Mendl Elkin
Title: Mendl Elkin
Inclusive Dates: 1913-1961
ID: RG 453
Extent Information
5'8" plus photo archives; 6 5"ltr; 7 5"lgl; 1 3"lgl
Administrative/Biographical History
Actor, theater director, journalist, writer and first Chief Librarian of the YIVO Library and Archives in New York. Elkin's main interest was the Yiddish theater. He translated plays into Yiddish, acted on stage, directed productions, founded new theater groups, contributed to drama journals and was involved in theater organizations. Together with Alexander Granowsky he established the Yiddish Chamber Theater in Russia in 1917, and later founded an experimental theater in New York known as Unzer Theater. He contributed extensively to Yiddish publications, co-edited the theater journals *Tealit*, N.Y., and *Yiddish Theater*, N.Y. and published works by Peretz Hirschbein. In 1921 he was elected president of the Yidisher Artistn Fareyn (Jewish Actors Union) in Warsaw. In 1936 Elkin was active in the establishment of the Central Jewish Library in New York. In 1940 this library became the YIVO Library and Archives. Elkin was the Chief Librarian until his death in 1962. Born in Brozha, near Bobruisk in Byelorussia. Immigrated to the U.S. in 1923.
Subjects (links to similar collections) Finding Aid Information
List of correspondents, in RG authority file. Photographs are cataloged in STAGEPIX
Administrative InformationAccess Notes: YIVO Archives collections are open to researchers only by appointment with an archivist. To inquire about papers and records, write to
Chief Archivist, archives@yivo.cjh.org. To inquire about photographs and films, write to Photo and Film Archivist at Photofilm@yivo.cjh.org. To inquire about sound recordings, write to Sound Archivist, lsklamberg@yivo.cjh.org. For art works and artifacts,
write to Chief Archivist at archives@yivo.cjh.org.
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