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Common Threads, 2015

 Item — drawer: 04-04, Folder: 6

Scope and Contents

Common Threads: No. 21 in the Dead Feminists series Edition size: 145 prints Poster size: 10 x 18 inches Printed on an antique Vandercook Universal One press, on archival, 100% rag (cotton) paper. Each piece is numbered and signed by both artists.

Colophon reads: Rywka Lipszyc (1929 – 1945?) kept a diary from October 1943 to April 1944, while living in Poland’s Łódź ghetto. Discovered by a Russian doctor in the crematoria remains at Auschwitz-Birkenau, the diary was published in 2014, sharing Rywka’s amazing story with the world. Her parents and three siblings perished in Nazi ghettos and killing centers. Despite horrible living conditions Rywka survived, working in the ghetto’s clothing and linen workshop, learning to sew, organizing a library, and attending classes. Her diary ends abruptly, but records reveal she was deported to Auschwitz, then liberated to a field hospital after the war’s end. No further trace of her has been found, but Rywka’s words survive, a reminder of her incredible faith despite all odds — and her dream of becoming a writer fulfilled.

Dates

  • Creation: 2015

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Extent

From the Collection: 1 flat file drawers

Language of Materials

From the Series: English

Bibliography

O’Leary, Chandler. (2015). Common Threads. Please refer to Chandler O'Leary's website.

Repository Details

Part of the SJSU Special Collections & Archives Repository

Contact:
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library
San José State University
One Washington Square
San José, CA 95192-0028
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(408) 808-2063 (Fax)