ABSTRACT
The Jewish colonies in early twentieth-century Palestine are often portrayed as the starting point for a Zionist movement that was foreign to and in profound antithesis to Palestine. Frank Scholten’s photographs from the early 1920s challenge this perspective by depicting the colonies as integrated into the Palestinian landscape. Unlike most European photographers, who focused on Palestine as the Holy Land, Scholten captured hundreds of images of the colonies, presenting them alongside neighboring Arab communities. His photographs contrast with the ideological depictions of Zionist photographers and highlight the presence of Palestinian workers in the colonies – a reality well known from other sources but rarely captured on film. Scholten’s work situates the colonies within the broader social fabric of 1920s Palestine, offering a nuanced perspective on colonial life and interactions.
