Abstract

The Nasri Fuleihan collection includes approximately 366 photographs, most of which were taken during Fuleihan's stay in Palestine from the late 1910s until 1924. In addition to photographs of Palestinian cities and towns, the collection reflects the use Fuleihan made of the camera in his daily work as an engineer (mostly in southern Palestine). The collection also documents the daily life of the workers involved in the infrastructure projects Fuleihan was involved in. Some of Fuleihan's photographs were inspired by the works of other photographers who operated in Palestine at the time, most notably the renowned Palestinian photographer Khalil Ra'd, whose studio in Jerusalem Fuleihan apparently visited. The collection also includes business cards of several photography studios in Palestine, Egypt and the United States, whose services Fuleihan used as well as a copy of his passport. Nasri Suleiman Fuleihan (or Nasri Fulayhan) (Born in 1891 in Nicosia, Cyprus; died in July 1959 in Bronxville, NY) was a Cypriot of Lebanese descent who studied civil engineering at Purdue University. After his graduation in 1912, Fuleihan traveled to Palestine where he was employed as an engineer by the Levant Producing Company and later by Standard Oil until 1924, when he returned to the United States. Fuleihan stayed in Palestine from the late 1910s until 1924. Text from the New York Times obituary dated 30 July 1959: "Nasri Fuleihan, a civil engineer associated with many projects in the metropolitain area. died Tuesday in St. Luke's Hospital after a long illness. He was 66 years old and resided at 15 Meadow Avenue, Bronxville, N. Y. Mr Fuleihan, who was born in Cyprus, graduated from Purdue University in 1912. He was one of a small group of engineers who pioneered in the prospecting for oil in the Middle East before World War I. Upon his return to this country, Mr. Fuleihan participated in the construction of the Holland Tunnel and the George Washington Bridge. Later he was with the realty firm of Webb and Knapp. He leaves his wife, isabel; a son, Neville, and a daughter, Mrs. Francis O'Keefe." https://www.nytimes.com/1959/07/30/archives/nasri-fuleihan.html