Sydney and Ruth Jonah Collection, circa 1890-circa 1990

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Summary

Creators:
Jonah, Sydney and Ruth
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.
Extent:
4.66 linear feet
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style manual, or see the Citing Archival Materialsguide.

Background

Scope and content:

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: Personal 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 Magazinesubseries 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.

Biographical / historical:

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.

Acquisition information:
Rose Horowitz, 2002.
Processing information:

Jessica Geiser and Eric Yin, 2013

Arrangement:

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

Indexed terms

Subjects:
Documents
Photographs

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research use.

Terms of access:

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.

Preferred citation:

For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style manual, or see the Citing Archival Materialsguide.

Location of this collection:
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA 91330, US
Contact:
(818) 677-4594
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