Winston Churchill looks sombre and contemplative as he talks to a priest in an area surrounded by white crosses.
The photograph, taken in March 1921, depicts the Secretary of State for Colonies at Jerusalem’s British War Cemetery.
Rennie McInnes, Bishop of Jerusalem is having a conversation with him at a memorial for British troops who were killed in the First World War. It was only two years before.
This photo, one among many that were taken in the Middle East over the course of the 19th or early 20th century has now been colourized for the first-ever time.
These images were taken shortly after the American Colony was founded. It is a Christian utopian society that members arrived in Jerusalem in 1881 to see what they believed to be the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
Lars Larsson (Little Brother) and Elijah Meyers (Leader) went on to create the American Colony Photo Department.
Their photographers captured life from the Middle East up to 1934, starting in 1898. Now, the images are part of what’s known as Matson collection. It was named for Eric Matson who was one of the leading photographers in the region.
The stunning archive also contains an image showing British troops standing at Jerusalem’s Jaffa Gate, 1917. It was taken after Germany’s Ottoman Empire had fled from the region.
Another image was taken in early 20th-century and shows a smiling man floating in the Dead Sea, Jordan while reading a book. An umbrella protects his face from the sun.
A photograph taken in Egypt depicts a man seated in front of a camel, in front of Great Pyramid of Giza. This was in 1930s Egypt when Egypt was under British occupation.
Winston Churchill looks pensive as he talks to a priest on a field of white crosses. This image was taken at the British War Cemetery, Jerusalem, on March 26th, 1921. Rennie MacInnes is the Bishop of Jerusalem and he is having a conversation with him during the memorial service to British soldiers who died in the First World War.
A photograph taken in Egypt in 1930 shows a man seated in front of a camel at the Great Pyramid of Giza. The image is just one of hundreds that were taken across the Middle East in the late 19th or early 20th century. They have now been colored and are available for online viewing.
Images taken following the establishment of American Colony. This utopian Christian society was founded in 1881. Members had traveled to Jerusalem to witness what they considered the imminent Second Coming Jesus Christ. Above: An individual floating in the Dead Sea on the way to Jericho (Jordan). The 1900-1920
Churchill, then the Prime Minister David Lloyd George was responsible for British Empire overseas territories.
His role included responsibility for Britain’s Middle East policy.
Both Germany and the Ottoman Empire were destroyed in World War I. The two powers then had to agree on huge territorial concessions with the Allies.
While Germany is known for signing the Treaty of Versailles in 1915, it was the Ottomans who made the deal in the Treaty of Sevres in 1920.
In this context, the British Mandate for Palestine was set up, giving control to the UK over the entire region.
The agreement followed the principles laid out in the Balfour Declaration of 1917 – which had established British support for the ‘establishment of a national home for the Jewish people’ in Palestine.
According to the Sevres agreement, the British Mandatory was responsible for the ‘putting in effect’ of the declaration.
In the war, there had been an Arab uprising in Palestine against Ottoman rule – before the British Expeditionary Force drove the rival power from the region in 1917.
A colourized image from the MyHeritage archive depicts British troops at Jerusalem’s Jaffa Gate, on December 9, 1917 after the Ottomans surrendered.
A colourized image from the MyHeritage archive depicts British troops at Jerusalem’s Jaffa Gate, December 9, 1917. This was after the Ottoman Empire surrendered to the city in the First World War. The 1920 Treaty of Sevre saw the Ottomans give up control of Palestine to allow the British to take over as part of an agreement to create a Jewish state.
The August 1929 riots in Jerusalem were triggered by a dispute over who had access to Jerusalem’s sacred Western Wall. There were violent scenes of fighting between both sides that resulted in the death of approximately 250 people. Above: One of the fighting scenes is being contained by troops. The injured man is seen on the ground.
British and Indian soldiers at St. Stephen’s Gate in Jerusalem (Lions’ Gate), April 8, 1920, just 18 months after the First World War ended. This gate is one of seven entrance points to Jerusalem’s Old City.
Jewish community leader Albert Antebi (1873-1919), standing (right front) at a Bazaar held at Notre Dame de France (now known as the Complex of Notre Dame of Jerusalem) in aid of the Red Crescent Society during World War I, Jerusalem
The Treaty of Sevres established the British Mandate for Palestine, which gave the UK full control of the area. The agreement followed the principles laid out in the Balfour Declaration of 1917 – which had established British support for the ‘establishment of a national home for the Jewish people’ in Palestine. Above: In 1921, Jewish children were playing in Jerusalem’s snow.
Jews marching in opposition to the 1939 White Paper. In response to the 1936-1939 Arab rebellion in Palestine, Neville Chamberlain, British Prime Minister of Britain issued the White Paper. It called for a Palestinian independent state with a Jewish national home within ten years. For five years, it also restricted Jewish immigration to the region at 75,000. In addition, it stated that the future immigration of Arabs would be decided by their majority population
In Jerusalem’s Ein Kerem neighborhood, children and adults from Jewish families can be seen marching in 1918. They were on their way to the tomb of Shimon haTzadik (Simeon the Just) – an ancient High Priest who lived during the time of the Second Temple – between c. 516 BCE and c. 70 CE
The colourised images showing Churchill – who was a keen supporter of the establishment of a Jewish state – were taken around the time that he refused an Arab Palestinian petition to prohibit the then-ongoing Jewish migration to the territory.
You can also see British troops at the Lions’ Gate, which was known as St Stephen’s Gate in 1920.
Photographs of Egypt taken by Britain during its occupation from 1882 up to 1956.
One shows a trio of westerners – a man and two women – walking near tennis courts in Cairo in the 1930s.
The man looks smart in his suit while the woman is next to him is sporting bright white tennis gear. She also has three tennis racquets.
Another woman is wearing a white skirt, a jacket, and a straw hat.
Another photo shows the young Princess Farial – who was born in 1938 and was the daughter of King Farouk of Egypt – smiling brightly as she poses for a photo when aged around two.
Following World War One, Britain also administered what was then Transjordan – after they had formally separated it from Palestine.
These colourized photos of Egypt were captured during Britain’s 1882-1856 occupation. Above: A man walks alongside another on foot and sits on the back of a camel beside the Pyramids of Gizeh.
Another photo shows the young Princess Farial – who was born in 1938 and was the daughter of King Farouk of Egypt – smiling brightly as she poses for a photo when aged around two
The background shows a British warship, a fishing craft and skiff at the Suez Canal entrance. This image was captured between 1934-1939
In this image, which was taken in 1934-1939, you can see the exterior of Cairo’s luxurious Continental Savoy Hotel.
Another photo taken in British occupation depicts horses and carriages driving down Alexandria’s main boulevard.
Another image shows a trio of westerners – a man and two women – walking near tennis courts in Cairo in the 1930s. While the suit-clad man is smartly dressed, the lady next to him is in bright white tennis attire and holds three racquets. Another woman is wearing a white skirt, jacket and straw hat.
Young Eastern Orthodox Christian monk pose for photo near Saint Catherine in Egypt. This image was captured between 1900-1920
Transjordan was recognized by the UK as an independent state in May 1923. The UK gradually lost control of Transjordan, which limited its ability to influence foreign, financial and military policy issues.
The colourized images of Jordan are all from before 1946, when it became an independent country.
One picture shows a Western man playing Mancala, an ancient board game in which people competed with stones and beans or rows of holes dug in the earth.
As he looks at a row in the sand with holes in them, the Western man can be seen examining his weapon while his Arab counterpart lies cross-legged.
Another photo features smiling Westerners who pose for group photos during a paddling trip down River Jordan in the 1930s.
Anna Spafford founded the American Colony of Jerusalem, in 1881. The colony was formed while Jerusalem was still under the Ottoman Empire.
Spaffords are originally from Chicago and had their own church and small hotel. They sold their hotel and church, and moved to Jerusalem along with 13 other adults and 13 kids.
The group grew further in 1894 when Anna returned briefly to Chicago. While there she met some Swedish Christian immigrants whom she convinced.
Join her in Jerusalem.
Around 150 people were in the group at the end of the 20th Century. Spaffords were looking for a way of raising money to support their community. So they started taking pictures and selling them.
As young as 12 years old, children were trained to take photographs. Meyers & Larsson established the Photo Department following Horatio Spafford’s 1888 death.
Eastern Orthodox Christians can be seen at the Epiphany feast in 1937, when they celebrate the revelation that God has become flesh as Jesus Christ. They are all gathered in a boat, and one watches as another takes a dip into the River Jordan.
Following World War One, Britain also administered what was then Transjordan – after they had formally separated it from Palestine. Above: Temple of El Deir, located in Petra in southern Jordan during the first half of the 20th century
The remaining columns of the the Roman Temple of Artemis, in Jerash, Jordan, are seen in a photo was taken in the mid-20th century. Artemis, the patron goddess of this city at the time, was known as Gerasa.
The colour images of Jordan that are colored were all taken before the nation became independent in 1946. A western man is seen playing Mancala. This ancient game involved players competing with stones and beans as well as rows of holes in the ground. While the Arab man sits cross-legged, the Western man is seen with a rifle in hand and pondering over rows of holes in the sand.
Another photo features smiling Westerners taking a group picture during a trip on a kayak down the River Jordan in 1930s.
The 1934 dissolution of the Photo Department was due to a dispute over finances. Most of the American Colony members decided to return to the USA in the wake of this financial crisis. Eric Matson later donated his photos negatives to Library of Congress.
Roi Mandel (head of research, MyHeritage) said that “Once this collection was seen, we knew that we had to do some with it.”
“This area is a fascination for the entire world, and was documented over 100 years ago as nobody has ever seen it.
“It was great because we were suddenly able to see characters within the situation.
“Our mission as a family historian company is that people who view the photos want to know more about people and circumstances, open family albums, and uncover their fascinating family histories.