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March and April 1936 – I will be glad when the election is over.

Trudel continued to abstract her letters into brief notes so I have consolidated March and April 1936 into one post. [April is below the first movie trailer.]

3/20/26
A fortune teller told me that Papa was not feeling well and should watch his health much more. Right? Leonard is very busy making speeches for Governor Len Small for mayor of Chicago. I will be glad when the election is over.

Easter Sunday 4/12/26
Happy birthday to Erna. [Erna’s birthday was April 25th.]
Leonard with speeches, also on radio, and I with hats, are keeping both of us very busy. I Try to go with him when I can.

Last Friday Rose LaMarque and I saw “The Great Waltz.” Wonderful.

4/26/36
Although Leonard was not elected as a judge, he is still much better off than the other Republican candidate who spent $25,000 and lost too with only ½ as many votes as Leonard, who did not spend 1¢. I am glad it is all over but it was very interesting for me and I learned a lot.

Papa’s letter had been opened by the Germans, by the foreign exchange department.

I Have not moved to the Seneca Hotel with Mrs La Marque yet, but will tell you the advantages I will have:
1. The landlord will not misplace my mail
2. All phone calls and visitors will be told me as soon as I come home
3. Home right after work (in the building)
4. Not so much alone
5. For the same money much bigger room
6. Telephone in the room
7. Private bathroom
8. Much better neighborhood
9. 1st class hotel service
10. Restaurant and grocery store in building
11. Closer to the beach in summer
12. Radio
13. Sewing machine
Etc., etc.

Went to Klemm and Addie Eggner’s wedding last Sunday. Although Leonard was not in the mood for it since his 85 year old Father had died 3 days before in Sumter, he went with me anyhow. He could not go to the funeral since it was the next day and it would have taken 2 days to get there.

I saw best movie ever, “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town”: serious story; excellent performances.

I have been unable to find any information about the judicial elections in Chicago in 1936. It would appear that there must have been some kind of open primary or Trudel may have combined the primary with the general election in her mind, which would explain how LJG could lose to “his opponent” and his opponent could also lose.

2 Comments

Posted by Leonard Grossman on April 30, 1936 in Chicago, diary, family, immigrant experience, Memoir

Tags: Chicago, elections, family, hats, judge, mayor, Primary election, work

June 1, 1936 – Trudel Moves to the Seneca Hotel

01 Jun

Trudel continues to translate only brief summaries from her letters, “diary style,” she calls it. In the coming months there are a few few full length letters so keep watching.

Rose LaMarque

6/1
I finally moved in with Mrs. Rose La Marque at the Seneca Hotel, after being sick for a week and in bed.

I am working for Sully only now at her hat shop, which is also in the Seneca.

The Seneca Hotel

Sully

Sully’s Hat Shop

Saw a nice movie “The Golden Arrow” with Bette Davis.

http://http://lgrossman.com/trudel/8q1

August 20, 1936 – The biggest and best night club; elegant people

20 Aug

Roof garden at the Seneca Hotel.

Trudel continues to translate only brief summaries of her original letters. The two entries she made for August 1936 only hint at the changes she had made in her life. But we can fill in some of the blanks from her photo album. Last month she mentioned sitting on the roof of the Seneca Hotel because it was so hot. Since posting that I found a photo of the Roof Garden at the Seneca in her album, which I have included here.

Although she doesn’t mention it in her translations, her photo album for the period includes photos on Chicago’s lake front and in the parks. I have included some of those as well.

The biggest and the best

8/3/36
Last night we went for the first time in the Chez Paree, the biggest and best nightclub here. Very elegant people, good dinner, excellent entertainment.

The Chez Paree

The most elegant people…

Chez Paree

8/20/36
Sully sold her business. I would like to take over, but the hotel has to settle with her first.

Summer, 1936 — Sully’s Hat Shop

Summer Scenes – 1936

Looking south toward Oak St. beach.

Between North Ave. and Oak St.

Looking North from Oak St Beach

Trudel and friend at the beach

Picnic in Jackson Park

Trudel takes a cool drink

Trudel with Parasol.

http://wp.me/p1yA95-lK

4 Comments

Posted by Leonard Grossman on August 20, 1936 in Chicago, immigrant experience, Memoir

Tags: Beach, Chez Paree, Chicago, hats, Lake Michigan, Night Club, Oak Street, parks, work

November 7, 1936 – ” I went to a Halloween Party in a sack. . . .”

07 Nov

Trudel continues to translate only short snippets from her letters. Although she mentions a typewriter, a copy of the typewritten letter she refers to has not survived. My mother was a very practical woman, in her way. When she finished translating the letters that had been written in German, which she had held on to for about 60 years, she threw away the originals. She thought she had translated the most interesting and important parts, and now she was clearing away clutter. There was no one left, she thought, who would be able to or want to read them in German. She never suspected how wonderful it would have been to have them to fill in blanks or to clear-up misunderstandings that may have resulted from her translation.

But as Thanksgiving approaches, I must express my gratitude that in her mid-80s she undertook this project at all, and that we have what we have.

11/7/1936

LJG’s Desk

In Leonard’s office, for the first time in several weeks, I discovered a new typewriter and will use it right away to start this letter.

I went to a Halloween party dressed in a sack again as a witch. Saw so many German Jews I know.

Like Trudel’s?

Since, because of the election business was very bad all over, I got myself a job again in a very elegant store on Michigan Ave, as the only milliner.

Michigan Avenue Shops

None of the candidates or parties supported by LJG won in 1936. FDR won a second term, Big Bill Thompson lost his last campaign. The “Progressive” wing of the Republican Party began a precipitous decline. The Democrats consolidated their control over the City of Chicago which continues to this day.

When I was growing up I found “No Third Term” buttons in my father’s memorabilia but I have it on good authority that in 1944 he saw the light and voted for Roosevelt. There was no going back.

2 Comments

Posted by Leonard Grossman on November 7, 1936 in Chicago, diary, immigrant experience, Letters

Tags: Chicago, Halloween, hats, Lake Michigan, politics, working

Jan 23, 1937 “Hope I have answered all of your letters.”

23 Jan

[I have discovered a couple of letters that were not posted in order. Here, from January, 1937 is is the first of them. Later it will appear in the correct place in the order of letters but for convenience here is a link to the letters that appeared before it in January, 1937. LAG]

Jan 23 ‘37
Hope I answered all your letters. Now I have a whole big stack of mail to be answered.

I bought some black wool material and will have a winter coat made from it. Madge, my sister-in-law, sent me a lovely watch for my birthday. It is to be worn on the lapel of a suit.

Have gone to bed very late every night this week.

Monday I finished a hat for a friend, Tuesday as usual with Trudel Batzner, Wednesday delivered a hat to friends and had dinner with them, and the 4 of us went to a movie, and then back to their house for something more to eat.

Trudel Batzner

Thursday met a niece of Engelbert Hriss with whom I had been trying to get together for one year.

Leonard had to go to a political meeting and Trudel B, that girl [the niece of Englebert Hriss] and I visited together until midnight. Last night, Friday, Aunt Flora, Leonard’s favorite aunt who lives in Indianapolis, was here in town and invited us for dinner. She was staying with Leonard’s cousin on the far south side, all wonderful people.

I took home a couple of hats to be remodeled. Glad to have a good reason to go there again. Since his divorce, Leonard had withdrawn from all his relatives and friends. He wanted all of them to be friends with his ex-wife and daughter and he did not care about himself.

Trudel

The price for hosiery is between $0.65 and $1.25. But in the summer I wear only knee hose which is about 35 cents a pair. Besides I wear a lot of “footlings.”

Ernale please write me a letter describing exactly what you do at work, in English. Maybe Aunt Flora can help find a job for you here.

Love,
Trudel

Trudel Batzner (later Nachmann) became my mother’s closest friend and they remained close the rest of their lives. Oddly, there is no account of their first meeting in any of Trudel’s letters. LAG

2 Comments

Posted by Leonard Grossman on January 23, 1937 in immigrant experience, Letters

Tags: hats, letters, movies, working

Trudel's Truth

Tag Archives: hats

March and April 1936 – I will be glad when the election is over.

June 1, 1936 – Trudel Moves to the Seneca Hotel

August 20, 1936 – The biggest and best night club; elegant people

The biggest and the best

Summer Scenes – 1936

November 7, 1936 – ” I went to a Halloween Party in a sack. . . .”

Jan 23, 1937 “Hope I have answered all of your letters.”

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