Nostalgia Sunday

June 22, 2008 - 5:03 PM by Rachel Neiman

They’re closing down the Tzalmania, and so another unofficial Tel Aviv landmark bites the dust. The Tzalmania – Photo House was both shop and studio for Rudy Weissenstein who, over several decades. photgraphed the Israeli political and social elite. Even after his death in 1992, it continued to run under the management of his widow and grandson. In 2002, Weissenstein’s work was brought to wider attention with an exhibition and book about his work, entitled Tzalmania B’Tel Aviv – Photoshop in Tel Aviv.

Tzalmania - Photo House

“It was a ‘temple’ for all photographers wanting to see how to execute film photography and create perfect results,” wrote photographer Shimon Ben Yehuda in a March blog entry, when the demolition rumors began. “This was the place where it was possible to see how excellent picture retouching was done through hours of patient, exacting work, using a fine brush, manually eliminating every possible flaw for a high-quality print.” There was a reason for why the “Who’s who” of Israeli flocked there, he adds. “The results were excellent in every way – approach, lighting, exposure, printing and finish”.

At that time, Tzalmania booster Alon Jacoby set up a petition to save the shop, but signatories petered out well before the 5000 signature target. Also, apparently, the stated purpose of preserving a shop, not a building, didn’t make for a strong case. And so the Tzalmania goes, along with film photography, darkroom magic, studio lighting and fine brush retouching. To catch a glimpse into that world, click here.

Tzalmania photo exhibit

Tags: • Category: Art, General, History and Culture, Israeliness 

Comments

2 Comments on Nostalgia Sunday

  1. Imshin on Mon, Jun 30th 2008 6:35 PM

    2. My mother-in-Law went to the exhibition in 2002 and spied her late father in a photo of the opening ceremony of Tel Aviv port in the late 1930’s! She said she was actually there with him at the ceremony, but you couldn’t see her in the photo.

    That particular photo didn’t make it into the book, sadly enough.

  2. Israelity » Nostalgia Sunday - 1967 on Mon, Oct 27th 2008 1:17 AM

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