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Guide to the Zoya Shlakis Collection, 1902-2009
OCH/ZSC
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Table of contents
Collection Title: Zoya Shlakis Collection
Dates: circa
1902-2009
Bulk Dates: 1930-1949
Identification: OCH/ZSC
Creator:
Shlakis, Zoya, 1927-2010
Physical Description: 54.94 linear feet
Language of Materials:
English
Chinese
Russian
English
Chinese
Russian
Repository:
Old China Hands Archives
Abstract: Zoya Shlakis was born in Mukden, China in
1927, to Stayses and Alexandra Shlakis. Her father was of Lithuanian descent and her
mother a White Russian. The Shlakis family fled Russia for China, eventually settling in
Shanghai in 1936. In 1948, as Communist forces advanced across China, the Shlakis family
relocated to Taipei, Taiwan. In Taipei, Zoya acquired a visa under the 1948 Displaced
Persons Act, which allowed her legal entry into the U.S. The collection consists of
records documenting Zoya's life in Shanghai (ca. 1930s-1940s), correspondence with
friends and family, numerous Old China Hands activities, and photographs documenting the
Shlakis family from the early days in Mukden in the 1920s until 2008.
Zoya Shlakis was born in Mukden, China in 1927 to Stayses and Alexandra Shlakis. Her
father was Lithuanian and her mother a White Russian. Due to the revolution and social
unrest in Russia, the Shlakis family fled Russia for China. After Stayses managed to
secure a position as a mechanic with the Chinese Postal Service, the Shlakis family
moved from Mukden to Nanjing and eventually to Shanghai in 1936. Their lifestyle in
Shanghai was by some standards unusual since, due to Stayses's job, they were given
a residence inside the General Post Office of Shanghai with fully furnished quarters,
servants, and access to the rooftop garden. During her time in Shanghai, Zoya was
enrolled at Public and Thomas Hanbury School for Girls, participated in theater at the
local British Lyceum, and joined the Army & Navy YMCA.
Due to deteriorating conditions in Shanghai following the Second World War, the Shlakis
family fled to Taipei, Taiwan in December of 1948. In Taipei, Zoya acquired a visa under
the 1948 Displaced Persons Act, which allowed her legal entry into the U.S. After Zoya
secured travel documents for her parents, they joined her in the United States and lived
with her for the remainder of their lives in Los Angeles, California.
Zoya remained very active in the Old China Hands community, keeping in touch with old
friends, and helping organize and maintain records for the numerous Old China Hands
reunions and activities over the years. Her many trips back to Shanghai document the
rapid changes taking place in China's stride for modernity as well as the contrast
between pre- and post-Nationalist rule. Her collection offers unique perspectives on
significant events of the 20th century, including the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia,
living in pre-WWII Shanghai as immigrants, life under Japanese occupation, and post-war
society until the rise of the Mao Zedong's communist state.
This collection is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms.
Ephemera
Paper records
Photographic material
Video recordings
China -- Description and
travel -- Photographs
China -- History
Shanghai (China) -- Social
life and customs -- 20th century
Tim Kaufler and Vicki Schmidtberger, 2012
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.
The collection is open for research use.
For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style
manual, or see the
Citing Archival Materials
guide.
Series I: Mukden, Nanking, Shanghai Memorabilia, 1924-2004
Series II: Old China Hands (OCH) Reunions, 1988-2009
Series III: Biographical Documents, 1917-2007
Series IV: Correspondence, 1947-2009
Series V: Photographs, ca. 1902-2006
Series VI: Ephemera, 1906-2006
Series VII: Audio-Visual, ca. 1920-2006
The
Zoya Shlakis Collection consists mainly of original
documents, photographs, correspondence, and ephemera relating to Zoya Shlakis's
experiences growing up in China as a stateless foreigner as well as her involvement with
numerous Old China Hands Reunions. The collection is divided into seven series: Mukden,
Nanking, and Shanghai Memorabilia (1924-2004), Old China Hands (OCH) Reunions
(1988-2009), Biographical Documents (1917-2007), Correspondence (1947-2009), Photographs
(ca. 1902-2006), Ephemera (1906-2006), and Audio-Visual (ca. 1920-2006).
Series I, Mukden, Nanking, and Shanghai Memorabilia, includes advertisements, school
records, correspondence, documents, and scanned photographs with provenance relating to
Zoya Shlakis's personal experience throughout China. This series mainly relates to
Zoya's experience growing up in Shanghai.
Series II, Old China Hands (OCH) Reunions, includes correspondence, pamphlets,
newsletters, contact lists, and organizational records of numerous OCH Reunions. Shlakis
helped organize a number of reunions as well as serving as an administrator for the 1996
Reunion in Las Vegas, Nevada. This series is arranged chronologically by reunion.
Series III, Biographical Documents, consists of articles, scanned photographs with
descriptions, correspondence, newspaper clippings, publications, and personal stories of
living in Shanghai.
Series IV, Correspondence, includes correspondence between Zoya Shlakis and friends.
This series is arranged alphabetically and chronologically within.
Series V, Photographs, contains black and white photographs of the Shlakis family living
in Mukden, Nanking, and Shanghai. Many of the photographs outside of China capture the
numerous OCH gatherings as well as her personal life.
Series VI, Ephemera, consists mainly of clothing, handmade linens, handmade
woodcarvings, trinkets, jewelry, silver and kitchen utensils. Some of these items were
brought over from Shanghai and others purchased in the U.S.
Series VII: Audio-visual, includes VHS and DVDs, some with commentary, from a number of
OCH Reunions and the opening of the OCH Archive at CSU Northridge. This series also
contains a video cassette of Shanghai stock footage (ca. 1920s-1930s), and a DVD of
Zoya's media coverage at the Grand Opening of the Shanghai Post Office Museum in
China.