Bernard Gotfryd color slides and photographs
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Abstract
The collection includes 150 color slides that document the 1983 Brooklyn Bridge Centennial celebration. The majority of the slides show views of the Brooklyn Bridge, as well as the fireworks display that took place during the celebration. Also included are 24 black-and-white photographic prints that primarily document predominantly African American neighborhoods in Brooklyn in the late 1960s to early 1970s.
Biographical note
Bernard Gotfryd was born in Radom Poland in 1924. At the start of WWII, Gotfryd entered an apprenticeship at a photography studio in the Radom Ghetto while still a teenager. During the war, Gotfryd was involved in the Polish resistance and was subsequently imprisoned for his involvement. By the end of the war, he had survived imprisonment in six different concentration camps. Gotfryd immigrated to the United States in 1947 where he continued pursuing a career as photographer and photojournalist including while serving in the U.S Army. He married his wife Gina in 1952 and they had two children, Eva and Howard. In 1957, he was hired as a photojournalist for Newsweek and remained at the magazine for over 30 years. Gotfryd's career took him all over the world where he documented people, places, and events for Newsweek. In 1990, Gotfryd published Anton the Dove Fancier and Other Tales of the Holocaust, which chronicled many of his experiences during WWII. As of 2011, Gotfryd lives in New York and continues to lecture at local schools about his experiences during the war.
Sources:
- The Hoover Institution. "Bernard Gotfryd Gives His Papers and Photographs to the Hoover Institution." Accessed July 29, 2011. http://www.hoover.org/library-and-archives/acquisitions/28954
- New-York Historical Society. "Guide to the Bernard Gotfryd Photograph Collection, 1960-2008 (PR 276)." Accessed July 29, 2011. http://dlib.nyu.edu/findingaids/html/nyhs/gotfryd.html
- The Hebrew Home at Riverdale. "The Eye of a Generation: Bernard Gotfryd, Portraits & Landscapes." Accessed July 29, 2011. http://www.hebrewhome.org/exh_gotfryd.asp
Scope and Contents
The Bernard Gotfryd color slides and photographs consists of 174 items dating from circa 1965 to 1983. The collection includes 150 color slides that document the 1983 Brooklyn Bridge Centennial celebration. The majority of the slides show views of the Brooklyn Bridge, as well as the fireworks display that took place during the celebration. Also included are 24 black-and-white photographic prints that primarily document predominantly African American neighborhoods in Brooklyn in the late 1960s to early 1970s. Most of the photographs are of East New York, though there are also images of Fort Greene and Crown Heights. All of the photographs are street views that capture children playing, people sitting on stoops, and sidewalk activity. Views of buildings and cars from the period are also captured in the photographs. Finally, three images of the Brooklyn Bridge are also included in the black-and-white photographic prints.
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Topics
Conditions Governing Access
Open to researchers without restriction.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright is retained by Bernard Gotfryd. Any commercial use of the photographs must have permission of the donor. Any noncommercial use of the photographs must attribute copyright to Bernard Gotfryd. For information on securing rights to publish or reproduce, please see the Brooklyn Historical Society Reproduction Rights Policy.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date (if known); Bernard Gotfryd color slides and photographs, V1987.003, Box number, Object ID number; Brooklyn Historical Society.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Bernard Gotfryd, 1987.
Other Finding Aids
Item level description and digital versions of images from the collection are available for searching via the image database in the library. Please consult library staff for more information.
About this Guide
Processing Information note
Fully processed to the item level.
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This finding aid does not include an online listing of contents.
To learn about viewing this collection in person, please contact cbhreference@bklynlibrary.org.
