Paula Abelow collection

The Paula Abelow collection consists primarily of photographs and correspondence with her family. Contained within the collection are correspondence from parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and family friends to Paula, her sister Alice and her brother Walter while they were living in Switzerland in 1938-1939. Also included are 4 family photo albums, as well as some loose photographs depicting the family on vacations and their travels to the United States and Mexico. Additional documents include a work permit, and photocopies of her aunt’s birth and death certificate.

The Paula Abelow contains primarily correspondence and photographs with Paula and her family. The correspondence is addressed to Paula, and her sister Alice and her brother Walter. The letters are dated from 1938-1939, and are from the period when the children were placed in a Swiss boarding school while their parents attempted to gain citizenship to the United States. The letters are written in Czech and German, and are from their parents, grandmother, aunts, and family friends. Some of the letters have multiple authors per page, and have been placed in the folder labeled “Various.” These letters are still primarily from Paula’s grandmother, parents and aunts. The photograph series is comprised of four photo albums and a folder of loose photographs. The albums show the family both at home and on vacation with relatives and friends prior to World War II. Some of the photos follow Paula’s parents on their quest to gain American citizenship, and show them in New York and Mexico City. Also included in the collection are documents collected by Paula from her aunts Sophie, Josefa, and Hedwig. They are a work permit from Theresienstadt, and photocopies of a birth and death certificate.

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