Chapter 24 Photography and Genius Loci: Hol Lars (Lewis) Larsson’s “Kaiserin Augusta Victoria Stiftung on Olivet” (1910–1914)

Abstract

This chapter examines Jerusalem ’ s genius loci, as communicated in the work of the American Colony Photo-Department (ACPD) active in Jerusalem between 1896 and 1934. The ACPD ’ s photographs were distributed in Scandinavia and worldwide, and early in the twentieth century they shaped the idea of Jerusalem in people ’ s minds. Narrowing my study from the wider Jerusalem ( “ The Jerusalem code ” ), to a specific place in Jerusalem ( “ Genius Loci ” ), I try to examine the encrypted data of one photograph taken by the Swede Hol Lars (Lewis) Larsson between 1910 to 1914: the “ Kaiserin Augusta Victoria Stiftung on Olivet [Mount of Olives]. ” While reading the photograph as a locus, a place, I rely on the Norwegian architect Thorvald Christian Norberg-Schulz ’ s (1926 – 2000) idea of the interconnectedness of natural and man-made qualities that, as a totality, constitute a pervading spirit of place or a genius loci. The chapter will examine the cultural setting of the American Colony in Jerusalem photographic collective (1896 – 1934) as well as the spatial dynamic that underlined their work. The notion genius loci , was developed by Norberg-Schulz in his influential publication, Genius Loci: Towards a Phenomenology of Architecture (1979), in which he inves-tigated the theory of organization of space and built form. 1 His view was shaped by Martin Heidegger ’ s phenomenology of place: “ A place is therefore a qualitative ‘ total ’ phenomenon which we cannot reduce to any of its properties such as spatial relationships, without losing its concrete nature out of sight. ” 2 It is the dynamic inter-Rachel Archaeology seemed to spur on the study of theology. A majority of the annual students from the colleges of Europe were theological graduates; Palestine Archaeology was in fact insepara-ble from Bible research. The Colony was a host to the great majority of American students and the young men of the Colony, thanks to their intimate knowledge of the land and the Arabic language, became the guides and interpreters of the annual excursions. 29