Nostalgia Sunday – Matchboxes
Filed under: General, History and Culture, Israeliness, Nostalgia Sunday, Pop Culture
Before the electronic sparker and the electric stove-top, kids, there were matches and matchboxes, some so decorative they became collectible items.
My parents, like many others, had two huge glass vases filled with matchbooks amassed from trips across the US, Europe and Israel. These served as a conversation pieces — and of course, as firepower for social smokers at cocktail parties.
The rise of the cheap lighter, cheaper imports, and the decline in smoking has put many match-makers out of business. Veteran Israeli manufacturer Nur still exists, but mainly as an importer and repackager of safety matches; their website is sadly disappointing — no gallery, no history.
We present, therefore, a few memorable “tobacciana” relics, (many available for sale on Ebay), starting on the left with the classic Nur deer logo, and a mod version done in the go-go Eighties.
Ebay seller Avi has some really good examples of classic matchbook graphics, including the Tribes of Israel…
…and this series of Israel Air Force aircraft.
El Al commissioned artist Jean David to create this series of historic cities in Israel.
I think my parents had one of this series of long boxes made for tourists. I seem to recall a picture of Jaffa…
A nice, inexpensive, if flammable, hobby!
Nostalgia Sunday – Joseph Bau’s studio
Filed under: Art, General, History and Culture, Nostalgia Sunday, Pop Culture
Tel Aviv, like many cities that are cultural centers, houses many small gems, collections of artwork which are part of modern Israel’s history and should be preserved. Intending to do a write-up on the work of painter, graphic artist, animator, author, poet and publisher Joseph Bau (1920-2002), I logged into the Joseph Bau webiste only to discover that the studio where Bau worked for 40 years may close due to financial difficulties.
The modest studio-cum-museum includes paintings by Bau, commercial advertisements, and corporate logos, including those of “Eskimo Lemon” popsicles, Shekem (the IDF equivalent of the PX), and Israeli movies including: “Kazablan”, “Salah Shabati” and others.
Bau’s remarkable story – some of which was dramatized in the film Schindler’s List – began in Poland. He was a student at the University for Plastic Arts in Krakow when World War II broke out and Jews were sent to Nazi concentration camps. During his internment at the Plashow Concentration camp, Bau fell in love with another inmate, Rebecca. They secretly married when Bau smuggled himself into the women’s camp – their love story inspired a scene in the film.
Bau never lost hope or a sense of humor and it was art that saved his life. At Plashow, and then Gross-Rosen, he worked as a draftsman, lettered signs in Gothic type while secretly forging documents and identity papers. According to his online biography, he saved 400 lives in the process. Bau was later transferred to to Oscar Schindler’s camp where he stayed till the end of the war. Bau then returned to Krakow to complete his university studies and work as a newspaper graphic artists and illustrator.
In 1950 Bau immigrated to Israel with his wife and oldest daughter. According to his biography, “He was recruited to a secret unit of the intelligence corps that dealt with technical covert operations that utilized his talent for art and graphics. Later he was transferred, together with other Intelligence corps personnel to a similar unit that was formed and worked as part of the intelligence community belonging to the Prime Minister’s office. Joseph never spoke of these activities.” One may assume however, that his talent as a forger was also not overlooked.
In 1956 Bau opened his studio in Tel Aviv, where he painted, worked in commercial art (including designing the famous Amisragas logo) and animation, as well as authoring and illustrating a number of humorous books – even one about his experiences during the Holocaust.
Bau’s daughters, Hadasa and Clila, want to continue keeping this special little museum alive to commemorate their father’s life, artistic achievements, and his contribution to the State of Israel. They have started a petition requesting the city of Tel Aviv provide support.
Nostalgia Sunday
Filed under: Art, General, Holidays, Israeliness, Pop Culture
I don’t know Hayim Shtayter personally but he is a man after my own heart. Shtayer, a veteran Israeli graphic designer, has an extensive collection of antique and period greeting cards for the Jewish New Year, some of which can be found online.
What is nice about this season is that even today, if you go down to the open market shuk, there are still stands selling this sort of card. Brightly colored, often embossed and/or sprinkled with sparkles, these are hopeful messages for the near future, a mix of national pride, military might and religious symbolism.
And sometimes, with a new house and a new car thrown in for good measure!
The “Shana Tova” (good new year) style – described by graphic designer David Tartakover in a 1978 book as “folk art created by anonymous artists” – was honored by the Israel Postal Service in 2000 and 2001 when it commissioned Shtayer to create a series of stamps using images from Rosh HaShana cards.
If you like the Shana Tova style, there’s still time to send an e-card to friends and family. The one I got was really sweet. In any case, best wishes for a New Year filled with health, happiness and a bit of peace, wherever we can find it! Shana Tova!
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