Founded in 1865, The Palestine Exploration Fund is dedicated to the study of the Levantine region of the Middle East. The images in this collection mostly result from expeditions around the Levant, not only to Palestine but also Syria, Jordan, Israel and Lebanon and include watercolours by the war reporter William Crimea Simpson and the explorer Claude Conder. The collection also includes early photographs of the region and its historical sights, as well as drawings of archaeological finds unearthed by expeditions sponsored by the Fund.