Hanger with an inscription: "CENTRALA UBIORÓW MĘSKICH-DAMSKICH, UCZNIOWSKICH oraz FUTER – N. Fiszman – Lublin – ul. KRAK. PRZEDM. 10, róg Bernardyńskiej" (Center of the men's and women's clothing, student's atttire and furs – N. Fishman – Lublin – 10 Krakowskie Przedmieście Street, corner of Benedyktyńska Street"); the other with the inscription: "Ubiory damskie, męskie i dzieć. oraz futra M[.] – Szyfman. Lublin, Królews[k]a. 5". (Women's, men's and child[ren's] clothing and furs M[.] – Szyfman. Lublin, 5 Królews[k]a Street." Donated by Julian Lenkiewicz.
Hanger with an inscription: "J. SENATOR - RADOM - Żeromskiego 20 - w podwórzu - tel. 15-06. | Wykwintne okrycia damskie, ubiory męskie i futra." (J. SENATOR - RADOM - Żeromskiego 20 – in the courtyard – tel. 15-06 | Exquisite women's garments, men's clothing and furs.) Donated by Hanna Mistowska-Rajber.
With an inscription: "BAZAR – Skład bławatów i konfekcji, Grudziądz, Rynek 6" (BAZAR - cloth and clothing warehouse, Grudziądz, Rynek 6). Donated by of Helena Bogun.
With an inscription: "H. ABENDSZTERN - WARSZAWA - Elektoralna 37, róg Solnej. Tel. 293-64. mieszk. pryw.[,] Elektoralna 18. Tel. 534-60. | Magazyn Krawiecki Ubiorów Męskich i Damskich” (H. ABENDSZTERN - WARSAW - Elektoralna 37, corner of Solna. Tel. 293-64. priv. resid.[,] Elektoralna 18. Tel. 534-60. | Tailor's Magazine of Men's and Women's Clothing). Donated by Katarzyna Gawrońska.
With and inscription: "Skład Futer and wytw. Konfekcji Futrzanej, tel. 11-79-77 | Warszawa, B. Szwec, Nalewki 13, 2-gie piętro” (Fur warehouse and fur products workshop, tel. 11-79-77 | Warsaw, B. Szwec, 13 Nalewki Street, 2nd floor). Donated by Krzysztof Górski.
With an inscription: "Fabryczny Skład wyr. Drzewnych - G. Lebensold, Warszawa, Graniczna 9 [,] tel. 16-14”. (Wood prod[ucts] factory warehouse – G. Lebensold, Warsaw, 9 Graniczna Street[,] tel. 16-14). Donated by Anna Hursztyn.
With an inscription: "WARSZAWSKA Fabryka KONFEKCJI – „CELIB” – Warszawa – Żelazna Brama 9. tel. 595-97. | Sklep Detaliczny – MAGAZYN LONDYŃSKI – WARSZAWA – Elektoralna 1. TEL. 596-71” (WARSAW CLOTHING Factory – 'CELIB' – Warsaw – 9 Żelazna Brama Street. tel. 595-97 | Retail Shop – LONDON STORE – WARSAW – 1 Elektoralna Street). Donated by Teresa Matkowska.
There is a telling juxtaposition here: pre-war Jewish businesses and their owners and today's donors of their memorabilia; producers of the past and keepers of memory. On the one hand, the traces of a suddenly interrupted life history and on the other, the present day, which brings to light and makes permanent what is past and almost forgotten.
The hangers from Lublin were donateed to the POLIN Museum in 2006. The donor's family kept them, seeing them as a relic of a bygone era. In pre-war Lublin, trade in the area of Królewska and Krakowskie Przedmieście Streets appears to have been dominated by a few merchants, e.g., Nathan Fiszman and Jankiel Rozenbaum. A hanger with the signature of M. Szyfman's company also points to Królewska Street, where numerous printing shops and the editorial office of the 'Lubliner Tugblat' daily were located.
In addition to those from Lublin, the collection of POLIN Museum also features hangers from Warsaw. These include a hanger from H. Abendsztern's tailor's shop and a hanger from the well-known fur workshop of Berko and Hana Szwec, frequently advertised in the inter-war press.
A valuable source on the history of pre-war hangers is the website: https://m.facebook.com/historianawieszaku/?locale2=pl_PL (accessed 1.10.2021).
Advertising inscriptions or signs that have survived the dark episodes of history are today "an unknown; one has to fill the information on their own on the basis of scanty information" (B. Chomątowska, 'Okruchy pamięci', Znak 2017, no. 745, p. 8). Today, a signboard, an old advertisement or inscriptions on company equipment are the only remains of of the tailor shops in the former Jewish quarter which earlier resounded with the noisy hustle and of everyday life. The Jewish Quarter "exists only under the asphalt of Muranów streets, under the pavements, under the squares of courtyards, school playing fields, lime trees, maple trees. There are basement vaults covered with rubble and earth – strong ghetto roots of memory" (B. Engelking, J. Leociak, Getto warszawskie. Przewodnik po nieistniejącym mieście, Warsaw 2001, p. 766).
Natalia Różanska