The collection of Harry N. Loeb is arranged into two series: Papers and Still Images.
Papers (1940-1959) Papers are comprised primarily of correspondence, but also include scattered papers pertaining to his post-war activities. The large group of correspondents provide a varied look at life on the home front during World War II and several different views of life in the military. The correspondence is separated into six groups: Siblings, extended family, Madison friends, War friends and comrades, Girls, and miscellaneous correspondents. Letters are arranged alphabetically by the sender. The list of correspondents by group is provided in the finding aid for further understanding and because they contain similar information.
Siblings include: Rose, Leonard, Archie, Maury and Dorothy, and William (Bill) and Molly.
Extended family include: Herman, Marjorie, Beverly, Bertha, and Miriam.
Madison friends include: Bel and Max, Leo and Fran, Oscar, Dinny, Harp and Reppie, Bernie and Helen, Helen's parents Mr. and Mrs. Anderson, Gordon and Mary, and Jerry and Lil.
Girls include: Ruth, Sydna and Fern Alvis, Delphine, Clarice, Gladys, Roz, Sandra, Louise and Bernice.
War friends and comrades include: Alex, Walt, Phyllis, Jim and Lula, J.B. Murdoch, and Don.
Correspondence from siblings and friends from Madison exchange information on jobs, moving, pregnancies, and military status of other members of his family.
While at war, Loeb was in contact with many girls back in the United States. Letters from Clarice, a friend from Madison who later moved to Missouri discuss the difficulty she has finding someone to love because all of the men her age are, like Loeb, away at war. Later, she abruptly writes him that she has married another serviceman in a quick ceremony before he left for training. Letters from Delphine, a Chicago resident, begin when his sister Rose gives Delphine Loeb's address. Delphine writes flirtatious letters, spraying the letters with perfume and kissing them, leaving lipstick kisses on the paper. Ruth, in New York, begins writing Harry flirtatious letters, which culminate when he returns to the United States, demanding to know if he would marry her when they met at last. Letters from Sydna Alvis cease suddenly with a letter from her sister, Fern, explaining that Sydna, a friend he had met in Texas, had died of a blood infection; Fern continues to write Loeb for the duration of the war, exchanging pleasantries and news. Bernice, a friend of Rose's, writes Harry friendly letters, providing news of his family and the Jewish community where she lives.
At General Hospital 181, Loeb made several friends with fellow soldiers stationed at the hospital. When his friends were sent elsewhere, they often wrote letters back to the hospital, reminiscing about good and bad times there, expressing a desire to see the group of friends again. After Loeb returned to the United States, his friends wrote him, wishing him well at home. He also wrote the wives and families of his friends, providing details and opinions about life in India for their husbands and sons. These letters were returned gratefully, and the families often expressed gratitude at having a true picture of life in India and up-to-date news of their soldier. Of interest is a letter written by Jim's wife, Lula, in 1950. In the letter, Lula explains the difficulties Jim had faced in getting a job as a veteran and the hardships her family had been facing. She explains that Jim decided to re-join the military and was sent to Korea, to the dismay of himself and his family.
Other letters are from scattered acquaintances and friends across the United States with similar well-wishes for Loeb and other soldiers. Miscellaneous correspondence includes letters from correspondents whose correspondence only contains one letter, making it hard to determine their relationship to Loeb. Other papers include a certificate for passing the Bar Exam, a deed of title for land, and other scattered papers from Loeb's later life.
Still images (1940-1959) include both black and white photographs and negatives. Still images are separated into India, Military, Recreation, Travel and Wisconsin. Images from India include animals, civilians, and landscapes. Of interest in these photographs are images of Indians in and around the Ganges as well as several images of temples and ruined temples, as well as villages and civilians. Military images show a camp, the hospital and construction at the hospital. Recreational images include images of Loeb and his friends in the hospital and around India, including fishing trip. Of interest is a series of photographs featuring Santa Claus on a camel A series of unexplained photographs show a woman putting makeup and finishing touches on the costumes of servicemen, including one in a dress and a wig.
Other images in the collection include a small group of photographs from Madison, before Loeb joined the military. In the photographs, there are many University of Wisconsin Madison campus visible. Photographs of family and friends appear to span from before to well after the war, including photographs sent to Loeb by his brother and sister. They are mostly unidentified, but a few photographs identify Loeb's sister Rose, and William and Molly's daughter Cynthia. Others feature adults and children posing for portraits at various home and locations. An unidentified photograph of four men is possibly Loeb with three of his brothers or his four brothers. Miscellaneous photographs include a portrait of a young woman in a chair outside, portraits of unidentified people, a religious ceremony, and a few photographs of Loeb at unknown locations.
Before returning home, Loeb traveled to Europe through the Middle East, stopping to visit family and Jewish cultural heritage sites in Palestine, when he most likely also visited Egypt. A single identifiable photograph from Palestine features the Wailing Wall, while the photograph from Egypt features the Sphinx. Places featured include Cape Town, South Africa, which Loeb visited with many other service members.
Most of the negatives have corresponding prints, but there are many that do not. Those that do not have exact or similar prints include several images of a fishing trip, where Loeb and others caught large fish and a stingray. A single roll of film contains photographs of Madison, the University of Wisconsin campus, friends and family.
