Manual typewriter : Typed, printed, handwritten : Green, Gold, White ; Ht: 29.5 cm x W: 30 cm
Other Title Information
Written Communication T&E
Physical Condition
Good
Language
English
Hebrew
Yiddish
Notes
Dark green typewriter in wooden, gold-colored case which closes with clamps and lock. Case has a covered handle for transport. Letter keys are in Hebrew/Yiddish. A small black brush is attached to the top inside of the case. The logo for Hermes 2000 is printed on the front in red and silver lettering. Manufacturing information is printed on the back in white letters. Narrative: Donor is Eva Basch, the daughter of Eliezer Basch and Blanka Wiener. The Yiddish-Hebrew typewriter was used by Eliezer to write his memoirs after the war. Eliezer and Blanka were engaged and escaped together in 1940 to the USSR where they were arrested as political opponents and separated. Eliezer was sent to Siberia (he was liberated in 1948), Blanka was sent to Kazakhstan (liberated 1947). They reunited in Budapest in 1948 where one of Eliezer’s brothers still lived.They later went to DP camp in Münich where they got new ID papers (changed birth dates and official location of wedding). They Immigrated to Canada via Halifax in 1950; stayed in Montreal for a short time (Eliezer had a sister there), then moved to Kingston where Eliezer’s brother had a store and lived in Napanee until 1953. In 1953, they moved back to Montreal where Eva could have access to Jewish education. Blanka was a waitress and Eliezer worked different jobs including in an insurance company. Eliezer was the Executive Director of the Labour Zionist organization. They bought a yarn store on St. Laurent bvd, called “Magasin de fibres L.B” (now La Bobineuse on Mont-Royal East) which they managed until they retired.
1. Item has no fonds or links to other collections so it was placed into Reference for its display value.
2. Located in the artifacts section of the vault.
The Weltblick Yiddish typewriter was made in the US by a German-American named Georg Canfield Blickensderfer in Stamford (Connecticut). It was distributed by Groyen & Richtman, and sold by a retailer in St. Petersburg, USSR (now Russia).
The typewriter's serial number is 158422, pinning it as a No. 6 Aluminium & Featherweight model and product of 1912 according to: https://typewriterdatabase.com/blickensderfer.35.typewriter-serial-number-database
Custodial History
Donated to the JPL-A by Greg Gransden, February 2021