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The Baltimore Jewish Times publishes unidentified photographs from the collection of Jewish Museum of Maryland each week. If you can identify anyone in these photos and more information about them, contact Jobi Zink, Senior Collections Manager and Registrar at 410.732.6400 x226 or jzink@jewishmuseummd.org.
Date run in Baltimore Jewish Times: April 3, 2013
PastPerfect Accession #: 2006.013.263
Status: Unidentified! Do you recognize anyone from this photo? Children and their art teacher watch a boy paint during JCC art class, March 1977
This is a special guest post from the folks over at the American Visionary Art Museum! They thought our readers might be interested in their current exhibit, The Art of Storytelling, and we agree! Make sure to check it out, as the exhibit closes soon – plus they’re offering a discount on admission to all JMM members!
Members of the Jewish Museum of Maryland may be interested to know that the American Visionary Art Museum’s 18th original exhibition of embroidery, diorama, sculpture, film, graffiti, and PostSecret confession, The Art of Storytelling: Lies Enchantment Humor & Truth, will turn its final page on September 1, 2013. This yearlong exhibit, which opened in October 2012, explores the impact of story via visual narratives created by 30+ visionary artists, each expressive of some personal aspect of tale telling. Their intuitive creations include Mars Tokyo’s amazing micro-stories in her superbly detailed “Theaters of the 13th Dimension;” Vanessa German’s mighty “Power Figures;” Debbie & Mike Schramer’s whimsical “Fairy Tree Houses;” and a major highlight: the inspiring, 36-piece, embroidered holocaust survival story of visionary artist Esther Krinitz.
Esther Krinitz, Depths Of The Forest No. 23, 1994, Embroidery and fabric collage, Courtesy of Art & Remembrance (http://artandremembrance.org)
Esther Nisenthal Krinitz (1927-2001) first began her series of fabric pictures in 1977 at the age of 50. The first two works depicted the beauty and happiness of her rural childhood home in Poland, and were presented as gifts for her two adult daughters, Bernice and Helene. Although trained as a dressmaker and highly skilled in needlework, Esther had no training in art and no conception of herself as an artist. Yet, her first embroidered pictures were so well received by her family and friends and so personally satisfying that she would later create 34 other pieces, unveiling a sequential narrative series of increasing complexity. With the addition of text, Esther’s art became an exquisite embroidered testimony to her true story of survival during World War II. Esther’s story, complete with biographical and personal details from her life, is accompanied in the exhibit by the award-winning documentary Through The Eye of The Needle by filmmaker Nina Shapiro-Perl.
In celebration of the last month of this exciting show, AVAM invites current members of The Jewish Museum of Maryland to tour the exhibit before it comes to a close on Labor Day weekend. Current JMM members can take advantage of a special $2 off our regular admission price when you show your member card at AVAM’s desk, now through September 1, 2013. For more information on AVAM or the exhibit, visit http://avam.org/. To find out more about artist Esther Krinitz, visit http://artandremembrance.org/.
Louis Shecter as a graduate from Baltimore City College, 1918. Courtesy of Louis E. Shecter. 1974.21.4
Louis E. Shecter (1901-1992) Collection
n.d., 1921-1985
MS 55
Jewish Museum of Maryland
ACCESS AND PROVENANCE
The Louis E. Shecter Collection was found in the collection as MS 55. Multiple accessions have been identified as materials donated by and related to Louis E. Shecter and probably incorporated into MS 55: 1973.013; 1974.021; 1975.020; 1982.015; 1985.104; and 1985.105. However, none of the materials in the manuscript collection can be positively identified with these accessions. Because of this the collection was given the FIC accession number 2012.061. The collection was processed at some unknown date then reprocessed and given a finding aid in June 2012 by Jennifer Vess.
Access to the collection is unrestricted and is available to researchers at the Jewish Museum of Maryland. Researchers must obtain the written permission of the Jewish Museum of Maryland before publishing quotations from materials in the collection. Papers may be copied in accordance with the library’s usual procedures.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Louis Shecter (1901-1992) was born in Baltimore and graduated from Baltimore City College in 1918. He began work at the Baltimore Sun then left for the Joseph Katz advertising company. In 1928 he became the advertising director for the Hecht stores until 1931 when he and his brother-in-law, Jack L. Levin, started their own advertising company. Shecter also began to invest in real-estate and businesses, ultimately owning several theaters (The Rosalyn, The Rex, The Roxy, and The Times – now known as the Charles Theater). Other businesses included the Famous Ballroom and two bowling centers.
Rosalyn M. and Louis E. Shecter on their way to London aboard the R.M.S Queen Mary, 1946. Courtesy of Louis E. Shecter. 1982.15.17
In 1939 Shecter married Rosalyn Margareten (d. 2009). Rosalyn was born inNew York City and attended first Hunter College then later the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) for sculpture. Louis and Rosalyn had three children: Alan, Mark and Alyce. In 1961 Rosalyn was appointed vice chair of the Maryland Board of Motion Picture Censors. Rosalyn focused on preventing children from being exposed to adult content in films, and she played a minor role in the implementation of the current movie rating system.
Louis Shecter was involved with a number of political figures and also became a collector and promoter of the arts. Shecter died on November 9, 1992. Rosalyn died on November 24, 2009.
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE
The collection is divided into three series: Series I. Louis E. Shecter, n.d., 1921-1985, Series II. Rosalyn Shecter, n.d. 1931-1984, and Series III. Children and Grandchildren, n.d., 1949-1983. Series I. is further divided into eight subseries: Subseries A. American Jewish Congress, n.d., 1957-1983, Subseries B. Business, n.d., 1924-1984, Subseries C. Politics, n.d., 1944-1985, Subseries D. Genocide Convention and Civil Right Activities, n.d., 1954-1981, Subseries E. Charitable Contributions, n.d., 1945-1985, Subseries F. Art Collection, Museums and Culture, n.d, 1953-1983, Subseries G. Personal Correspondence, n.d., 1921-1984, and Subseries H. Misc, n.d., 1932-1984
Louis Shecter with Ladybird Johnson, 1962. Courtesy of Louis Shecter. 1975.20.33a
Series I. Louis E. Shecter, n.d., 1921-1985 contains correspondence, programs, clippings, and writings related to Shecter’s business dealings, civil rights activities, charitable contributions, art collecting, and personal life. The series is divided into eight subseries. Subseries A. American Jewish Congress, n.d., 1957-1983 contains correspondence, press releases, newspaper clippings, meeting minutes and programs related to Shecter’s work with the American Jewish Congress in Baltimore. Subseries B. Business, n.d., 1924-1984 contains correspondence and clippings related to Shecter’s work with the Joseph Katz advertising firm, the Hecht Company, his own advertising firm, his real-estate ventures, the Advertising club, etc. Subseries C. Politics, n.d., 1944-1985 contains invitations, correspondence, clippings and programs related to Shecter’s interaction with politics and political figures at the local and national level. Subseries D. Genocide Convention and Civil Right Activities, n.d., 1954-1981 contains correspondence, clippings and talks related to Shecter’s work promoting the Genocide Convention and Civil Rights. Subseries E. Charitable Contributions, n.d., 1945-1985 contains correspondence, clippings, invitations, etc., related to Shecter’s involvement with charitable organization and his own charitable contributions. Subseries F. Art Collection, Museums and Culture, n.d, 1953-1983, contains correspondence, newspaper clippings, lists, newsletters, magazines and minutes related to Shecter’s art collection activities, his donation of art, and his interactions with museums and other cultural institutions and organizations. Subseries G. Personal Correspondence, n.d., 1921-1984, contains Shecter’s personal correspondence including a collection of letters (photocopies) to and from H.L. Menken. Subseries H. Misc, n.d., 1932-1984 contains membership materials to the Masonic Lodge and Beth Tfiloh, invitations, play programs, writings, etc. All of the materials are organized alphabetically within each subseries.
Louis Shecter and Senator Edward Kennedy reviewing a painting of President Kennedy and Governor Tawes at the opening of JFK Highway. Courtesy of Louis E. Shecter. 1975.20.25a
Series II. Rosalyn Shecter, n.d. 1931-1984 contains correspondence, diplomas, booklets, publications, newspaper clippings, scrapbook pages and genealogical material related to Rosalyn’s education, work and family. A large portion of the collection relates to Rosalyn’s work with the Maryland State Board of Motion Picture Censors. The folders are organized alphabetically except for the genealogy materials which are placed at the end of the series.
Rosalyn Shecter being sworn in as chairman of the Maryland Board of Motion Picture censors, 1968. 1974.21.18a
Series III. Children and Grandchildren, n.d., 1949-1983 contains correspondence, invitations and writings related to Louis and Rosalyn’s children and grandchildren. The series is arranged alphabetically.
Rosalyn, Louis, Alan and Mark Shecter, 1950's. Courtesy of Louis E. Shecter. 1974.21.20
RELATED COLLECTIONS
The American Jewish Historical Society and Syracuse University Library both have Louis E. Shecter Manuscript collections.
Louis Shecter with Israeli athletes at the Olympic Games in Helsinki, Finland, 1952. Courtesy of Louis E. Shecter. 1975.20.1
