The Library of Congress has recently digitalized a collection of
over 10,000 photographs, taken by the "American Colony" in
Jerusalem, a group of Christian utopians who lived in Jerusalem
between 1881 and the 1940s. The photographers returned to the
US, and bequeathed their massive collection to the Library of
Congress in 1978. The collection includes Winston Churchill's
visit to Jerusalem, Jewish expulsions from the Old City during
riots, and the building of Tel Aviv. By some accounts, the
Valero family arrived in Jerusalem in the 18th or 19th centuries
from Turkey. Researchers have even suggested that the family
were once Conversos - secret Jews who were forced to convert to
Christianity in Spain. They later traveled to Turkey and
returned to their Jewish faith. In Jerusalem, the family took up
residence in the Old City of Jerusalem. According to a monograph
by Hebrew University's Prof. Ruth Kark and Joseph Glass, Ya'akov
Valero arrived in Jerusalem in 1835 from Istanbul. Originally a
ritual slaughterer, Va