Call Number:

3594

Repository:

Historical Society of Pennsylvania

Extent:

0.7 linear feet (; 1 box, 1 flat file, 5 volumes)

Language:

English

Preferred Citation:

Cite as: [Indicate cited item or series here], Michael and Elliott Zayon collection (Collection 3594), The Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

Date:

1942-1946 (bulk) and 1857-1946 (inclusive)

Creator:

Zayon, Elliott.

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.

Michael Zayon was born in Philadelphia in 1914. He served during World War II with the 4th Armored Division in Europe. In Philadelphia, he was a member of the Bureau for Fire Corps of the U.S. Citizens Defense Corps. He died in 2009, survived by his wife Edith (Fisher) Zayon, who died in 2011, son Elliott Zayon, and other close family members.

This collection contains two groups of items: those collected by Michael Zayon (Series I) and those collected by his son Elliott (Series II). Some of the items from Michael Zayon reflect his time in Europe, particularly France, during World War II. Some of the items collected by Elliott Zayon, mainly publications, pay homage to the World War II era, while others represent regional and American history more generally.

The Michael Zayon series includes published items, such as The Fourth Armored Division by Captain Kenneth Koyen and Jewish Holy Scriptures, a book for Jewish members of the U. S. Army that he salvaged from a French synagogue that the Germans had destroyed. Another book he rescued from a war-torn France is Le Guide du Croyant Israèlites, recueil de prières, hymes et mèditations, which literaly translates to "The Guide for Believing Israelites: a collection of prayers, hymns, and meditations." This book was published in 1857 and is in French. Other items in this series include copies of German and French money, a member card for the Bureau of Fire Corps, and an issue of The Flame, the newsletter of the City Firemen’s Protective Association of Philadelphia.

The Elliott Zayon series contains a variety of items, from a 1912 Philadelphia water rent bill to pages from the 18 August 1945 issues of the Paterson Evening News from Paterson, New Jersey. Other materials include a copy of Up Front, published in 1946 and authored by cartoonist Bill Mauldin; 3 issues of Yank: The Army Weekly from 1943-1945; Manuals of the City Council of Philadelphia from 1920 and 1928; an 1879 annual report of the Board of Fire Commissioners of the Philadelphia Fire Company; a 1919 compilation of rotogravure images entitled The War of Nations, and two duplicate photographs of an unidentified band.