Rose Weiner Papers
Call Number
Date
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
Rose Weiner (1908-1995) was a nurse for the American Medical Bureau for Spanish Democracy during the Spanish Civil War. The Rose Weiner Papers (dated 1920-1995) contain photographs, correspondence, and personal items related to Rose Weiner's life and her work as a nurse during the Spanish Civil War. The bulk of these materials were contained in Weiner's personal scrapbook, which contained photographs of Weiner in her youth, Abraham Lincoln Brigade volunteers during the Spanish Civil War, and Weiner's family later in life. Also included in these materials are nursing certificates, a small amount of personal correspondence, and letters from the American Red Cross and War Manpower Commission regarding her application to serve as a nurse during World War II.
Historical/Biographical Note
Rose Weiner (1908-1995) was born in Lyubar, Russia into a Jewish family. As a child Rose experienced the harsh conditions of the Russian Revolution and counter-revolution while she, her mother and siblings awaited word from her father who had migrated to the United States. On September 25, 1921, Rose and her family arrived at the Port of New York before moving to Milwaukee. Weiner moved back to New York for school and attended the Montefiore Hospital School of Nursing from 1929-1932. After graduation, Weiner accepted a position at Montefiore Hospital. In March 1937 she sailed to Spain as an American medical volunteer in support of the Loyalist forces in the Spanish Civil War. Weiner worked as a floor nurse in a convalescent hospital, of which she was soon given charge. She spent several months working on the front lines before taking charge of a surgical hospital. During her last six months in Spain, she served as chief nurse of a 1,500-bed surgical and medical hospital. Weiner returned to New York in 1939 and continued work at Montefiore Hospital. Although she applied for nursing positions in the American Red Cross, Army Nurse Corps and War Manpower Commission during WWII, Weiner was never granted any of these positions, on the grounds that she did not meet physical requirements. Soon after her attempts to serve in the war, Weiner left Montefiore and began work for New York City as a Public Health Nurse. Meanwhile, she worked toward her Bachelor of Science degree at Hunter College. Weiner later worked as a school nurse until she retired in the 1970s.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged by format in 3 series. Folders in each series are arranged alphabetically by topic. The series arrangement of the papers is as follows:
Series I: Correspondence, 1942-1944; 1991. Series II: Subject Files, 1933-1995. Series III: Photographs, 1920s-1990s.
Scope and Content Note
The Rose Weiner Papers (dated 1920-1995) contain photographs, correspondence, and personal items related to Rose Weiner's life and her work as a nurse during the Spanish Civil War. The bulk of the materials in this collection were originally housed in a scrapbook. The scrapbook was dismantled, but photocopies of the intact scrapbook are included in the collection. Items contained in the scrapbook largely consisted of photographs of Weiner in her youth, Abraham Lincoln Brigade volunteers during the Spanish Civil War, and Weiner's family later in life. It also contained nursing certificates, a small amount of personal correspondence, and letters from the American Red Cross and War Manpower Commission regarding her application to serve as a nurse during World War II. Materials added to the collection in 2017 include collected publications related to Abraham Lincoln Brigade volunteers and medical staff in Spain during the civil war. They also include photocopies of correspondence between Weiner and Fredericka Martin (dated 1969), and a photograph of Weiner in a white nursing uniform (dated circa 1928).
Subjects
Organizations
Genres
People
Access Restrictions
Materials are open to researchers. Please contact the Tamiment Library & Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives for more information and to schedule an appointment, tamiment.wagner@nyu.edu or 212-998-2630.
Use Restrictions
Any rights (including copyright and related rights to publicity and privacy) held by the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives (ALBA), were transferred to New York University in November 2000 by the ALBA Board of Governors. Permission to publish or reproduce materials in this collection must be secured from the Tamiment Library & Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives. For more information, contact tamiment.wagner@nyu.edu or 212-998-2630.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date; Rose Weiner Papers; ALBA 116; box number; folder number; Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, New York University.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The Rose Weiner Papers were donated to the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives by Gerrie Karasik in 1996. The collection came to New York University in January 2001 as part of the original acquisition of ALBA collections, formerly housed at Brandeis University. The accession numbers associated with this gift are 2001.150 and 2001.164. Gerrie Karasik donated additional publications and photos related to Wiener and Lincoln Brigade Volunteers. The accession number associated with this gift is 2017.028.
About this Guide
Processing Information
Materials in this collection were originally housed in a scrapbook that has been dismantled. Materials contained in the scrapbook were separated into series by format. Photographs from the scrapbook were initially established as a separate collection, the Rose Weiner Photographs (ALBA PHOTO 116). In 2017, the photograph collection was reintegrated into the Rose Weiner Papers (ALBA 116) as Series III: Photographs, 1920s-1990s. An accretion of publications related to the Abraham Lincoln Brigades and a photograph of Rose Weiner was also added to the collection in 2017 and integrated into the existing arrangement. Publications were added to Series II: Subject Files, while the photograph was added to Series III: Photographs in the folder "Weiner, Rose: American Medical Bureau."
Revisions to this Guide
Edition of this Guide
Repository
Series I: Correspondence, 1942-1944, 1991, inclusive
Language of Materials
Scope and Contents
Series I: Correspondence, 1942-1944; 1991, contains letters written to Weiner from the American Red Cross, Army Nurse Corps and War Manpower Commission in the early 1940s, rejecting her applications to serve as a nurse in World War II. Also included is Weiner's reply to the American Red Cross, reiterating her qualifications. This series also includes letters written to Weiner's niece in the 1991 from two of Weiner's friends, both of whom had worked with Weiner, and photocopies of correspondence between Weiner and Fredericka Martin (dated 1969).
Beard, Mary to Weiner, Rose, 1942 August 19
Byron, Rose to Karasik, Gerrie and Len, 1991 February 12
Hall, Ruth to Mary Weiner, 1944 May 13
Rosenbaum, Della, to Karasik, Gerrie, 1991 April 22
Walson, Colonel M.C. to Weiner, Rose, 1942 September 8
Weiner, Rose to Beard, Mary, 1942 September 24
Series II: Subject Files, 1933-1995, inclusive
Language of Materials
Scope and Contents
Series II: Subject Files, 1933-1995, contains Weiner's certificate of U.S. citizenship, official documents from her service in the Spanish Civil War, certificates that registered her for nursing in New York, and collected publications related to the Veterans of the Abraham Lincoln Brigades. Also included are photocopies of a Weiner family scrapbook, from which the documents in this collection were separated.
Certificate of U.S. Citizenship, 1933 February 6
Certificates for Nursing (U.S.), 1932, 1971, inclusive
Certificate of Service in Spain and Letter of Thanks, 1938 November - December
Scrapbook: Photocopy, circa 1920s-1990s, inclusive
Real Estate Transaction, 1955 August 30
Weiner, Rose: Obituary, 1995 December
Series III: Photographs, 1920-1995, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Series III: Photographs, 1920-1995 contains photographs from Rose Weiner's scrapbook including images of her childhood, family, and as a student at Montefiore Hospital School of Nursing. There is one image of Weiner's father in the United States prior to the family's arrival in the United States, an image of mother Eva Rubenstein with Rose, Dora, Milton, Sam and Florence in Lyubar, Russia, and an image of the Weiner's neighbors and cousins visiting the grave of Alexi Weiner, who was killed in a Russian pogrom. Additional photographs document the American Medical Bureau's work during the Spanish Civil War including images of Jaime de Guzman, Captain T. Blin, medical personnel, and unidentified troops fighting for the Spanish Republican Army.
American Medical Bureau, circa 1937-1938, inclusive
Behind the Lines: Daily Life of the Soldiers, circa1937-1938, inclusive
Behind the Lines: Rest and Relaxation, circa 1937-1938, inclusive
Blin, T: Captain, circa 1937-1938, inclusive
Captions from Rose Weiner Display, undated, inclusive
de Guzman, Jaime: American Medical Bureau, circa 1937-1938, inclusive
Group Portraits: Identified (Bill Gandall, Evelyn Raymond, Rose Klein), Benicàssim, Spain, 1937 October 26, inclusive
Group Portraits: Unidentified, circa 1937-1938, inclusive
Medical Vehicles, circa 1937-1938, inclusive
Shipboard Returning Home: Canadian Acquaintance "Larry", circa 1937-1938, inclusive
Spanish Military Hospital, circa 1937-1938, inclusive
Wall Newspaper, circa 1937-1938, inclusive
Weiner, Rose: American Medical Bureau, Groups and Solo, circa 1937-1938, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Photographs feature individuals including Lenora Temple, Mathilda Jankovic, Dulcea Hernaiz, John Jacob Posner, Rebecca Shulman, Evelyn Rahman, Epiphanio Lopez, Jose Gonzalez, Martha Mitchell, George Moser, Victor and Hirschfield.
