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Historical Committee


IX-13-2.1
Mennonite Central Committee
Photograph Collection
Russian Relief and Emigration to Paraguay, 1919-1938
6 Boxes (3 Gray, 2 Oversize Gray, 1 File in Mapcase Drawer)

Introduction

    These photographs were deposited into the Archives by Mennonite Central Committee, Akron, Pennsylvania, in 1941. Many of the photographs originated with Orie O. Miller and his involvement with relief in Russia.

    These photographs focus on two activities of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) from 1919-1938. The first is providing relief to Europe after World War I, 1919-21, and aid to fellow Mennonites in Russia, 1920-25. Many of the photographs are found in the book Feeding the Hungry: Russia Famine, 1919-1925, by P. C. Hiebert and Orie O. Miller, 1929, which tells the story of MCC's relief efforts in Russia. The book was published by Mennonite Central Committee, Scottdale, Pennsylvania.

    The second activity is MCC helping Mennonites emigrate from Russia, 1921-29, and settle in Brazil, Canada, Paraguay and USA, 1921-32. Included are photographs of trips to South America to visit the Mennonite settlements there by Orie O. Miller in 1931 and by Harold S. Bender in 1938. A secondary source on this emigration is In the Name of Christ: A History of the Mennonite Central Committee and Its Service, 1920-1951, by John D. Unruh, 1952. Published by Herald Press, Scottdale, Pennsylvania.

    The photographs were organized into subject headings, placed into mylar sleeves and acid-free files and boxes by two Goshen College students, Lance Yoder and Angela Showalter, in 1992-93.

Historical Sketch

    Mennonite Central Committee began in September of 1920 in response to a desire to coordinate Mennonite relief efforts to fellow Mennonites in Russia. Up to that time, Mennonites contributed aid to Europe through a variety of agencies. Some gave through the Friends Service Committee, and others with the Near East Relief. The Red Cross also was a recipient of Mennonite aid activities.

    The initial meeting of the various Mennonite aid agencies took place at Prairie Street Mennonite Church of Elkhart, Indiana. The meeting produced the first executive body of the Mennonite Central Committee. The meeting elected Levi Mumaw of Scottdale, Pennsylvania as representative of the Mennonite Church, H. H. Regier of Mountain Lake, Minnesota from the General Conference Mennonites, and P. C. Hiebert of Hillsboro, Kansas, from the Mennonite Brethren.

    The new organization moved quickly to organize food and supply distribution to Russia. Initially, the group was unable to work out of Russia, and based its operations in Constantinople, Turkey, in 1921. By December of 1921 the feeding operations had started in Russia. The operation quickly expanded, and in May of 1922 the American Mennonite Relief (AMR) was feeding 25,000 people on a daily basis in South Russia.

    The years 1921-1932 also saw emigration to the United States (1921-22), Canada (1923-29), and Brazil and Paraguay (1929-34). Most of the groups had a stopover point somewhere in Europe before making the journey to another continent.

Historical Sketch by Lance Yoder, Goshen College
July 23, 1992

Inventory Listing

Russian Relief and Emigration to Paraguay, 1919-1938

Box 1 (Gray)

1/1    Introduction / Provenance of Photos
1/2    Bender, H. S., Assorted, 1920s-40s
1/3    Brazil - Mennonite Settlements, 1938
1/4    Brazil - Mennonite Settlements, undated
1/5    [open file]

1/6    Canada - Emigration to Paraguay, 1921
1/7    Holland - Relief Committee, 1929-31 (1)
1/8    Holland - Relief Committee, 1929-31 (2)
This photograph file is found in Box 5 Oversize Gray (5/1)
1/9    Mennonite Central Committee - Picture Puzzle, undated
1/10    Paraguay - Fernheim Colony, 1930-32

1/11    Paraguay - Mennonite Settlements, 1938
1/12    Paraguay - Mennonite Settlements, undated
1/13    Paraguay - Miller, O. O., 1931 (File 1)
Includes photographs from Brazil. Negatives #'s 1,255-1,290.
1/14    Paraguay - Miller, O. O., 1931 (File 2)
Includes photographs from Brazil. Negatives #'s 1,291-1,326.
1/15    Paraguay - Miller, O. O., 1931 (File 3)
Includes photographs from Brazil. Prints.

Box 2 (Gray)

2/1    Russia - Agriculture, 1922-25
2/2    Russia - Book, Feeding the Hungry
        Was published by MCC in 1929.
2/3    Russia - Book, Photo Identification, 1929
2/4    Russia - Book, Photos Used, 1929
2/5    Russia - Daily Life, 1922-25

2/6    Russia - Emigration to Brazil, 1930
2/7    Russia - Emigration to Canada, 1923
2/8    Russia - Emigration to Paraguay (1)
        Emigrants in Germany, 1929-30, headed for Brazil and Paraguay.

2/9    Russia - Emigration to Paraguay, (2)
Scrapbook, 1929-30, given to "The Mennonites in the United States" from "The Refugees at Camps Moeln, Hammerstein and Prenzlau, Germany, 1929-1930." (35 photographs) Includes photographs of life in Russia, emigration out of Russia, and the stay in Germany.
This scrapbook is found in MCC Mapcase Drawer 10, and labeled as Box 4/1, Oversize File.

2/10    Russia - Emigration to Paraguay (3)
Photographs of ships going to Brazil and Paraguay, 1930
2/11    Russia - Emigration to Paraguay (4)
Passengers on ship going to Paraguay, 1930
(Photo #393, original found in folder 2/10)
This large photograp is found in Box 5 Oversize Gray (5/2)
2/12    Russia - Emigration to Paraguay (5)
Village Transport Groups, 1930-32

2/13    Russia - Emigration to Paraguay, (6)
Group Pictures of Transport Group I, 1930-32
Includes Transport List of group to Paraguay, 15 March 1930.
This photograph file is found in Box 5 Oversize Gray (5/3)
2/14    Russia - Emigration to Paraguay, (7)
Group Pictures of Transport Group II, 1930-32
This photograph file is found in Box 5 Oversize Gray (5/4)

2/15    Russia - Emigration to Paraguay, (8)
Group Pictures of Transport Group II, Children Only, 1930-32
This photograph file is found in Box 5 Oversize Gray (5/5)
2/16    Russia - Emigration to Paraguay, (9)
Group Pictures of Transport Group III, 1930-32
This photograph file is found in Box 6 Oversize Gray (6/1)

2/17    Russia - Emigration to Paraguay, (10)
Group Pictures of Transport Group IV, 1930-32
This photograph file is found in Box 6 Oversize Gray (6/2)
2/18    Russia - Emigration to Paraguay, (11)
Emigrants in France, 1932

2/19    Russia - Emigration to U.S.A., 1921
2/20    Russia - Famine, 1920-25
2/21    Russia - Personnel of MCC, 1920-25

Box 3 (Gray)

3/1    Russia - Relief, 1922-23
        Photographs from D. R. Hoeppner

3/2    Russia - Relief - Children, 1922-25
3/3    Russia - Relief - Kitchens, 1922-25
3/4    Russia - Relief - Supply Sites, 1922-25
3/5    Russia - Relief - Tractors, 1922-23 (1)

3/6    Russia - Relief - Tractors, 1922-25 (2)
        This photograph file is found in Box 6 Oversize Gray (6/3)

3/7    Russia - Schools, Mennonite, 1922-23
3/8    Switzerland - Relief, 1920
3/9    Syria - Armenian Refugees, 1919-20
3/10    Turkey - Women's Home, 1921-22
________________________________________________________________________
Box 4 (Oversize File)

    Located in MCC Mapcase, Drawer 10
    Photographs found in these boxes have been listed above
 
Box 5 (Oversize Gray)

    Found on Shelf next to Gray Boxes
    Photographs found in these boxes have been listed above

Box 6 (Oversize Gray)

    Found on Shelf next to Gray Boxes
    Photographs found in these boxes have been listed above

 
Name and Subject Tracings

    Name and subject tracings for the card catalog were done only for the photographs collected by Orie O. Miller in his involvement in the Russian Relief (IX-1-2). Included among these photographs were the ones used in the book Feeding the Hungry (1929).

Agriculture
Armenia
Bender, Harold S.
Books - Feeding the Hungry, 1929
Children
Emigration and Immigration
Family
Near East Relief
Personnel
Refugees, Armenian
Relief
Russia
Switzerland
Syria
Turkey
 
Individual Photograph Index

    The photographs in this collection have also been included in the "Finding Aid for Individual Photographs." They are numbered #301-434, and #1,001-1,326.
 
 
 
 
Inventory by:
    Lance Yoder, History Practicum, Goshen College, July 23, 1992
    Angela Showalter, Work/Study Student, Goshen College, July 2, 1993
    Updated by Dennis Stoesz, August 28, 1996
File: "IX130201.doc"
Mennonite Church USA Archives-Goshen, 1700 S. Main St., Goshen, Indiana 46526

 

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