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Title
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Song of the I.B.
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Description
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Harry Malofsky's "Song of the International Brigade" which includes two verses.
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Type
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text
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Genre
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Music
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Local Identifier
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Sigel74
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Title
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Postcard to Mr. and Mrs. Julius Blickstein
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Description
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Transcription 1937, 17, June Dear friends, Only two words to let you know that I am in very good health and ready to give the enemy a blow that he will not be able to endure. We are now only two miles away from the front and will be more when the cannons fire and [illegible] guns shoot. We wait, gun in the hands, before being called to the fight. Give my greetings to the children and to Desteny and Turewsky. Say to D. Shulius and to Raz to write more. Salud, Harry
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Type
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text, still image
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Genre
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Postcard
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Local Identifier
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Sigel18
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Title
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Postcard of the S.S. Ile de France
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Description
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Harry sends Mim a postcard and includes a limerick about his voyage to France.
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Type
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text, still image
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Genre
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Postcard
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Local Identifier
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Sigel22
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Title
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Postcard of the Arc de Triomphe to Julius Blickstein
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Description
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Harry tells Julius that he had to leave New York in a hurry and is now in Paris. He promises to write once he has reached his destination.
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Type
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text, still image
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Genre
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Postcard
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Local Identifier
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Sigel12
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Title
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Postcard of General Miaja
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Description
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Harry writes that Miaja is the "man of the hour" and wonders if this is what he will look like when he is a general.
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Type
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text, still image
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Genre
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Postcard
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Local Identifier
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Sigel9
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Title
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Harry Malofsky to Mrs. Sigel
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Description
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Harry writes to his "comrade mother" (Paul and Miriam Sigel's mother) because he can not write to his own mother about his participation in the war. His parents think he is doing technical work in Spain as opposed to fighting. He writes about the war planes overhead and wondering what would happen if one of the bombs fell on him or near him. He says that his fear is quelled by the strong morale of the Loyalists. He says the morale is broken on the fascist side; after Belchite, only the fascist officers fought until the end, the soldiers gave up as soon as they could. Harry is grateful he can write to Mrs. Sigel because he can not write these things to his own mother.
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Type
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text
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Genre
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Autograph Letter Signed
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Local Identifier
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Sigel21
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Title
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Harry Malofsky to Miriam 'Mim' Sigel
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Description
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Harry describes his trip to Madrid and how the city has made him homesick for New York. He writes that their friend Bernie expects to be sent home, most likely for psychiatric reasons. Harry says that his parents are reunited and imagines it is because of the war and his being away. He writes that there were boxing matches the night before. Between bouts Harry jumped into the ring and was able to get the entire crowd singing.
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Type
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text
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Genre
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Autograph Letter Signed
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Local Identifier
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Sigel38
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Title
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Harry Malofsky to Miriam 'Mim' Sigel
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Description
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Harry has just received a letter from Mim in response to his account of being at the front for the first time in July. He is now a hardened soldier; the planes and shells no longer bother him and dodging bullets is just a part of everyday life. He remembers Ernie being killed, the look of surprise on his face as he was hit. Harry is at the front again, and this time he simply watches the planes fly low, taking aim. They have taken over a small town and 1,200 prisoners; 32 officers were executed and two committed suicide. Harry says that there is only one town between their current location and Zaragosa that must be taken and the Lister Brigade is working on it. Harry encloses a photograph taken in Madrid (not included). Harry signs the letter Hershel.
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Type
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text
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Genre
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Autograph Letter Signed
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Local Identifier
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Sigel37
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Title
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Harry Malofsky to Miriam 'Mim' Sigel
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Description
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Harry tells Mim that he is grateful to get so many letters from her and is very upset that he does not receive letters from his friends at the Youth Theatre. Describes his new quarters, which he shares with two friends. The three roommates purchased food and had snacks that remind Harry of food from Camp Kinderland. Harry apologizes for not being able to send a photograph to Mim, especially not one of him and a "senorita on his lap." He tells her to disregard the rumours that the men in Spain are fraternizing with the local women; Harry writes that the profolactics handed out on the first day are used to hold tobacco. Harry alludes to the homosexual leanings of some of the troops, having been so long without women. He is unsure when he will go to the front, but is confident in his training. Harry reports on his friends and why they haven't written to Mim. Asks her to drink a chocolate malted milk on Sixth Avenue and write back describing how it tastes.
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Type
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text
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Genre
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Autograph Letter Signed
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Local Identifier
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Sigel28
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Title
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Harry Malofsky to Miriam 'Mim' Sigel
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Description
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harry says that he has been trained so well on the rifle that he has no doubt they will conquer Franco. He has been reunited with his friends, and one of them is his sergeant. Harry just had his typhoid shot and his fever is making it hard to concentrate and apologizes for the short letter. Asks Mim how her show is going with the Youth Theatre.
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Type
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text
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Genre
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Autograph Letter Signed
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Local Identifier
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Sigel23
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Title
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Harry Malofsky to Miriam 'Mim' Sigel
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Description
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Harry tells Mim that he is 60 kilometers from the front and is enjoying the tranquility. He is looking forward to his two days in Madrid and plans on spending his 500 pesetas in a "royal fashion." Harry reports that La Pasionaria (Dolores Ibarurri) was to speak to the troops but never came. General Miaja came and said five sentences, two of which were 'salud.' Max Bedacht, founder of the American Communist Party, came to visit and Harry was glad to see him, as Harry had dated Bedact's daughter Elsie. Harry begins to describe his time at the front and the censor has blocked the story.
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Type
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text
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Genre
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Autograph Letter Signed
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Local Identifier
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Sigel36
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Title
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Harry Malofsky to Miriam 'Mim' Sigel
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Description
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Harry tells Mim that he was been fighting for the last seven days and only now has the time to write. He doesn't want to discuss politics and doesn't want to be romantic about the war, but he describes the terror of war. Harry unloads on Mim an anti-fascist rant.
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Type
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text
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Genre
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Autograph Letter Signed
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Local Identifier
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Sigel34
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Title
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Harry Malofsky to Miriam 'Mim' Sigel
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Description
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Harry writes from a military hospital, recovering from the typhus shot he received. He discusses the kindness and compassion of the British doctors. Describes military life: no drinking or fraternizing with the women. Harry writes that everyone makes an effort to learn Spanish. On Sundays there is an old movie show, or else Harry and his friends put on a show for the troops. Harry reports that the troops at the front have the fascists "on the run."
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Type
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text
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Genre
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Autograph Letter Signed
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Local Identifier
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Sigel29
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Title
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Harry Malofsky to Miriam 'Mim' Sigel
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Description
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Harry is glad to have received Mim's letter and is touched that she thinks his cursing has increased since going to Spain. He writes about his good marksmanship and that he is a natural. He believes that his time is Spain will "straighten him out" and he thinks he'll be able to handle anything when he gets back to the US. He includes a verse from a song he has written in English and mentions that he is learning Spainish now that the IB has joined the Republican Army. He writes that there has been a turning point and it is expected that once the 500,000 conscripted Spaniards go into action, the war will be over. He hopes Catalonia pust an end to the 'Trotksy menace" that is trying to convince the Anarchists that the IB will overthrow them after the war.
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Type
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text
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Genre
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Autograph Letter Signed
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Local Identifier
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Sigel24
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Title
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Harry Malofsky to Miriam 'Mim' Sigel
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Description
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Harry writes to Mim asking her to send the musical score of "We are the Fighting Anti-Fascists" to the newspaper New Masses. Asks Mim to make a few changes to the lyrics so it can be published in the July issue. Lyrics included.
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Type
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text
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Genre
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Autograph Letter Signed
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Local Identifier
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Sigel32
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Title
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Harry Malofsky to Miriam 'Mim' Sigel
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Description
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Harry writes about his heartbreak over a goat, Esmeralda, that had kept him company and has now forgotten about him. Reports that on May 1 instead of marching to the front, he and the others rehearsed at a local theater. Encourages Mim to stick with the cause and the Youth Theater.
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Type
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text
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Genre
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Autograph Letter Signed
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Local Identifier
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Sigel27
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Title
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Harry Malofsky to Miriam 'Mim' Sigel
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Description
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Harry is glad to have received Mim's lighthearted letter. He writes that the night before, he was informed that his best friend, a truck driver, was killed. He says that there has been an unconfirmed report that fascist General Mana has been killed and that six enemy planes were shot down over Bilbao. He is grateful for Mim's letters and is glad she liked the song he wrote. He would write more songs but cannot find a piano in town.
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Type
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text
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Genre
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Autograph Letter Signed
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Local Identifier
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Sigel31
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Title
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Harry Malofsky to Julius and Rose Blickstein
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Description
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Harry writes about the International Brigades taking the city of Quinto. He says that he watched one Nazi officer commit suicide and twenty others executed. The fascists had thought the IB was the Russian army and they surrendered, leaving their trenches yelling "Viva ls Rusia." Harry says that they were surprised that only their leaders were shot; he is sure they will be very surprised by the IB in the future. Harry now considers himself a veteran; the planes no longer bother him and he says he is a very different person than he was in Madrid.His time in Madrid was wonderful; he became a little boy again. He missed his train out of Valencia and had to hop a freight train. He rode the rails for five days and had to hike to the front.
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Type
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text
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Genre
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Autograph Letter Signed
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Local Identifier
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Sigel20
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Title
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Harry Malofsky to Julius Blickstein
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Description
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Harry describes the beauty of Spain. He is surprised by the number of anti-fascists that have come from as far away as Palestine. He is also surprised that as a life-long communist, he should find himself fighting for democracy. Harry hopes that Spain will be victorious in its historic task at defeating the fascists.
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Type
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text
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Genre
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Autograph Letter Signed
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Local Identifier
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Sigel14
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Title
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Harry Malofsky to Julius Blickstein
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Description
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Harry writes to his friend Julius about his group taking over the house of a fascist. He has just come from a 24 km hike and is relaxing with his feet in cool well water. Congratulates Julius on his recent wedding and says that the soldiers are not permitted to fraternize with the local women. Harry asks Julius to visit his parents who are upset he is fighting is Spain.
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Type
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text
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Genre
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Autograph Letter Signed
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Local Identifier
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Sigel16
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Title
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Harry Malofsky to Julius Blickstein
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Description
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Harry describes the beauty of Spain. He is surprised by the number of anti-fascists that have come from as far away as Palestine. He is also surprised that as a life-long communist, he should find himself fighting for democracy. Harry hopes that Spain will be victorious in its historic task at defeating the fascists.
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Type
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text
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Genre
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Typed Letter
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Local Identifier
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Sigel13
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Title
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Harry Malofsky to Julies and Rose Blickstein
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Description
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Harry discusses the latest confrontation with Franco's forces. He writes that even with Franco's superior machinery and planes, the International Brigades have a higher ratio of success. He describes his three days of fighting without food, water, or a bath. Asks Julius for more letters, especially ones with gossip.
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Type
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text
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Genre
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Autograph Letter Signed
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Local Identifier
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Sigel19
