House of Industry
As Schick and Palmer came to Jerusalem, there finances were weak because they didn’t get enough support from Basel. Soon a number of ‘Cuckoo clocks’ (Kuckucksuhren) arrived, which Schick put together and sold. This business helped him and his fellow with there economy and also helped them to get in touch with people in the city. Some clocks were sold to Greek or Catholic monasteries, others to Turkish or Jewish people.
Souvenirs made from Olive wood at the House of Industry
Schick also earned some money from carving figures out of olive wood and work with wood turning.
In 1848 they had seven boys in their vocational training. Through these children they soon learned to speak Arabic. The number of boys increased the whole time – most of them orphans. At this time both fellows also got in love with girls. This was not accepted by Spittler in Chrishona, who had made an agreement with them to live as single – as brothers – for a period.
For those reasons Schick abandon Spittler and began to work at the ’House of Industry’ 1850, located at the Christ Church, to train Jewish boys in various trades like carpentry, turnery, shoemaking and different building methods. For this he got paid by the British Anglican Church. The director at House of Industry at this time was Paul Isaac Hershon, born by Jewish parents in Galicia 1817. Hershon was a former student at the College.
Some years later Schick became the director of this institution, a job he kept until 1881 as he was succeeded by Herman Friedländer. Schick kept in contact with this organization for the rest of his life. The Anglican Church off course had no doubt that Schick got married!
Chairs made at the House of Industry.
Both German and English institutions in the city ordered different furniture’s to be made at the House of Industry. One model of a chair made at the House of Industry is still available in many local places, made by Olive wood and fit together completely without nails. These chairs can be seen among other places at: Christ Church, St George, Swedish Theological Institute (STI) and the Quaker House at Ramallah.
Source for this article:
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British Mission to the Jews in Nineteenth-century Palestine, by Yaron Perry and Elizabeth Yodim.
Friends of Conrad Schick 
12 January 2022 at 13:50 |
Hi, am a tourists guide, thanks for a very interesting site. I am studying Conrad schick’s work. I am wondering weather he had any relations with Wilhelm Moses Shapira? Shapira worked in the house of industry for few years, and after he got married he opened a souvenirs store in the Christian quarter, sold products and souvenirs produced in the house of industry during 60’s and 70’s. Of course they had kind of relations but Shapira sold fake archeological products, so I wonder weather Mr Schick continue to work with him? Charles Clermont Ganeau who lived in Jerusalem during the same period hated Shapira there are some parallel pathes they walked side by side. Do you have any information about it ? thanks a lot. Arnon Eshed, Jerusalem
12 January 2022 at 15:01 |
Hello – Thanks for your question. I have never seen any connection between Schich and this Shapira. But Jerusalem was small, in fact very small at this time, so they must have known each other! //Ulf Petersson
23 March 2024 at 11:45 |
Hello there. I’m researching Jacob Eliahu (discoverer of the Siloam inscription), and I see that he is described as being ‘a pupil of Conrad Schick’ in 1880.
But the following year 1881 he is described as being a ‘pupil-teacher’ in the Boys School conducted by the London Mission.
Do you happen to know whether Jacob was at the House of Industry in 1880, or did Conrad Schick have other pupils not in the House of Industry, who he tutored in other subjects? I’d be ever so grateful if you have any insight. It’s all very confusing to me!
29 March 2024 at 20:08 |
Hello! I really don’t have any answer to your question. I know though that Conrad Schick taught wood carving. It might be that he through this introduced or at least promoted the so popular wood carving in olive wood.
I found some interesting info about the school in this book, page 117:
https://books.google.se/books?id=xOiQAgAAQBAJ&lpg=PA117&dq=house%20of%20industry%20jerusalem%20london%20society%20jews&hl=sv&pg=PA117#v=onepage&q=house%20of%20industry%20jerusalem%20london%20society%20jews&f=false
Around 1880 Conrad Schick was working with his big models, he then must have had a lot of help.
His house was finished 1882, but parts of the building might have been finished before and used as a shop as he worked with these models.
Interesting thoughts! Think if Jacob Eliahu might have been the right hand helping Schick finish these very excusive models?
Let me know if you find out more!
Greetings from Ulf in Sweden.