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Note: Blustein in 1964: Abe Blustein was born in Biala in Poland in November 1893 (I think hesays he was born in a synagogue on Yom Kippur or Rosh Hashana LMZ:Obviously incorrect), the youngest of 6 (?) children. Familyexceedingly poor, but apparently resourceful mother (Maita). Motherwas a dominant figure -- he says he was known as "Avromele Maites" --his father less significant in stories of the "old country." Practically no formal schooling, except early cheder. Life wastypical of the shtetl of that time and place Poverty was such that hehad on occasion to wear his sisters' shoes to walk in the snow (ahumiliating experience). He was subjected to a few anti-Semiticexperiences by Polish peasant youth. Brother Willie came to US, made a trip back home, then returned here(NYC). the sister of whom he was most fond, Leah (Lilly) died about 21/2 years ago (1962) -- not long after his stroke. Two other sisters,Rose and Esther, are still living in new York. These two are the onlyliving siblings. Abe Bluestein left home to apprentice to a watchmaker in Warsaw atabout age 12. Emigrated to the US at about age 18, apparently byhimself (though older brother may have preceded him). He helpednumerous relatives come to US (including nephews Abe Hochberg, Haskelland others). Ultimately all his brothers and sisters -- except one --came to U.S. (I believe there was one brother who came here thenreturned to Poland for good). Family consisted of three brothers andthree sisters). Siblings all lived in New York City, never assimilated. For the mostpart t hey spoke Yiddish, observed dietary laws in varying degrees(though they were "emancipated" in social thinking). All lived inghetto sections of New York City (Bronx, Southern Boulevard area). Abe was the exception. He rejected his background, went to Detroit towork briefly as a house painter. He was drafted into the US Army inWorld War I, served for several months in the South. I believe hesaid he attained the rank of sergeant. Abe settled in Washington, D.C. just before 1920 (LMZ: He appears in1920 Federal Census in Washington) and lived t here ever since. Hewas intrigued with intellectual things -- read Kant, Spinoza, Freud.Was active in Jewish intellectual Labor groups -- admired scholarNathan Fagan, psychiatrist Emil Gutheil. (When he told Gutheil hewould l ike to be a poet, Gutheil suggested that he be an intelligentbusinessman instead.) Abe Blustein worked for others as a watchmaker during the 1920s,acquired his own watchmaking shop and by 1930 he had started a companyengaged in selling watchmaker supplies and wholesale jewelry(originally a partnership with aone Blackman, but this soon broke upand remained a one-man show). originally capitalized with about $30,000. It ultimately grew to a firm worth several times that amount. Abe married on St. Valentines Day 1924 (at age about 30) to Helen (LMZ"Hannah?) Rubin (Jerome's mother, then age 24). She was English-born(entered US around age 21), high school education (she and hersiblings tended to be literate types; brother "Jess" was a librarianat the Library of Congress; sisters Edie and Lena were teachers inEngland). First child (Jerome) born 1925. Second and last child (Richard) borna year later. When Richard was one year old, he choked to death(swallowed a chess piece while Abe Blustein was playing a game withUncle JessRubin). Much guilt apparently felt -- thought this incidentis never discussed. Under Abe's drive, Blustein Company, Inc. -- wholesale Jewelers --progressed slowly but surely through the rough 1930s. Then began toflourish in the years of World War II and post-war period (many itemswere hard to get, bu those that could be gotten were readily sold). Abe was known in the business as a fair and honest man -- he drove ahard bargain, made it tough for those he didn't like; but he tried tohelp some who were just getting started, he stuck by his word for themost part, and he did not attempt to cheat or chisel. Business wasbuilt up to the largest independently owned wholesale jeweler inWashington. Jerome did not participate much in business; was atschool, did not care for "business" generally; and generally found itimpossible to work creatively with his father. He dominatedsituation, exacted much, found it difficult to hold to qualifiedpersonnel. [Names of employees, banker, products omitted]. This company was finally sold in 1950 to Sobel Brothers. ABe was veryemotional about Eugene Sobel. After the sale there was a disputegrowing out of differences in method of evaluating inventory -- whowas to pay some $25,000 in federal taxes. After a few years ofbitter litigation, Abe lost to Sobel in a heated civil suit. Thiscase incensed him enormously -- he was quite obsessed with it, felthis integrity was being challenged, wold make irrational charges. Hislawyer was Bernard Nordlinger; Sobel's was Joseph Bulman. Accountantwho Abe B. blames for the case having arisen in the first place isPercy Caplan, cousin of Helen Rubin Blustein. This case came to ahead around 1955?? On the sale of his business in 1950, Abe retired at age 56. He did,however, continue to maintain an office downtown and sold a fewdiamonds, pins, etc. Prior to retirement,his recreational activities had been: (1) Fishing and (2) from 1940 on his "Damascus Farm" -- 100-acrecountry place purchased from a Mr. Huntress in 1940. This place wasoriginally purchased as a kind of "bomb shelter" but it ultimatelybecame his principal place for escaping and entertaining friends.(Shortly before his stroke he had been working hard a tthe DamascusFarm -- was making his own foundry for casting his sculptures there). On retirement his first in terest became the Masons -Scottish RiteMasons. He became chummy with some key members [names omitted]. whorewarded him for his work on the ritual in the various degrees withthe Rite's highest honor --"KCCH" and 33rd Degree. He was very selfconscious of his Jewish accent in the ritual -- attempted to eliminateit by practicing speeches, talking into a recording machine. he didnot have many good friends [names omitted]. After finishing the degree work, AB became chairman of the Rite'sHospital Services Committee. He was active in putting on shows forpatients at local hospitals, particularly Walter Reed and St.Elizabeth's -- right up to the time of his stroke. He is now"Chairman Emeritus" of that committee. Another area of interest -- which started around 1950 -- was themultiple sclerosis society, then just being formed. Jerome's motherhad been diagnosed as having MS in 194, but fortunately the diseasenever developed. Abe Blustein still member of the Board. By far the most important area of i nterest came to be ART. First --painting, then sculpture. His success in the latter field wasconsiderable, and he did not stop trying to scuplt until very recently-- almost three years after his stroke had deprived him of the anyreal talent in this area. His painting was not different from most amateurs' -- unti he acquireda style and subject matter of his own: primitive renderings of hisrecollections of the "shtetl", his life as a youth in Poland. (Afriend, Herman Greenberg, had urged him to accept himself, to cast offhis efforts to cozy up to the frosty Gentile leaders of the ScottishRite, and instead to express his own background). Abe Blustein took lessons from a chap named Abromovitz. Abe's first(or very early ) show was successful, but Abe did not give credit toAbromovitz, instead referring to himself as "self taught". Abromovitzraised cain, charging that much of the work was really his(Abromovitz'). Abe did undoubtedly have the advantage of Abromovitz'hand in some of his paintings, though much was his own also. He then turned away from painting and took up sculpting -- actuallymodelling in clay and wax. He took lessons under Heinz Warneke andDon Turano and here he developed an authentic style of his own. Something can be seen from the accompanying literature from hisshows. he was quite successful in this area -- ultimately achieving aone-man showing at the Corcoran Art Gallery just about six monthsbefore his stroke. Among the names that are important to him in the art field are: FranzBader (owner of commercial art gallery); Heinz Warneke and RobertShostak (latter is curator of B'nai B'rith HQ who has expressedinterest in his work). Most everyone who sees his work is charmed by it. The New York Timescarried a picture of one of his pieces and referred to him as an"authentic sculptor," or words like that. This was t the time he hada show at a New York gallery owned by one Morris Weisenthal. As mentioned before, Abe has continued to work at his sculpture sincehis stroke, but without much success. He has produced a couple ofpieces of a group of scholars seated around a table (these seatedgroups are almost like an obsession with him); these pieces have anice"attitude" and general form, theough the detail that distinguishedhis earlier work is lacking. One of the charming features of his sculpture was the details --especially in thi ssmall silver pieces. One that attracted muchattention was a small silver version of the Last Supper. Family and Personality Abe was (and still is 1964) a man of great determination. He usuallygot what he wanted -- didn't flinch at unpleasantness -- blasint thosewho impeded him. He was not a conniver, though. Most everything hedid, he did by and for himself -- he was not an "operator" and didnot "use" people for his own ends. He tended to adopt blunt, simplegoals, and his mode of achieving t hem was to tackle problems head-on,in person. He made quite a few enemies this way, but there ere alsomany who admired him. He did, as indicated before, cultivate thebig-wigs of the Scottish Rite -- but openly, not deviously. His wholly individual c haracter is charming. Many think he is quaintand he is. Jerome thinks of his personality as warm, not cold. He was tempermental, extremely impatient (he still finds it difficultto be driven in traffic -- he sounds off a tcars that get in the wayof his car). On the other hand, on occasions (rare) of great personalcrisit -- e.g. on death in the family -- has evinced strong stability,even calmness. He was a hard worker -- was always doing things while others rested.Would do for himself jobs that he mightt better have had others do forhim; but he would not spend money to hire them, nor could he abidetheir "botching" the job. He was not an "organizer" of projects. Abe keeps things; cleaning out his files, desks, work benvhes, etcklead one to hink he nevr t hrew anything away. He is pretty tightwith money, from some things at least -- though not unrealisticallyone way or the other. Still won't take taxicabs unless pushed to doso; but he lives fairly comfortably, now (on account of sensitivity tocold) trevles to Florida in winter. (this reference to tightnesscomes will ill grace from the one person to whom he has givenconsiderable sums of money over a lifetime). He had a good sense of humor when with company (family life tended tobe pretty grim) and he was a fair raconteur. He thirsted for recognition -- sometimes this end was more importantthan the means of getting there. On th eother hand, he would remainrespectfully in the background in the presence of those he felt his"superiors" As mentioned, he was self-conscious about his"Jewishness" -- though often plowing ahead despite it. Relationship with his wife (Jerome's mother) has never been good,though better now than before his illness. He is short-tempered andtesty in the extreme with her. and she takes it. However, shebrings out the worst in him (she is not a very practical person,feels great inadequacy, finds fault and scolds a lot, has few socialgrances; the latter matter much to him. She was a very weak figure incontrast. At the time of his first stroke t hree years ago (there was a secondone about a year later) he was completely unwilling to accept hisaphasic condition and lost use of his right hand. He struggled,cursed, wept, tried to do t hings for himself. Over the three years,however, has come to far more accepting. H has turned over someproperty and management of his business affairs to Jerome. Recentlyhe has stopped to do sculpting (his right hand, alienated from him,has been painful also). He still travels downtown to his office/studi every weekday (by bus),but it has bevome so difficult for him to make this trip that we arenow in the process of renting a small second apartment/office nearwhere he lives with Jerome's mother (Connecticut Ave., N.W. and PorterStreet) so he won't have to travel downtown each day. Abe's relationship with Jerome's mother has improved considerably,too. He is no longer so testy with her. He stays at home under hercare (though he needs very littly actual physical attention) a goodpart of each day. and Jerome is sure t hat he feels sorry what he hasimposed on her. He now takes her out to dinner frequently (unheard ofbefore the stroke), and tires to have he come along when he visitsJerome's home. This family is much closer than it was before thestroke. His three grandchildren -- Paul, Janice and Laura -- are the apples ofhis eye, especially Paul, soon to be Bar Mitzvah. Also their mother,Jerome's wife, Esther, -- a very warm and understanding person. Abe must have known thousands of persons in Washington, but all ofthem have drifted away from during the period of his stroke. He nowis more inclined not to seek them out. He now rarely visits or isvisited -- except for Jerome and his family (Jerome sees him almostevery day -- at least for lunch). This failure of his friends has, ofcourse, been awfully hard to bear. Today the one word in his vocabulary that he can call up at will is"son of a bitch." He uses it appropriately -- also to demonstratethat this is his vocabulary. He seems to comprehend Yiddish betterthan English.
Note: The following is taken from a biographical note prepared by Jerome
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