Guide to the Sydney and Ruth Jonah Collection
Special Collections & Archives
University Library
California State University, Northridge
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA 91330-8326
Contributing Institution:
Special Collections & Archives
Title: Sydney and Ruth Jonah Collection
Creator:
Jonah, Sydney and Ruth
Identifier/Call Number: OCH.SRJ
Extent:
4.66 linear feet
Date (inclusive): circa 1890-circa 1990
Abstract: Sydney Jonah was born in China, and
moved to the United States in the 1930s. In 1935, he married Ruth (Rudy) Cohen in Los
Angeles, California. The collection consists mainly of personal photographs belonging to
both the Jonah and Cohen families, which show some of Sydney's time in China, their life and
travels together as a married couple, and family photos sent to and collected by Sydney and
Ruth. Also included in the collection is a small amount of personal correspondence and
collected papers, most notably letters between Sydney and his family regarding a relative
living in Shanghai during the 1940s.
Language of Material: English
Biographical Information:
Sydney Jonah was born in China in 1910, to Ephraim and Gertrude Jonah. He attended the
Public and Thomas Hanbury School for Boys in Shanghai, and immigrated to the United States,
settling in San Francisco in the 1930s. He enlisted in the United States Army in 1942, and
became a naturalized US citizen in 1944.
Ruth (Rudy) Cohen was born in Michigan in 1912 to Philip and Yetta Cohen, and moved with
her family to Los Angeles sometime before 1930.
Sydney and Ruth were married in Los Angeles in 1945.
Scope and Contents
The
Sydney and Ruth Jonah Collection consists of family
photographs spanning from the 1890s to the 1990s, as well as some correspondence, news
articles, and publications collected by the Jonahs. The collection is divided into two
series:
P
ersonal Materials (1912-1985)
and
Photographs (circa 1890-1999).
Series I,
Personal Materials, is sorted into two subseries:
Correspondence and Clippings (1912-1985) and
Arts and Commerce Magazine
(1928-1930). The
Correspondence and Clippings subseries
consists firstly of correspondence between Sydney's family, including postcards of China
sent to Sydney from his father, Christmas cards sent to Sydney and Ruth, and a series of
letters written in 1945 concerning Sydney's aunt still living in Shanghai. Also included in
the subseries are clippings related to China, including a picture of Hongkew schools and an
article on Dr. Ma Haide. The
Arts and Commerce
Magazine
subseries consists of five issues of the magazine, which was published by students at
the Public and Thomas Hanbury School for Boys.
Series II,
Photographs, is divided into two subseries,
Loose Photographs (circa 1890-1999) and
Photograph Albums (circa 1890-1985). The
Loose
Photographs
subseries consists of miscellaneous photographs of the Jonah family, as
well as some photographs of members of Ruth's family, the Cohens. The
Photograph Albums subseries consists of photographs placed into albums by the
Jonahs, including two albums of Sydney's early life in Shanghai and San Francisco with
captions written by Sydney.
Arrangement of Materials:
Series I: Personal Materials, 1912-1985
Subseries A: Correspondence and Clippings, 1912-1985
Subseries B:
Arts and Commerce Magazine, 1928-1930
Series II: Photographs, ca. 1890s-1990s
Subseries A: Loose Photographs, ca. 1890s-1990s
Subseries B: Photographs Albums, ca. 1890s-1985
Conditions Governing Access:
The collection is open for research use.
Conditions Governing Use:
Copyright for unpublished materials authored or otherwise produced by the creator(s) of
this collection has not been transferred to California State University, Northridge.
Copyright status for other materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials
protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires
the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be
commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any
use rests exclusively with the user.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Rose Horowitz, 2002.
Preferred Citation:
For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style manual,
or see the
Citing Archival Materials
guide.
Processing Information:
Jessica Geiser and Eric Yin, 2013
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Documents
Photographs
Series I: Personal Materials, 1912-1985
Subseries A: Correspondence and Clippings, 1912-1985
Box 1, Folder 1
Postcards Sent to Sydney Jonah From His Father Ephraim Jonah,
1914
Box 1, Folder 2
News Clipping: Honkew Schools Photograph,
1927
Box 1, Folder 3
Christmas Cards Sent to Sydney and Ruth Jonah,
ca. 1940-ca. 1969
Box 1, Folder 4
Correspondence Sent to Sydney From His Mother (Gertrude) and Brother
(Irvine) Regarding an Aunt Living in Shanghai,
September, 1945
Box 1, Folder 5
US-China Review Articles on Journalists in
China in the 1940s and Dr. Ma Haide,
ca. 1982
Subseries B:
Arts and Commerce
Magazine,
1928-1930
Box 1, Folder 6
Arts and Commerce Magazine - Autumn Issue,
Vol. 1 No. 3,
1928
Box 1, Folder 7
Arts and Commerce Magazine - Easter
Issue,
1929
Box 1, Folder 8
Arts and Commerce Magazine - Summer Issue,
Vol. II No. 6,
1929
Box 1, Folder 9
Arts and Commerce Magazine - Xmas Number, Vol.
III No. 7,
1929
Box 1, Folder 10
Arts and Commerce Magazine - Easter Issue,
Vol. III No. 8,
1930
Series II: Photographs, ca. 1890-ca. 1999
Subseries A: Loose Photographs, ca. 1890-ca. 1999
Box 1, Folder 11
Albumette and Framed Photographs,
ca. 1910-ca. 1950
Box 1, Folder 12
Loose Photographs,
ca. 1890-ca. 1929
Box 1, Folder 13
Loose Photographs,
ca. 1900-ca. 1929
Box 1, Folder 14
Loose Photographs,
ca. 1920-ca. 1949
Box 1, Folder 15
Loose Photographs,
ca. 1920-ca. 1949
Box 1, Folder 16
Loose Photographs,
ca. 1930-ca. 1959
Box 1, Folder 17
Loose Photographs,
ca. 1930-ca. 1959
Box 2, Folder 1
Loose Photographs,
ca. 1940-ca. 1969
Box 2, Folder 2
Loose Photographs,
ca. 1950-ca. 1979
Box 2, Folder 3
Loose Photographs,
ca. 1950-ca. 1979
Box 2, Folder 4
Loose Photographs,
ca. 1960-ca. 1979
Box 2, Folder 5
Loose Photographs,
ca. 1970-ca. 1989
Box 2, Folder 6
Loose Photographs,
ca. 1980-ca. 1999
Box 2, Folder 7
Loose Photographs,
ca. 1980-ca. 1999
Box 2, Folder 8
Hilda Cohen Photographs,
ca. 1930-ca. 1969
Box 2, Folder 9
Landscapes and Scenery,
ca. 1920-ca. 1949
Box 2, Folder 10
Solomon Family Photos,
ca. 1910-ca. 1959
Box 3, Folder 1
Oversized Loose Photographs,
ca. 1920-ca. 1949
Subseries B: Photograph Albums, ca. 1890-1985
Box 2, Folder 11
Sydney and Ruth's 25th Anniversary,
1970
Box 2, Folder 13
Trip to the Orient,
ca. 1970-ca. 1979
Box 2, Folder 14
Photograph Album,
1976-1985
Box 4, Item 1
Red Photograph Album - Los Angeles and Miscellaneous,
ca. 1940-ca. 1969
Box 4, Item 2
Black Photograph Album - "Sydney E. Jonah - Of People And
Things,"
1927
Box 5, Item 1
Black Photograph Album - China and California,
ca. 1900-ca. 1949
Box 6, Item 1
Red Flower Photograph Album - "Of Scenes and Things,"
1932-1937
Box 6, Item 2
Grey Print Photograph Album - China and California,
ca. 1920-ca. 1959
