Kalmar Etz Postcard

“In the Paradise of Childhood”

Which once bloomed,

I was part of the landscape.

Today, I am a guest.

(Shlomo Artzi)

For years, I have been collecting memories from the homes of the past, from the childhoods of yesteryear. I gather the simplicity and modesty that once enchanted me. In today’s digital world, I chose to focus on Israel’s first 25 years, a time when almost everything was locally made, when nearly every household had the same items—objects that accompanied us for many years without being replaced every few months. I chose to collect triggers for memories of my most personal childhood moments, but also the most collective ones.

Gil Fanto, an avid collector of Israeli nostalgia, founded “Israel of Yesteryear” in 2012—a private museum in Tel Aviv dedicated to local history. The museum houses a rich collection of items from the 1940s to the 1970s, including posters, shop signs, products and packaging, as well as industrial items from closed pharmacies and factories. Among the exhibits, there is an impressive collection of clothing manufactured by ATA, a factory established in 1934. Fanto recounts that it all began with a box of “Tzedek” candies he found at the flea market, which reminded him of visits to his grandmother’s house in Kibbutz Hulda. Since then, he has been collecting items that tell the story of Israeli-made products from the pre-state period to the 1970s, aiming to preserve the memories and culture of Israel’s past.

Museum Address: Shoken Street 27, Tel Aviv.