Finding 22: Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation Humanitarian Aid Efforts

Europe’s slow recovery from the destructive forces of World War II led to years of shortages of food, clothes, and other basic necessities across the continent. In the immediate postwar period, Americans were encouraged to donate money to relief efforts or send aid to their friends and relatives abroad. The Bircham Newton Company, whose order form is pictured here, was one of several companies that specialized in sending overseas packages to Europe. Each of the companies offered customers the ability to purchase packages with varying contents; the packages offered by Bircham Newton featured food products. Some companies named their packages, such as Bircham Newton’s “The Peter Pan,” “The Kitchen Triumph,” and “The Emergency Provision.”

From the end of the war until Hilla Rebay stepped down from her position as Director in 1952, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation sent dozens of packages to Europe each year, such as those described here. The Hilla Rebay records contain several registers that document Rebay’s efforts. Each register includes information on the overseas package companies used, the contents of packages, and the beneficiaries. The beneficiaries were typically needy artists, art collectors, and critics, as well as the families of artists and museum employees. The records also include a number of letters of thanks.

— Pete Asch, archives assistant