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Batcheler, Hartshorne, and Sahlin families papers, 1789-2007 (inclusive)

Extent:
40.0 linear feet
Abstract:
This collection contains the papers of the Batcheler, Hartshorne, and Sahlin families, descended from Axel (1826-March 5, 1909) and Axeline Sahlin (1834-1922), a Swedish couple whose children lived in Europe and the United States. Four generations of the family are documented here, with documentation centering around five families. In the United States, the family is represented by Gertrude Chandler (July 17, 1860-1953) and Axel Sahlin (1855-1937); their daughter Ellen Sahlin (February 21, 1895-June 4, 1988) and her husband, Judge Richard Hartshorne (February 29, 1888-September 19,1975); and their daughter, Penelope Hartshorne (1928-2007) and her husband, George Batcheler(1926-2009). The Swedish side of the family is represented by Axel and Axeline Sahlin and the family of their daughter, Essie Sahlin (1859-1950) and her husband, Simon Johannes Boëthius (1850-1924). The contents of this collection are mostly correspondence and other personal papers, including diaries, artwork,...(see more)

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George Howard Earle papers, 1944-1950 (bulk) 1944-1960 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.4 linear feet (; 1 box)
Abstract:
George H. Earle III was a governor of Pennsylvania (1935-1939), Minister to Austria (1933-1934), Minister to Bulgaria (1940-1942), and was in the Navy during World War II (1942-1945) where he served as Assistant Naval Attaché to Turkey (1943-1945). He finished his public and military service as Assistant Governor to Samoa (1945) before retiring to private life. On 28 March 1947, Earle testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) that while he served as Attaché to Turkey, he was also serving at President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s request as an undercover representative of the president and reported directly to President Roosevelt on Balkan matters. The collection is comprised of seven letters including three wartime letters to Earle from Franklin Roosevelt, copies of Earle’s testimony before three different House committees, a transcribed interview of Earle, and an article that Earle authored in 1960. Most of the materials describe Earle’s opinion during World War...(see more)

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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George A. Foreman scrapbooks on the Philadelphia Transportation Company, 1936-1949 (bulk) 1877-1949 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.33 linear feet (1 box)
Abstract:
The collection consists of eighteen small scrapbook albums assembled by George A. Foreman which include photographs of Philadelphia Transportation Company elevated line workers in the early 1940s, Philadelphia public transit scenes, and holiday cards. There are also newspaper clippings, billboard advertisements, letters from coworkers serving in the military during World War II, picture postcards, and other ephemera. Additionally, one of the albums consists of photographs of the second Johnstown flood of 1936.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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Oliver H. Bair Company records, 1920-1980 (inclusive)

Extent:
396.4 linear feet (; 991 boxes)
Abstract:
The Oliver H. Bair Company was founded in 1878 with the intent to offer the best service possible for families that had to make funeral arrangements for their deceased loved ones. Originating at 41 North Eighteenth Street in Philadelphia, the funeral home's most well-known location was at 1820 Chestnut Street, and it now operates from 8500 West Chester Pike in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, as a member of Oliver H. Bair Company & Monaghan Funeral Home. The collection contains records dated from 1920-1980 and includes records not only from Oliver H. Bair Company, but also from five other funeral homes that operated in Philadelphia and were purchased by the Oliver H. Bair Company. The burial records include information on the deceased, bills pertaining to funeral expenses, newspaper clippings, and correspondence between Oliver H. Bair and the person responsible for the payment for the deceased's funeral.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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Theatre of the Living Arts of Philadelphia records, 1964-1970 (bulk) 1930-1971 (inclusive)

Extent:
37.5 linear feet (; 89 boxes)
Abstract:
The Theatre of the Living Arts (TLA) was the brainchild of two local Philadelphia women, Celia Silverman and Jean Goldman. They were determined to establish a regional theatre in the Philadelphia area, which would also function as a multipurpose performing arts center, featuring film, dance, and music. A derelict movie theatre was purchased in 1964 at 334 South Street, renovated, and was completed in 1965. The goal of the TLA was to establish a repertory theatre company that would both represent and enrich the Philadelphia region, and during its six-year run it performed the works of over twenty-one major playwrights, including Samuel Beckett, Harold Pinter, Moliere, Luigi Pirandello, and Bertolt Brecht. The Theatre of the Living Arts records house the organizational records of the TLA. This collection, which dates from 1930 to 1971, with bulk dates of 1964 to 1970, consists of administrative and production reports, correspondence, contracts, photographs, programs, and other...(see more)

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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Joshua Francis Fisher correspondence, 1806-1856

Extent:
0.6 linear feet (; 2 boxes)
Abstract:
Joshua Francis Fisher (1807-1878) was a prominent Philadelphia citizen and member of its upper class throughout much of the nineteenth century. He obtained a law degree but never practiced, and he was an instrumental advocate of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. This collection is primarily comprised of letters addressed to Fisher from his college friends Allyne Otis and Paul Trapier, but there are also typed transcriptions of many of these letters, as well as a few miscellaneous items. While the collection spans from 1806 to 1861, the letters of Otis and Trapier cover 1825 to 1856. The letters are cordial in nature and discuss current events along with personal matters.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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Hauck family papers, 1941-1969 (bulk) 1930-1999, bulk 1941-1969 (inclusive)

Extent:
7.9 linear feet (; 21 boxes, 3 flat files)
Abstract:
The Hauck family consisted of Joseph B. Hauck Senior of Philadelphia; his wife, Darthe (Charlton) Hauck of Maple Shade, New Jersey; and their son, Joseph B. Hauck Junior. Joseph Sr. was drafted into the United States Army in March of 1941 and served in the European theater of the war from 1944 to 1945. Joseph Jr. also served in the United States Army following his participation in the ROTC program at Georgetown University. He was ordered to serve in Vietnam from November 1967 to October 1968. The collection includes correspondence, photographs, and ephemera mostly connected to Joseph Sr.’s and Joseph’s Jr.’s time in the United States Army. Joseph Sr.’s correspondence with Darthe from 1941 to 1945 mostly describes his daily activities, military camp life, and impressions of the war’s progress. The correspondence also includes the couple’s love letters. Joseph Jr.’s correspondence with his parents from 1962 to 1966 describes his experiences as a college student at Georgetown...(see more)

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Kirk & Nice, Inc. records, 1831-1988, undated (inclusive)

Extent:
36.88 linear feet (; 4 boxes, 148 volumes )
Abstract:
Kirk & Nice, Inc. is recognized as the United States' oldest continuously operating funeral establishment. Founded in Germantown, Pennsylvania, in 1761 by Jacob Knorr, originally the business was a carpenter shop that specialized in building furniture. Only on occasion was the request made for Mr. Knorr to construct a coffin. The Civil War and death of Abraham Lincoln in 1865 revolutionized funeral services by popularizing the process of embalming the deceased along with encouraging citizens to outwardly mourn the passing of loved ones. In 1869 Jacob Knorr's business was re-named Kirk & Nice, after Benjamin R. Kirk and William Nice. During the 1860s and 1870s the carpentry shop gradually changed focus to funeral services, and the company continues to offer services to the residents of Philadelphia at two locations: Kirk & Nice, Inc. at George Washington Park in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, and Kirk & Nice Suburban Chapel Inc. at Sunset Memorial Park in Feasterville, Pennsylvania....(see more)

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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New Immigrants Initiative collection, 1976-2004 (inclusive)

Extent:
4.0 linear feet (22 boxes)
Abstract:
This collection contains the records of the New Immigrants Initiative, a multi-year series of projects started by the Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies and completed by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, which explored the history and experience of non-European immigrant communities in the Philadelphia area. The purpose of these projects was to document these communities for the historical record and to create interpretive exhibits, publications, and programs that educate about the recent immigrant experience. Five communities were initially part of the project, with four being fully finished: Indian, Arab, African, Latino, and Korean (started but not completed). Included in the collection are oral history transcripts, photographs, printed material, ephemera, and correspodence. There are also numerous audio cassette tapes and VHS tapes.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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John Popovich papers, circa 1910-1973, undated

Extent:
0.2 linear feet (; 1 box, 1 flat file)
Abstract:
John Popovich (Ioan Popovici) (1890-1973) was born in Brăila (Romania) and shortly after his birth, the Popovich family moved to Şoimuşul Român (Olahsolymos) in Transylvania (part of Austria-Hungary at the time). In 1907, Popovich immigrated to the United States and in 1923 was ordained as a priest. He served in the St. John Baptist parish in Erie, PA until 1929, when he became the pastor of the Descent of the Holy Ghost parish in Philadelphia. He retired in 1968 from his position in Philadelphia but continued to administrate, temporarily, the Holy Cross parish in Washington D.C. The collection contains correspondence, family papers, photographs, pages from Popovich’s journal and other material.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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Alice Simon collection on the Slovak Gymnastic Union Sokol of America, 1975-1985 (bulk) 1966-1993 (inclusive)

Extent:
1.75 linear feet (; 13 boxes)
Abstract:
The Slovak Gymnastic Union Sokol of America (now Sokol USA), was established in 1896 as a non-sectarian fraternal benefit society that offered insurance and social and athletic programs to its members. The Alice Simon collection on the Slovak Gymnastic Union Sokol of America, 1966-1993, contains minutes, financial records, newsletters, correspondence, bylaws, printed material, and various objects related to the Slovak Gymnastic Union of America as well as one of the branch sokols: the Byram, Connecticut lodge. A portion of the collection also documents the Sokol Woodlands Summer Camp, a Sokol USA-sponsored summer camp held in Barryville, New York.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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Michael and Elliott Zayon collection, 1942-1946 (bulk) 1857-1946 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.7 linear feet (; 1 box, 1 flat file, 5 volumes)
Abstract:
Philadelphia resident Elliot Zayon culled together this collection of his father, Michael Zayon's (1914-2009) World War II memorabilia and local publications and ephemera. Along with these items is Zayon's own collection of books, papers, and photographs, that echoes and expands upon the materials collected by his father. The collection consists primarily of publications, such as Fourth Armored Divison by Captain Kenneth Koyen, Up Front by cartoonist Bill Mauldin, a portfolio of World War I-era rotogravure images entitled The War of Nations, and Jewish Holy Scriptures, published in 1942 for Jewish personnel in the U. S. Army. Additional items include a loan certificate from 1866, manuals of the Philadelphia City Council from 1920 and 1928, and a copy of the 18 August 1945 issue of the Paterson Evening News from Paterson, New Jersey.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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H. M. Plowman diaries and journals, 1940-1945 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.4 linear feet (; 10 volumes)
Abstract:
The diaries and journals in this collection were composed and compiled by H. M. Plowman, a photographer and American soldier who served abroad in Europe during World War II between 1944 and 1945. The diaries and journals document, in part, the major events of the Second World War leading to the American participation in the war in 1941. The diaries also cover Plowman's experiences as a cook, photographer, and tourist in Italy, Britain, and France.

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George R. Biddle diaries, 1876-1894 (bulk) 1876-1919 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.2 linear feet (; 2 volumes)
Abstract:
Diaries recorded by George R. Biddle, a farm laborer who lived in Bellefonte, Patton Township, Center County, Pennsylvania. In addition to diary entries, included are burial, death, and marriage lists.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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Woodlands Cemetery Company papers, 1798-1990 (inclusive)

Extent:
66.5 linear feet (50 boxes; 152 volumes; 1 flat file drawer)
Abstract:
The Woodlands Cemetery was founded in 1840 on the grounds of the Woodlands estate, formerly belonging to famed Philadelphia lawyer Andrew Hamilton (c. 1676 - 1741) and heavily renovated by his grandson, William Hamilton (1745-1813). Soon after its founding, the cemetery became a popular burial spot for prominent Philadelphia men and women. The historic mansion and carefully tended grounds also made it a frequently used public recreation spot. The cemetery is still functioning as of 2012. This collection documents the growth and activities of the cemetery from its founding in 1840 into the 1990s. It contains administrative materials, financial records, correspondence, burial records, deeds to land in West Philadelphia, deeds to burial lots, blueprints and maps of the cemetery grounds, and a small number of photographs. The heart of this collection is burial records and correspondence about burial lot maintenance, although there is also a good deal of Woodlands Cemetery Company...(see more)

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Nathan Mantz papers, 1767-1925 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.2 linear feet (; 1 box)
Abstract:
Papers of Nathan Mantz, of West Penn, Schuykill County, Pennsylvania. There are a number of items in the collection of other Mantz family members. Some items are written in English with a Pennsylvania German dialect. A few pieces of correspondence are in German.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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Alyce Hovsepian Gordon Armenian-Americans collection, 1969-2005, undated

Extent:
1.4 linear feet (4 boxes)
Abstract:
Alyce Hovsepian Gordon was an active member of the Armenian-American community. She was heavily involved with the churches, educational institutions, and organizations in the tri-state area of New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. The collection mainly consists of publications by these groups and announcements for fund-raisers and other events. The materials highlight Gordon's activities and demonstrate her devotion to Armenian concerns, especially the campaign for recognition of the 1915 Armenian Genocide.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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Ronald M. Surak papers, 1949, 1961-2010, undated

Extent:
6.4 linear feet (; 15 boxes, 3 volumes, 1 flat file)
Abstract:
Ronald M. Surak (1940-2011) was a musician and music teacher from Shamokin, Pennsylvania. He specialized in composition, was particularly interested in computer-generated music, and created several works that combined traditional instruments with electronic music. He taught at the Wilmington Music School in Delaware and Rutgers University at both New Brunswick and Camden in New Jersey. Additionally, he served a director of the Rutgers Center for Computer and Experimental Music. This collection of Surak's papers is comprised mostly of his musical compositions and spans the second half of the twentieth century. In addition to musical scores, there are also programs (for his own performances and performances of his works by others), flyers, clippings, personal notes, and ephemera. There is also a significant group of audio and video recordings of his work on cassettes, CDs, and computer discs.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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Marriott C. Morris collection on cycling, 1881-1897 (bulk) 1881-1980 (inclusive)

Extent:
2.7 linear feet (; 15 boxes)
Abstract:
Marriott C. Morris (1863-1948) was a resident of the Germantown section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who attended Haverford College. He was an avid cyclist and accomplished photographer. The Marriot C. Morris collection on cycling, 1881-1980 (bulk 1881-1897), consists of materials that Morris collected regarding cycling and cycling organizations, including various published materials and ephemera. The collection also contains scrapbooks, photographs, journal entries from cycling trips taken by Morris, including a trip to Europe, and other materials.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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Junior League of Philadelphia records, 1955-1998 (bulk) 1912-2009 (inclusive)

Extent:
11.4 linear feet (; 29 boxes)
Abstract:
The Junior League of Philadelphia, Inc. founded 1912, is an organization of women devoted to volunteerism and community improvement. It was initially established to help create settlement houses in Philadelphia. However, over time, the group became involved with a large number of causes, from war relief to children's care, and today continues its legacy of city-wide community involvement. The Junior League celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2012 and remains highly active in the Philadelphia community. The Junior League of Philadelphia records constitute the institutional records of this organization. The collection dates from 1912 to 2009, with bulk dates of 1955 to 1998, and contains board and committee meeting minutes, newsletters, member directories, and annual reports. These materials provide an excellent depiction of the governance of the organization as well as member lists and highlighted events and activities.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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Clair Miles Rickard World War I letters and memorabilia, 1917-1919, undated

Extent:
0.2 linear feet (; 1 box)
Abstract:
Clair Miles Rickard was born in Johnson City, New York, in 1893, but was living in Great Bend Township, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania at the time he registered with the United States Army in 1917. He served as a forestry soldier with Company B, 3rd Battalion, 20th Engineers in France. Rickard was a farmer and lumberman by trade, and he worked in his father lumber business in Great Bend Township. He married Helen Viola Jacobs, who worked as a teacher. This collection consists entirely of photocopies. Comprising the bulk are copies of his original letters from 1917 to 1919 and typed transcriptions of them. Additionally, there are photographs featuring Rickard, a copy of his registration card, copies of postcards, and copies of maps, clippings, and other printed matter that mention Rickard. There is also a brief write-up on Rickard's war experience.

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Slovak Gymnastic Union Sokol Lodges No. 93 and No. 66W (Bethlehem, Pa.) printed matter and photographs, 1965-1975 (bulk) 1922-1976 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.25 linear feet (; 1 half-sized document box)
Abstract:
The Sokol movement began in the Czech region of Europe in 1862 and was brought to the United States by Eastern European immigrants shortly after. A fraternal benefit society that also offered athletic and social activities to its members, Slovak Gymnastic Union Sokol Lodge 93 was established in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in 1905. A women's lodge, Slovak Gymnastic Union Sokol Lodge 66W was added in the 1910s. Both of these lodges were active into at least the 1970s. The Slovak Gymnastic Union Sokol Lodges No. 93 and No. 66W (Bethlehem, Pa.) printed matter and photographs, 1922-1976, document the activities of lodges 93 and 66W and include images of members and activities, programs from conventions, newsletter articles, and other materials.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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Nicholas Haussegger orderly books, 1776-1778 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.13 linear feet (; 2 volumes)
Abstract:
This collection documents the orders given to and activities of the 1st German Battalion, 1776-1778, during the United States’ Revolutionary War. This battalion was raised from German settlers from Pennsylvania and Maryland. It was comprised of four companies from each state, and was the first battalion to be enlisted for three years. Colonel Nicholas Haussegger commanded the battalion from June 1776 to March 1777. Baron de Arendt commanded from March 19, 1777 to January 1, 1781, when the battalion was broken up. On February 26, 1778, the German Battalion was officially made a part of Maryland's quota to facilitate supply and recruitment. Although numbered the 8th Maryland, it was still usually referred to as the German Battalion.

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James Samuel Stemons papers, 1894-1922 (inclusive)

Extent:
1.4 linear feet (1.4 linear feet, 4 boxes )
Abstract:
James Samuel Stemons was born in Clarksville, Tennessee, and settled in Philadelphia ca. 1900. A postal worker, journalist and writer, he served as the editor of two short-lived African American newspapers: The Philadelphia Courant and The Pilot. He was also active in several civic organizations. An outspoken advocate for equal industrial opportunities for blacks, he lectured and published extensively on race relations. He served as field secretary of the Joint Organization of the Association for Equalizing Industrial Opportunities and the League of Civic and Political Reform. The collection documents Stemons's personal and professional life, and includes correspondence, printed materials, writings, clippings, a photocopy of a marraige licence to Arizona L. Cleaver, and the manuscript of his unpublished autobiographical novel.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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French Benevolent Society of Philadelphia records, 1804-1977

Extent:
12.3 linear feet (; 29 boxes)
Abstract:
The French Benevolent Society was founded in Philadelphia in 1793. The society serves indigents of French descent and provides scholarships to local students of French extraction. The records include minutes, correspondence, financial and membership records, case files, histories, and uncataloged photographs.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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M. Garnier papers, 1763-1787

Extent:
9.0 items (; 2 folders)
Abstract:
The bulk of the collection consists of letters between Garnier, in Springfield, Pennsylvania, and friends elsewhere in the United States and in France. Also included are receipts for the sale of lots of slaves signed by Garnier as agent. The letter discuss personal matters, business, the American Revolution, slaves and freed slaves, life in the United States, and French-English antagonism in America. This collection also includes a folder of photocopies of card catalog cards and Garnier's original documents.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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Carl P. Berger collection, 1900-circa 1950, undated

Extent:
2.3 linear feet (; 5 boxes, 63 flat files)
Abstract:
Carl P. Berger (1873-1947) was a prominent early twentieth century Philadelphia architect who designed numerous local structures, including office buildings, houses, apartment buildings, and churches. This collection of his professional papers includes architectural drawings, published reference works, photographs, correspondence, and other notes.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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Boies Penrose pictorial Philadelphia collection, 1852-1992 (inclusive)

Extent:
17.3 linear feet (; 56 boxes)
Abstract:
Boies Penrose II (1902-1976) was a Philadelphia collector, writer and lecturer, and president of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. He established the Boies Penrose fund for the collecting of photographs of old Philadelphia. The Boies Penrose pictorial collection is one of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania's best collections on Philadelphia's architectural history. The photographs depict a wide variety of subjects. Of particular interest are the photographs of Old City buildings that were demolished to build the Ben Franklin Bridge as well as the area demolished to build the Convention Center. There are also a number of photographs of the Centennial International Exhibition in 1876.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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