Brooklyn in Love & at War

My grandparents' World War 2 Love Letters

You Smelt of Ether and I of Booze

This letter, written in February of 1945, is one of the most emotionally wrought of the letters that I’ve come across yet. After pages of describing his love for Sylvia, … Continue reading

August 15, 2011 · 1 Comment

The National Archives

While this is a Brooklyn-centric blog. I hope to consider the nation’s history beyond that of my family and New York. That said, I now confess that the last two … Continue reading

July 18, 2011 · 1 Comment

I was never demoralized

Here we have a short and cheerful letter from Sylvia that she included with a letter in Hungarian from Alex’s mother. I included a page of the Hungarian letter though … Continue reading

July 11, 2011 · Leave a comment

Home Sweet Home: Little Boxes

When I first began this blog I was working as a researcher at the Brooklyn Navy Yard for a museum that will open in September. There I was, working right … Continue reading

July 5, 2011 · 1 Comment

Making Plans

This letter is a purely logistical one, written in August of 1944. As my life has been taken up by replacing my broken phone and trying to piece together my … Continue reading

June 4, 2011 · 2 Comments

The Old Man Has Spoken

This letter was written on November 19th, 1944. According to the Washington Post, “Russian tanks and infantry smashed 4 miles through German lines 15 miles north of Budapest… in a … Continue reading

May 22, 2011 · 1 Comment

New Friends, Old Friends

On my trip to D.C. in April I made a new friend who kindly housed me for the entire four days I was there.  Rachel makes great jewelry and has a … Continue reading

May 7, 2011 · Leave a comment

Powerful Katrinka

I adore this letter. Sylvia is so excited for Alex’s homecoming (though it seems far away and temporary). In the letter she is jubilant, loving and even a bit vain. … Continue reading

April 29, 2011 · 1 Comment

Happy Birthday, Blog

Well, I forgot to mark the 1 year anniversary of this blog. I think that the most appropriate way to commemorate the blog’s birthday is to meditate a little on … Continue reading

April 29, 2011 · 1 Comment

Arlington National Cemetery

I just returned from a wonderful trip to Washington D.C. where I saw and met great people, visited various national monuments, and learned to navigate a new public transportation system … Continue reading

April 25, 2011 · 2 Comments