Harry Sugarman Papers
Scope and Content Note
This collection contains written materials relating to Harry Sugarman’s time in the U.S. army during World War I.
The collection is primarily composed of Sugarman’s personal letters home to his parents and siblings. The first letters detail his training and daily activities in several U.S. barracks. Once he is deployed to France, he writes about his relations with French soldiers and his activities during his free time; he briefly describes his experience in the trenches. He also writes about spending time in the hospital for “influenza.” Following the official end of the war, Sugarman describes how he spends time in France while waiting to be able to return home. Throughout the letters, he strives to assure his family that he is in good health. Sugarman makes brief mention of his Judaism, asking about the holidays in one letter.
Also included in the collection are military documents and some newspaper clippings.
Dates
- Creation: 1917-1919
Creator
- Sugarman, Harry, 1891- (Person)
Access Restrictions
The collection is open to all researchers, except items that may be restricted due to their fragility, or privacy.
Use Restrictions
No permission is required to quote, reproduce or otherwise publish manuscript materials found in this collection, as long as the usage is scholarly, educational, and non-commercial. For inquiries about other usage, please contact the Director of Collections and Engagement at mmeyers@ajhs.org.
For reference questions, please email: inquiries@cjh.org
Biographical Note
Harry Sugarman was born in Russia in 1891 to Joseph and Rose Sugarman, both Russian Jews, and had several siblings. Sugarman and his family lived for a time in England, where Sugarman went to school, and around 1910 they immigrated to New York. Sugarman was a furrier. In 1917, he was drafted into the U.S. army to serve as a private in World War I, in which capacity he went to France with the 148th Infantry. He spent much of his time in the army hospitalized, having been wounded. Sugarman returned home and was naturalized as an American citizen in 1919. Information about Sugarman’s life following the war is scarce. He married Anna (Fox) Sugarman and had several children, including his daughter Rena Kleinhandler, who donated the Harry Sugarman papers to the AJHS.
Extent
0.25 Linear Feet (1 half-manuscript box)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Harry Sugarman was a Jewish soldier who served as a private during World War I. This collection consists of written materials, mainly personal letters, relating to his time in the military.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into three series:
Physical Location
Located in AJHS New York, NY
Acquisition Information
The collection was donated to AJHS by Rena Kleinhandler in 2016.
Subject
- Sugarman, Harry, 1891- (Person)
- United States. Army. American Expeditionary Forces (Organization)
- United States. Army. Infantry Regiment, 148th. Company B (Organization)
- Title
- Guide to the Harry Sugarman Papers, 1917-1919 P-1042
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Processed by Rachel Brill
- Date
- © 2012
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Description is in English.
Revision Statements
- December 2020: RJohnstone: post-ASpace migration cleanup.
Repository Details
Part of the American Jewish Historical Society Repository
