Welcome to the Krotman Photo Gallery
Family Photography and Photographers
Since the beginning of the twentieth century, many of our family members have been involved in the art of photography. The brothers Abraham, Yehoshua Mendel and Akiva Krotman, as well as Shmuel Buchstein, all engaged in photography. At certain periods in their lives photography was also their livelihood or at least provided them with additional income. I remember well, the stories told by Yehoshua of how he traveled in the shtetls of Poland taking photographs and selling his pictures. When Akiva was young he helped Yehoshua, and served as his “apprentice”. Later, in post war Germany, Yehoshua and Akiva, together with Shmuel , and with the help of Dobke and Chana, developed, printed, and sold their photographs.
After they arrived in Israel, Yehoshua became a professional photographer and in 1948 opened his first store in Israel in Rishon LeZion. (This same store later became the well known “Photo Rishon” in the Rothschild pedestrian mall in Rishon LeZion.) Yehoshua later opened a photo store in Jerusalem, and then, after moving to Dimona in the south, opened a huge photo store there which included a color developing laboratory. This was a real innovation in the days when it was the usual practice to send photographs to be developed in Tel Aviv, and to wait at least a week and a half before they were returned.
Akiva continued to take photographs after arriving in Israel. This occupation provided the family with welcome additional income during their first years in Israel. There were not many in Rishon LeZion’s Eastern neighborhoods who escaped being immortalized by Akiva’s camera – in the park, in the street, or in their homes. Today people still greet me with “…ohhh, you are the son of the photographer”!
It turns out that love of photography is hereditary.
Shmuel, who gave up photography when he arrived in Israel, bestowed his love for the profession on his daughter Bella. For many years, Bella was never to be seen without a camera in her hand, and always recorded family events and trips. Bella’s son Yuval Dax graduated from Betzalel Academy of Art & Design in Jerusalem. photography department and he is already making a name for himself in the field. His wonderful photographs from China have been published in a photography magazine and exhibited at the “Daniel House” Gallery in 62th Bnei-Dan st. , Tel Aviv.
Yehoshua passed on his love for photography to his son Tzvika who has been intensively involved in taking artistic photos for the last few years, his eyes sparkling with every new photographic creation. Tzvika has opened a photography discussion forum on this site. Tzvika’s daughter Avital, has also shown photographic talent, that is evident in her outstanding photographs.
And as for Akiva, well, his son Baruch (me) loves to see good photography !
