National Photograph Collection Government Press Office of Israel GPO

Overview

The National Photograph Collection (Hebrew: אוסף התצלומים הלאומי) is an official archive of historical photographs and video footage maintained by the Photography Department of Israel's Government Press Office (GPO), located at Beit Agron in Jerusalem. The collection functions as a visual chronicle of Israel's state history, documenting events, figures, society, economy, and landscapes from before the state's establishment in 1948 onward.

History and Founding

The GPO Photography Department was founded in 1948 by photographer David Eldan (also written David Ildan), acting on the instruction of Moshe Pearlman, then Director of the Foreign Press Office. The department was established to preserve and distribute photographs of the newly founded state, providing documentation of defining events and daily life. Initially based in Tel Aviv, the collection was transferred to Jerusalem in 1983 when the Israeli government decided to relocate the GPO to Beit Agron in Jerusalem.

On the occasion of Israel's 50th Independence Day in 1998, the GPO partnered with Tehila (the Governmental Internet Committee) to upload a substantial portion of the collection to the internet for the first time. In 2011, the National Photo Collection was opened for free public use. In 2013, the GPO established a new media department to manage its website and social media presence.

Collections and Holdings

The National Photograph Collection contains over 160,000 archived still images, the majority in black and white with modern additions in color. Many images date before the founding of Israel. The collection also includes thousands of hours of video footage dating from 1998. GPO photographers serve as official photographers of the State of Israel, documenting heads of state, government officials, and events of national or documentary significance. Subject matter spans Israeli economy, industry, society, nature, history, immigration waves, military conflicts, and cultural life. A pre-state component includes donated photographs from earlier eras.

Access and Usage

The collection is accessible online through the GPO's digital portal. Low-resolution images are freely available for downloading. High-resolution files may be requested for non-commercial use. The online archive supports keyword and subject searching in Hebrew and English.