The Matson Photo Service

There, they established a religious colony, whose purpose of its members was not to convert non-Christians, but to live and worship together whilst undertaking charitable work in the Palestinian community for all faiths.

Towards the end of the century there was an influx of Americans and Swedes into the community and to finance their work they tapped into the burgeoning tourist industry in Jerusalem, not only opening a hostel and souvenir shop for travellers but also a photography department.

In 1898, Elijah Meyers, who had emigrated from India to Jerusalem in the 1890s and was a Jewish convert to Christianity, used his photographic knowledge gained in Bombay and London to found the American Colony Photo Department.

[1] The Matsons, along with other employees, continued the business, that had relocated to the lower end of Jaffa Street, until the unrest in Palestine led them to move to the United States.

The Jerusalem side of the business carried on for a while but, after the store and offices suffered severe damage during the conflict of 1948–9 and the consequential decline of the tourist industry, it closed in the early 1950s.