University of Pennsylvania Finding Aids

Documents, notebooks, and diary entries relaying the narrative of the Aitala family’s migration through and immigration from Italy to the United States during and after World War II.

August Mencken (1889-1967) was an American civil engineer and author. This collection comprises August Mencken’s correspondence regarding his brother, H.L. Mencken, his research and work on a scale model of the Confederate cruiser Alabama, and miscellaneous collected writings from friends and colleagues.

Burton Rascoe (1892-1957) was an American literary critic, journalist, editor, and author working in the first half of the 20th century. His confrontational style stirred up much debate and helped generate interest in up-and-coming writers that Rascoe believed showed promise; most notably, Rascoe was an early champion of writers such as James Branch Cabell, Theodore Dreiser, and H. L. Mencken. The collection consists of his correspondence, including some with famous literary figures; writings by Rascoe in draft and published form; papers relating to a lawsuit with Max Annenberg; diaries and notebooks; photographs; and clippings.

Howard Melvin Fast (1914-2003) was a best-selling and prolific American author of historical fiction, mysteries, and science fiction, known for his books on themes of patriotism, social justice, and the immigrant experience. He wrote nearly 100 books and more than 150 short stories, as well as numerous screenplays, stage plays, and newspaper columns. The Howard Fast papers include correspondence, journals, appointment books, address books, financials, writings, promotion and reviews, scrapbooks, biographies, profiles, chronologies, bibliographies, interviews, governmental and political files, vital records, personal documents, awards, photographs, artwork, and audiovisual materials. The papers were deposited at the University of Pennsylvania over the course of 45 years and represent nearly all facets of the writer's life.

Collection of correspondence, writings, memorabilia, and photographs of Jack Rosenfeld, mainly pertaining to his service in the United States Army during the Second World War, from September 1942 to November 1945. Rosenfeld's extensive wartime correspondence with his fiancée, family members, and friends offers glimpses into the experiences of everyday Americans during the war, both from the point of view of individuals serving in the Armed Forces, and from that of the civilian community at home, especially in Philadelphia. The correspondence also gives an impression of Jewish community life in Philadelphia at the time, and of the perspectives of American Jews on the war. A little more than half of the correspondence is in the form of the miniaturized facsimiles known as Victory Mail, or V-Mail. Jack Rosenfeld's writings include a memoir about his wartime experiences (dated 1995), and an autobiographical essay about his family and childhood. Documents and ephemera from Rosenfeld's military service include materials related to his participation in musical theater productions by the Army's Entertainment Section of Special Services. The majority of the photographs were taken during the Second World War in the locations where Rosenfeld was stationed in North Africa, Italy, France, and Germany.