A Dive Into Our Collections for Mother’s Day

This seems like the perfect object from the collections to kick-off this Mother’s Day dive into our holdings! Gift of Irene and Bernard Siegel, JMM 2007.2.5.

Our Director of Collections and Exhibits, Joanna, kindly offered to pull together a selection of photos from our collections to help us celebrate Mother’s Day (which is this coming Sunday, May 10th!). To read more posts from Joanna, click here.

Roseline Blacher with her son Fred, 1918. Gift of Steven Blacher, JMM 2008.118.19.

Joanna selected this photo as one of her “top 3” and I can see why – between the composition, the fabulous hat, and the feeling of love radiating between the two of them, how can you not get the warm and fuzzies from this vintage photo?

Anna Kornblatt with her daughter Rose, ca. 1907. Gift of Susan Grosser, JMM 1995.13.18.

This photobooth-style pair of images also made the top of Joanna’s list. Again, what’s not to love – delightful hats and a sense of playfulness between mother and daughter!

Below we’ve got a few more moms by the decade for you to enjoy!

Moms in the 1800s

(left) Betsy Levy with her son William, 1857. Gift of Janet Fishbein (daughter of Susan Levy Bodenheimer), Ellen Patz, Ruth Gottesman & Vera Mendelsohn Mittnick, JMM 2002.79.845.

(center) Bertha Friedenwald with Julia and Jonas, 1897. Gift of Julia Friedenwald Strauss Potts. JMM 1984.232.216.

(right) Herbert Millhauser, Gertrude Millhauser, David Millhauser and Flora Adler Millhauser, c.1 899. Gift of Richard Millhauser, JMM 1995.88.11.

Moms in the 1900s

(left) Blanche Wiesenfeld holding one of her daughters, ca. 1900. Gift of Joseph Wiesenfeld, JMM 1990.20.31.

(center) Minnie Aderer with Ralph and Gladys, ca. 1902. Gift of Charles M. Schwab, JMM 1992.130.9.

(right) Blanche Bran Abrams and her mother, 1909. Museum purchase, JMM 1988.101.9a.

Moms in the 1910s

(left) Ethel Katz with her son Kaufman, ca. 1911. Gift of Margaret Nomentana, JMM 2004.78.134.

(center) Ruth Frank with her daughter Carol, 1918. Gift of Susan Merrill, JMM 2010.60.12.

(right) Selma Katzenberg with her son Berney Jr., 1918. Gift of Herbert M. Katzenberg, JMM 1995.188.38.

Moms in the 1920s

(left) Jacob Beser as infant, held by Rose Beser, winter 1921-22. Gift of Rose Beser, JMM 1993.173.50.

(center) Samuel Harris and his sisters Jennie and Fannie with their mother, Yetta Harris, outside the Simon Harris Sporting Goods store at 211 N. Gay Street, c. 1924. Gift of Delma Harris and Julia H. Shalowitz, JMM 1986.83.3.

(right) Bessie Rifman with her son Avrum, 1926. Gift of Ruth Rifman, JMM 1996.108.7. (and in case you were wondering, this was Joanna’s final “top 3” pick!)

Moms in the 1930s

(left) Stella Greif with her daughter Helene, ca. 1930. Gift of Suzanne W. Applefeld, JMM 1999.71.11.

(center) Edith Klawan with her daughter Carol, 1934. Gift of Pete Lesher, JMM 2005.9.830.

(right) Sophie Bach with her three-month-old daughter Doris, 1937. Gift of Steven Blacher, JMM 2013.70.21.

Moms in the 1940s

(left) Stanford Z. Rothschild, Jr. and his mother Marie L. Rothschild (his mother) in in their respective uniforms, c. 1940-45. Gift of Amalie Rothschild, JMM 1991.126.20.

(center) Minnie Rosenfeld with her daughter Edith, 1945. Gift of Edith R. Shapiro, JMM 2003.17.22.

(right) Ruth Rifman with her son Mel, 1946. Gift of Ruth Rifman, JMM 1996.108.13.

Moms in the 1950s

(left) Gilda Brodsky (Resnick), her mother, Bessie Brodsky and grandmother, Dora Blum, c.1950. Gift of Gilda Resnick, JMM 2001.73.1.

(center) Dr. Joseph Schwartz (l) and Anna Schwartz Rombro (r) with their mother, Golda Schwartz, 1952. Gift of Rabbi Manuel Poliakoff, JMM 1982.12.171.

(right) Penina Kinek with her daughter Yael, 1956. Gift of Louis G. Hecht, JMM 1990.90.9.

Moms in the 1960s

(left) Sidney Lansburgh, Jr. escorting his mother, Marian Epstein Lansburgh, c. 1960a. Gift of Margaret Nomentana, JMM 2004.78.9.

(center) Ida and Nancy Patz Blaustein present their mother-daughter show at an Associated Women’s Division meeting, 1966. Gift of the Associated, JMM 1995.142.20.7.

(right) Sisters Mrs. Shirley Heiserman (l) and Mrs. John Dubick (r) stand with Mrs. Jack Pearlstone (c), who is president of the Jewish Family and Children’s Service. The two sisters have been foster mothers for 31 and 7 years respectively at the time of this photo at the 1964 Annual Foster Mothers Tea. Gift of the Associated, JMM 1997.134.256.

And I couldn’t end this post without some of MY (Rachel) favorite bits I found in the collection!

Like this picture postcard of Carrie Katz Weinberg, which includes a hand-drawn addition on the back, labeled “Mother as Venus.” Who doesn’t love a budding artist’s work? Gift of the Estate of Carolyn Weinberg, JMM 1991.65.3.1.

I’m also genuinely tickled by this photo from our JCC Collection, showing an “adult mother daughter belly dance class” from 1977! JMM 2006.13.2148.

This photo of Murray Lehman and his mom Saidie Adler Lehman really tugs at the heart strings. I wonder if this is a final bedtime story before Saidie heads off to a party in her fancy dress? JMM 1989.167.9d.