Roman Totenberg's papers at the Library tell the story of his amazing 101-year life. Born in Poland in 1911, he was a child prodigy on the violin, playing street corners in Russia to help his family survive famine. He returned to Poland, became a star while a teenager, eventually fled the Holocaust and became one of the 20th century's greatest violinists, living the rest of his life in the United States. He was as renowned as a teacher as he was a performer, and his three children -- Nina, Amy, Jill -- each went on to prominent careers.
Haruo Shimizu survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and gave a harrowing narrative of that day to Bill Floyd, an American soldier stationed in post-war Japan. Floyd's family recently donated his papers, including the manuscript, to the Library.
Library collections preserve photos taken by George S. Patton, the brilliant World War II commander on campaigns through North Africa and Europe. His family donated his papers to the Library after his death in 1945.
Diaries, letters and oral histories reveal the hardships and heartbreak of wartime service. They're captured in the Library's Veterans History Project.
