects were refugees and diplomats, leaders, ordinary men and women.

There is no doubt that he was highly professional, a perfectionist with an extraordinary sense of perspicacity and a rare feeling for a story. There is also no doubt that out of the 40,000 negatives in Goldman’s archive – including many that have never been published before – more than one exhibition could have been created.

Many of his pictures were published with credits in tiny font, or appeared in albums with no credit at all. As such, his images made their way into the national pantheon in almost total anonymity. The best-known example of this is the unforgettable photograph of Ben-Gurion, in a swimsuit, standing on his head on the Herzlia beach.

This exhibition aims, somewhat belatedly, to do justice to Paul Goldman, with the respect, admiration and recognition that he merits.

The exhibition and the catalogue were made possible by the generosity of Spencer M. Partrich.

I think it’s worth seeing, if you’re interested in Israel (and let me know, so I’ll come with you… )