Baltic Community photograph project

Baltic Community photograph project, 1945-2008

Overview of the Collection

Title: Baltic Community photograph project
Dates: 1945-2008 (inclusive)
19452008

1945-1949, 2008 (bulk)
nodatenodate
Quantity: Approximately 142 photographic prints and 1134 negatives (4 boxes) ; various sizes
Collection Number: PH0780
Summary: Photographs and statements from Estonians, Lithuanians, and Latvians living in Washington State. Many of these people came to Washington after World War II during the Soviet occupation of their countries. Contemporary portraits were made during 2006-2008. Photographs of the participants' early lives were copied for the collection so many of them are contain scenes from the Baltic countries from before they left or upon return visits after the Soviets gave up control of the countries. Other photographs document personal activities in the Seattle and Washington State Baltic communities
Repository: University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu
Access Restrictions: The collection is open to the public.
Languages: English

Historical BackgroundReturn to Top

The Baltic Community Photograph Project documents members of the Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian communities in Washington State through an exhibit and archival collection. In 2005 Visual Materials Curator, Nicolette Bromberg traveled to Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. She visited the Latvian Museum of Photography in Riga, Latvia which inspired her to write a grant in 2006 to document the Baltic community in King County. Created with help from Guntis Schmidchens, head of the Baltic Studies program, and members of the three communities, the project was to create portraits of 19 Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians in the King County area. Later the project was expanded to add more participants from a wider area. In total 31 portraits of Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians in Washington State were all made by the well-known photographer, Mary Randlett.

The project was carried out by Amanda Swain who coordinated the photography sessions and other activities. Contemporary portraits of individuals were made by photographer Mary Randlett. The individuals were also asked to answer some questions about their background to give context to the project. Personal photographs from the participants' early life were copied also to pair with the contemporary portraits. Once the portraits, statements and copies of participants' photographs were made, one set was framed and an exhibit was created. The framed exhibit pieces have been loaned for display for various exhibitions including a 2009 tour to Tallinn, Estonia, Riga, Latvia and Vilnius, Latvia which was supported in part by the U.S. Embassy in these countries. Two books on the project were created in-house and are available in the UW Libraries. The second set of materials is the archival set which along with extra materials acquired during the project is described in this finding aid.

This project was supported by King County 4Culture, the Baltic Studies Program at the University of Washington, the Estonian Society of Seattle, the Lithuanian-American Foundation, the Latvian Foundation, and private members of the Baltic community.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Photographs and statements from Estonians, Lithuanians, and Latvians living in Washington State. Many of these people came to Washington after World War II during the Soviet occupation of their countries. Contemporary portraits were made during 2006-2008. Photographs of the participants' early lives were copied for the collection so many of them are contain scenes from the Baltic countries from before they left or upon return visits after the Soviets gave up control of the countries. Other photographs document personal activities in the Seattle and Washington State Baltic communities

Other Descriptive InformationReturn to Top

The item number for each negative made by Mary Randlett is created by the item number of the negative group plus the individual frame number of the image. For example, Gorshow 1 is the set of negatives and Gorshow 1/22 is frame 22 from the 1st set of negatives used in the project.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Alternative Forms Available

View selections from the collection in digital format

Restrictions on Use

Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries for details.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Acquisition Information

Photographs not made by Mary Randlett during the project were loaned for copying by the subjects of the project, 2006-2008.

Processing Note

Processed by Amanda Swain, 2008; Lauren M. Rhodes, 2012; Jack Falk, 2012.

Inscribed and autographed book by Gundars Kings Raksti Veiksmīgiem Cilvēkiem: Atskati, Uzskati un Ieskati Nākotnei transferred to the book collection in Special Collections, 2012.

Bibliography

The Baltic community in King County : an exhibit featuring members of the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian communities / Nicolette Bromberg, curator ; Amanda Swain, project coordinator

The Baltic community in Washington State : an exhibit featuring members of the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian communities / photography by Mary Randlett.

Related Materials

This collection was presented as an exhibit of 31 framed panels containing modern photographs, historical photographs, and statement excerpts from each subject. Each panel is digitized and can be viewed by clicking the icon labeled "Photographs and statements used in the exhibition".

Inscribed and autographed book by Gundars Kings Raksti Veiksmīgiem Cilvēkiem: Atskati, Uzskati un Ieskati Nākotnei

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

EstoniansReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
		Ken Gorshkow September 18, 1920 - July 4, 2009. Gorshkow received his Bachelor's degree at Tartu University in 1944, shortly before leaving Soviet occupied Estonia. He served in the U.S. Army for five years. He entered UW in 1952, and graduated with a Master's degree in 1957. Gorshkow was a founding member and the first chairman of the Seattle Estonian Society and Baltic Action Committee.
		Photographs and statements used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
1/1	statement	Statement excerpt used in the exhibition While stationed in Germany in 1951 as a member of the U.S. Army, I met a Finnish ski team that was competing in the "International Winter Sports Week" in German Alps. Two of them had fathers who fought against the Soviet Union in 1939-1940 and were delighted to hear that I had also participated in the short but heroic Finnish Winter War. During the Soviet occupation of Estonia (1940-1991) Estonia was totally closed to visitors, but we kept our fighting spirit alive in every way the best we could.	October 10, 2006
Box
3	Gorshkow 1	Negatives for photographs of Gorshkow made by Mary Randlett	November 18, 2006
Box/Folder
1/1	Gorshkow 1/22	Ken Gorshkow in his home with University of Washington sweatshirt Mary Randlett (negative: Gorshkow 1/22) (photographer)	November 18, 2006
1/1	Gorshkow 2	Ken Gorshkow competing on the Finnish Ski Team while stationed in Germany in the U.S. Army Photograph copied from Ken Gorshkow's personal collection.	1951
		Photographs and accompanying materials not used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
1/2	Gorshkow 3	Contact sheet for Mary Randlett photographs of Ken Gorshkow	November 18, 2006
1/3	Gorshkow 4	Ken Gorshkow complete statement	October 10, 2006
1/3	Gorshkow 5	Ken Gorshkow's graduation photo from University of Washington with a M.S. in Physical Education Photograph copied from Ken Gorshkow's personal collection.	1955
		Leo and Malle Hannibal Leo Hannibal was born in Tartu, Estonia in 1929. He and his family were placed in a displaced persons camp in Germany during World War II. In 1949, they immigrated to Olympia, Washington. Leo was a National Guard Reserve for the United States Army for over 9 years. In 1959, he graduated from University of Washington and started a position at The Boeing Airplane Company, where he continued to work for 32 years. He has been a member of the Estonian Lutheran Church in Seattle, the Seattle Estonian Club, and the Estonian Freedom Fighters Organization. From 1992-1998, Leo organized and implemented sending 14 containers of medical and economic aid to Estonia. In 2001, he received a Red Cross Medallion for his charitable work from the Estonian President Lennart Meri. Leo is a member of the University of Washington' Baltic Studies Fundraising Committee and is Pacific Region Director for the Estonian American Fund for Economic Education, Inc. Monika Malle Ormus Hannibal was born in Austria in 1945 and adopted by an Estonian family in 1947. They arrived in New York in 1951. In 1969, Malle moved to Seattle with her six month old baby. She married Leo in 1970. Malle was president of the Seattle Estonian Society from 1993 to 1994 and is a member of the University of Washington's Baltic Studies Fundraising Committee.
		Photographs and statements used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
1/4	statement	Leo and Malle Hannibal's statement excerpts used in the exhibition Leo Hannibal's statement excerpt used in the exhibition: My father had been very active as a leader for the Estonians in Tartu, as well as in the displaced persons camps, and he continued to do so when he arrived in America. Our home on Aurora Avenue became a headquarters for the Estonian community. We constantly had visitors, meetings and get-togethers with Estonians from all over the West Coast and Canada. Malle Hannibal's statement excerpt used in the exhibition: My husband and I enjoy doing what we can to help preserve our Estonian herritage. We have enjoyed the many blessings that being an 'American' offers, and we appreciate that we are able to pass on some of the culture and traditions of Estonia to our children and grandchildren, and to other Americans who are interested in learning more about Estonia.	2007
Box
3	Hannibal 1a	Negatives for photographs of Leo and Malle Hannibal made by Mary Randlett	February 18, 2007
3	Hannibal 1b	Negatives for photographs of Leo and Malle Hannibal made by Mary Randlett	February 18, 2007
Box/Folder
1/4	Hannibal 1b/8	Leo and Malle Hannibal in front of their home Mary Randlett (negative: Hannibal 1b/8) (photographer)	February 18, 2007
1/4	Hannibal 2	Malle in front of a Red Cross fruit basket in a displaced persons camp in Germany Photograph copied from Malle Hannibal's personal collection.	1949
1/4	Hannibal 3	Leo in the first car his family owned in the United States, Olympia, Washington Photograph copied from Leo Hannibal's personal collection.	1949
1/4	Hannibal 4	Double print of Hannibal 2 & 3 used for exhibit	1949
		Photographs and accompanying materials not used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
1/5	Hannibal 5	Contact sheet for roll 1a of Mary Randlett photographs of Leo and Malle Hannibal	February 18, 2007
1/6	Hannibal 6	Print from Randlett roll 1a (Hannibal 1a/14)	February 18, 2007
1/7	Hannibal 7	Contact sheet for roll 1b of Mary Randlett photographs of Leo and Mall Hannibal	February 18, 2007
1/8	Hannibal 8	Malle Hannibal complete statement	2007
1/8	Hannibal 9	Leo Hannibal complete statement	2007
1/8	Hannibal 10	Leo doing the shot-put in a displaced persons camp in Germany Photograph copied from Leo Hannibal's personal collection.	1947
1/8	Hannibal 11	Malle and her mother in a displaced persons camp in Germany Photograph copied from Malle Hannibal's personal collection.	1948
1/8	Hannibal 12	Leo holding weather balloon in Yakima with two members of the National Guard Photograph copied from Leo Hannibal's personal collection.	1949
1/8	Hannibal 13	Leo receiving Guardsman Award and kiss from Miss Pat Summers Photograph copied from Leo Hannibal's personal collection.	1954
1/8	Hannibal 14	"Captive Nations" rally in Seattle Photograph copied from Leo Hannibal's personal collection.	1966
1/8	Hannibal 15	Malle with Estonian Air pilots in Seattle The Hannibals hosted the Estonian Air pilots while they were in Seattle to pick up two airplanes. Photograph copied from Malle Hannibal's personal collection.	1994
1/8	Hannibal 16	Six men loading a container of hospital supplies to send to Estonia Leo standing on the ground on the far left. Photograph copied from Leo Hannibal's personal collection.	circa 1996
1/9	Hannibal 17	Personalized stamp featuring Leo Hannibal stamps.com (Manufacturer)	circa 2007
		Lembit Kosenkranius Lembit Kosenkranius was born in 1925. In 1956, he started work as an acoustical engineer at Boeing. He met his wife, Helju, in 1958 in Vancouver, BC and they married the next year. In 2005, O/Ü Grief in Tartu, Estonia publishedLabida ja Relgava, Kosenkranius' collection of Estonian biographies from The Second World War.
		Photographs and statements used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
1/10	statement	Statement excerpt used in the exhibition I was hired by the Boeing Airplane Company in Seattle as an acoustical engineer and started my job on September 1, 1956. The next day I met some Estonians who had graduated from the University of Washington in Seattle. The Estonians liked to play volleyball, which also became my favorite sport. Soon I discovered several other Estonian volleyball players at Boeing and our star player and team captain entered our team into the yearly Boeing volleyball league tournaments...My childhood desire was to become a pilot. When I got my first paycheck, I used some of that money to have my first flight lesson with an instructor from the Renton airfield on a Cessna-140. After 50 hours of lessons and 10 hours of solo practice, I passed the flight test and got my lifelong pilot license for single engine land airplanes. I used the Cessna-182 on pleasure flights in the western US and Canada.	November 28, 2008
Box
3	Kosenkranius 1a	Negatives for photographs of Kosenkranius made by Mary Randlett	November 21, 2008
3	Kosenkranius 1b	Negatives for photographs of Kosenkranius made by Mary Randlett	November 21, 2008
3	Kosenkranius 1c	Negatives for photographs of Kosenkranius made by Mary Randlett	November 21, 2008
Box/Folder
1/10	Kosenkranius 1c/12	Lembit Kosenkranius standing on a dock near his house on Lake Sammamish Mary Randlett (negative: Kosenkranius 1c/12) (photographer)	November 21, 2008
1/10	Kosenkranius 2	Lembit Kosenkranius and the Boeing Estonian Volleyball Club Kosenkranius is on the far right. Photograph copied from Lembit Kosenkranius' personal collection.	1958
		Photographs and accompanying materials not used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
1/11	Kosenkranius 3	Contact sheet for roll 1a of Mary Randlett photographs of Lembit Kosenkranius	November 21, 2008
1/12	Kosenkranius 4	Contact sheet for roll 1b of Mary Randlett photographs of Lembit Kosenkranius	November 21, 2008
1/13	Kosenkranius 5	Contact sheet for roll 1c of Mary Randlett photographs of Lembit Kosenkranius	November 21, 2008
1/14	Kosenkranius 6	Lembit Kosenkranius complete statement	2008
1/14	Kosenkranius 7	Lembit Kosenkranius at University of Erlangen in Germany Photograph copied from Lembit Kosenkranius' personal collection.	1948
1/14	Kosenkranius 8	Lembit Kosenkranius standing in front of a Cessna 210 Photograph copied from Lembit Kosenkranius' personal collection.	1958
1/14	Kosenkranius 9	Lembit Kosenkranius windsurfing in Columbia Gorge Photograph copied from Lembit Kosenkranius' personal collection.	2004
		Andu and Taima Lauba Andu Lauba was born in Tallinn, Estonia in 1932. In 1944, his family left Estonia for Sweden. They departed Sweden in 1945 for São Paulo, Brazil and then to Victoria, Canada in 1948. Andu graduated from University of British Columbia in 1956 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. In 1957, Andu moved to Seattle to work for Boeing Airplane Company and worked there for 42 years. Taima Lauba was born in Tallinn, Estonia in 1935. In 1944, her family left Estonia for Sweden. In 1951, Taima and her family moved to Canada. She married Andu in 1956 and they moved to Seattle in 1957.
		Photographs and statements used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
1/15	statement	Andu and Taima Lauba's statement excerpt used in the exhibition When we left Estonia in 1944, we expected Estonia to regain its independence after the war and we planned to return at that time. However, by the time we arrived in Seattle tweleve years later, independence for Estonia appeared extremely remote. We truly appreciated the freedom we found in this country, and quickly fell in love with the Northwest. Within a few years, we adopted the place as our permanent home.	December 29, 2006
Box
3	Lauba 1a	Negatives for photographs of Andu and Taima Lauba made by Mary Randlett	December 2, 2006
3	Lauba 1b	Negatives for photographs of Andu and Taima Lauba made by Mary Randlett	December 2, 2006
3	Lauba 1c	Negatives for photographs of Andu and Taima Lauba made by Mary Randlett	December 2, 2006
3	Lauba 1d	Negatives for photographs of Andu and Taima Lauba made by Mary Randlett	December 2, 2006
Box/Folder
1/15	Lauba 1a/31	Andu and Taima Lauba in their home in Bellevue, Washington Mary Randlett (negative: Lauba 1a/31) (photographer)	December 2, 2006
1/15	Lauba 2	Andu and Taima Lauba's wedding portrait, Vancouver, British Columbia Photograph copied from Andu and Taima Lauba's personal collection.	1956
		Photographs and accompanying materials not used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
1/16	Lauba 3	Contact sheets for roll 1a of Mary Randlett photographs of Andu and Taima Lauba	December 2, 2006
1/17	Lauba 4	Contact sheets for roll 1b of Mary Randlett photographs of Andu and Taima Lauba	December 2, 2006
1/18	Lauba 5	Contact sheets for roll 1c of Mary Randlett photographs of Andu and Taima Lauba	December 2, 2006
1/19	Lauba 6	Contact sheet for roll 1d of Mary Randlett photographs of Andu and Taima Lauba	December 2, 2006
1/20	Lauba 7	Andu and Taima Lauba complete statement	December 2, 2006
1/20	Lauba 8	Andu Lauba's third grade class portrait in Tallinn, Estonia Photograph copied from Andu Lauba's personal collection.	1943
1/20	Lauba 9	Andu and Taima Lauba with son John in Toronto, Canada Photograph copied from Andu and Taima Lauba's personal collection.	1957
1/20	Lauba 10	Andu and Taima Lauba skiing in Sun Valley, Idaho Photograph copied from Andu and Taima Lauba's personal collection.	Early 1980s
		Eino Moks Eino Moks was born in 1929 in Estonia. In 1949, his family re-settled in New Orleans, Louisiana after living in a displaced persons camp in Germany. His parents relocated to Olympia, Washington while Moks stayed behind in New Orleans. In 1950, Moks started school at University of Kansas City. He graduated from University of Kansas City in 1953 with a degree in Chemistry. In 1953, he joined his parents in Seattle and entered into the PhD program in Biochemistry at University of Washington. Moks chaired the 15th Annual West Coast Estonian Days in 1981. He also spent two years as an advisor to Junior Achievement of Washington.
		Photographs and statements used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
1/21	statement	Statement excerpt used in the exhibition The First West Coast Estonian Days were organized by the San Francisco Estonian Society in 1953 on Labor Day weekend and, a year later, a unique organization was created: the Association of Estonian Organizations on the West Coast. Its goal was to organize Estonian Days every two years, rotating between the cities of Los Angeles, San Franciso, Portland, Seattle and Vancouver, BC. The Days became quite popular and started to draw Estonians from the East Coast and from countries all over the world...Now, years later, I still marvel at what a small community of like minded people can achieve. The 15th Annual Estonian Days in 1981 in Seattle was unquestionably a success. It could not have been that way without the 100 of the 150 members, working thousands of hours, to make the more than 30 different events memorable.	2008
Box
3	Moks 1a	Negatives for photographs of Eino Moks made by Mary Randlett	December 8, 2008
3	Moks 1b	Negatives for photographs of Eino Moks made by Mary Randlett	December 8, 2008
Box/Folder
1/21	Moks 1a/27a	Eino Moks at home in Everett, Washington Mary Randlett (negative: Moks 1a/27) (photographer) Cropped version of original photograph.	December 8, 2008
1/21	Moks 1a/27b-27c	Eino Moks at home in Everett, Washington Mary Randlett (negative: Moks 1a/27) (photographer) Original version of image.	December 8, 2008
1/21	Moks 2	Eino Moks and other Estonian University of Washington students celebrating Estonian Independence Eino Moks is second from the right in the back row. Photograph copied from Eino Moks' personal collection.	1953
		Photographs and accompanying materials not used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
1/22	Moks 3	Contact sheet for roll 1a of Mary Randlett photographs of Eino Moks	December 8, 2008
1/23	Moks 4	Contact sheet for roll 1b of Mary Randlett photographs of Eino Moks	December 8, 2008
1/24	Moks 5	Eino Moks complete statement	2008
1/24	Moks 6	Eino Moks with parents after his confirmation at the displaced persons camp in Geislingen, Germany Photograph copied from Eino Moks' personal collection.	1948
1/24	Moks 7	Eino Moks with friend at a displaced persons camp in Germany (Moks is on the right) Photograph copied from Eino Moks' personal collection.	1948
1/24	Moks 8	Estonians in Tacoma, Washington during a Christmas celebration Eino Moks is not in this photograph. Photograph copied from Eino Moks' personal collection.	1949
1/24	Moks 9	Eino Moks at home in Everett, Washington Photograph of Eino Moks by Mary Randlett not used in the exhibit (Moks 1b/11).	December 8, 2008
		Tom Napa Toomas (Tom) Napa was born in Vancouver, Canada in 1952 to parents who had immigrated to Canada after living in a displaced persons camp in Germany. Napa's family moved to Seattle, Washington from Vancouver in 1964. He received his Masters in Business Administration from University of Washington in 1976. After graduation, he worked as a Senior Accountant at Haskins & Sells (now Deloitte & Touche) in Seattle. In 1980, he started to work at Phsyio Control in Redmond, Washington, as their International Controller. From 1984 to late 2000, Napa was the CFO/VP of Finance at Precor.
		Photographs and statements used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
1/25	statement	Statement excerpt used in the exhibition Sustaining one's heritage, I feel, begins at home and, fortunately, my parents helped me along the way by speaking Estonian to me and encouraging my participation in various Estonian related events and activities which continue to the present. These include Estonian-themed social events, the Estonian Lutheran Church, the Estonian academic fraternityVironia, and Estonian folk dancing. As our numbers are small in the King County (and environs) Estonian community, every member is a vital link and participant in sustaining our common heritage that we treasure.	June 2, 2007
Box
3	Napa 1	Negatives for photographs of Tom Napa made by Mary Randlett	November 19, 2006
Box/Folder
1/25	Napa 1/24	Tom Napa on the balcony outside of his house in Seattle, Washington Mary Randlett (negative: Napa 1/24) (photographer)	November 19, 2006
1/25	Napa 2a	Tom Napa at 12 years old shortly after moving to Seattle Cropped version of image used in exhibition. Photograph copied from Tom Napa's personal collection.	1964
1/25	Napa 2b	Tom Napa at 12 years old shortly after moving to Seattle Original version of image. Photograph copied from Tom Napa's personal collection.	1964
		Photographs and accompanying materials not used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
1/26	Napa 3	Contact sheet for Mary Randlett photographs of Tom Napa	November 19, 2006
1/27	Napa 4	Tom Napa complete statement	June 2, 2007
1/27	Napa 5	Tom Napa and Arvid Plaks representing the Seattle Estonian folkdance group Mürakarud ("Rowdy Bears") Photograph copied from Tom Napa's personal collection.	June 1990
1/27	Napa 6	Tom Napa in San Francisco after completing a one-week bike ride from Astoria, Oregon Photograph copied from Tom Napa's personal collection.	2001
		Tiina Oviir Tiina Oviir was born in 1963 in Estonia. In 1997, she left Estonia to start her graduate studies at Columbia University in New York, NY. In 1999, she moved to Seattle and started teaching at University of Washington School of Dentistry as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Endodontics. In 2006, Oviir was promoted to Clinical Associate Professor. She also maintains a private practice in Endodontics. Oviir was part of the panel "Medicine in the Baltics" during the Baltic Area Studies Summer Institute in 2003.
		Photographs and statements used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
1/28	statement	Statement excerpt used in the exhibition I had never been a folk dancer in Estonia, but I am a founding member of the Estonian folkdance group in Seattle which was reestablished 3 years ago...The most expensive and special costume I have in my closet is an Estonian folk costume collected together piece by piece. The costume belongs to the Pühalepa district of the Estonian island, Hiiumaa. Every piece of this costume is hand-made. The striped colorful skirt I received as a gift from a friend of mine. The blouse was purchased from a local Seattle Estonian, as well as the brooch, which was made by an Estonian artist in the Seattle area. The rich crocheted lace apron was made by my mother and the belt with copper chains I ordered from an old master in Estonia – one out of two still alive who knows how to make this item.	2008
Box
3	Oviir 1	Negatives for photographs of Tiina Oviir made by Mary Randlett	February 10, 2007
Box/Folder
1/28	Oviir 1/22	Tiina Oviir in her Estonian folk costume Mary Randlett (negative: Oviir 1/22) (photographer)	February 10, 2007
1/28	Oviir 2	Tiina Oviir with her father and sister in Estonia Photograph copied from Tiina Oviir's personal collection.	1968
		Photographs and accompanying materials not used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
1/29	Oviir 3	Contact sheet for Mary Randlett photographs of Tiina Oviir	February 10, 2007
1/30	Oviir 4	Tiina Oviir complete statement	2008
1/30	Oviir 5	Tiina Oviir hugging a little boy Photograph copied from Tiina Oviir's personal collection.	1966
1/30	Oviir 6	Tiina Oviir going to school in Estonia Photograph copied from Tiina Oviir's personal collection.	1970
1/30	Oviir 7	Tiina Oviir as a child skiing (Tiina is on the far right) Photograph copied from Tiina Oviir's personal collection.	1973
		Paul and Katre Raidna Paul Raidna was born in 1970 in Seattle, Washington. His parents were Estonian immigrants who had arrived in the United States in 1948 (his father) and 1949 (his mother) after residing in displaced persons camps in Germany. Paul is a graduate of the University of Washington Foster School of Business. He is a Certified Public Accountant and serves as Managing Director of Graham Capitol Group, LLC. He serves on the Board of the Seattle Estonian Society, on the Advisory Board of the University of Washington Department of Scandinavian Studies, and is the Honorary Consul for the Republic of Estonia in Washington State. Paul married Katre in 2004 and they currently reside in Seattle, Washington. Katre Raidna was born in Estonia. She is a graduate of the University of Tartu School of Law and was a practicing attorney in Estonia before moving to Seattle, Washington in 2004. Katre is pursuing a degree in Paralegal Studies at University of Washington. She serves on the Advisory Board for the University of Washington Scandinavian Studies Department and on the Board of the Seattle Estonian Society.
		Photographs and statements used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
1/31	statement	Paul Raidna's statement excerpt used in the exhibition I was born here in Seattle, Washington to an Estonian immigrant family...Therefore, I was born an American citizen and while maintaining a life long bond to my ethnic Estonian community, having grown up speaking Estonian at home, I still consider myself very much a typical American of my generation. My wife, Katre, came here in 2004 when we were married. She has quickly adjusted to life in the USA and often comments that she considers herself to now have two homes, the one here and her family home in Estonia.	2008
Box
3	Raidna 1a	Negatives for photographs of Paul and Kaitre Raidna made by Mary Randlett	December 9, 2006
3	Raidna 1b	Negatives for photographs of Paul and Kaitre Raidna made by Mary Randlett	December 9, 2006
Box/Folder
1/31	Raidna 1b/5	Paul and Katre Raidna in their home in Seattle, Washington Mary Randlett (negative: Raidna 1b/5) (photographer)	December 9, 2006
1/31	Raidna 2a	Paul and Katre Raidna in Tallinn, Estonia in front of the Eesti Maja Restaurant Cropped version of image used in exhibition. Photograph copied from Paul and Katre Raidna's personal collection.	2004
1/31	Raidna 2b	Paul and Katre Raidna in Tallinn, Estonia in front of the Eesti Maja Restaurant Original version of image. Photograph copied from Paul and Katre Raidna's personal collection.	2004
		Photographs and accompanying materials not used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
1/32	Raidna 3	Contact sheet for roll 1a of Mary Randlett photographs of Paul and Katre Raidna	December 9, 2006
1/33	Raidna 4	Contact sheet for roll 1b of Mary Randlett photographs of Paul and Katre Raidna	December 9, 2006
1/34	Raidna 5	Paul Raidna complete statement	December 9, 2006
1/34	Raidna 6	Paul Raidna as a child Photograph copied from Paul Raidna's personal collection.	1973
1/34	Raidna 7	Paul and Katre Raidna's wedding photograph Photograph copied from Paul and Katre Raidna's personal collection.	2004
1/34	Raidna 8	Paul and Katre Raidna diving Photograph copied from Paul and Katre Raidna's personal collection.	no date
1/34	Raidna 9	Paul and Katre Raidna in Tallinn, Estonia Photograph copied from Paul and Katre Raidna's personal collection.	2004
		Eda Roosna Eda Roosna was born in 1943 in Estonia. In 1945, her family left Estonia for Stockholm, Sweden. In 1959, Roosna's family moved to the United States and settled in New York State. She moved to Washington State in 1969 with her husband, Valdek Roosna, who was in the United States Military. During her husband's time in the military, Roosna volunteered for the Red Cross in the medical clinics. She currently lives in Tacoma, Washington.
		Photographs and statements used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
1/35	statement	Statement excerpt used in the exhibition Right after arriving here, my husband and I had a knock on our Motel door and there were two representatives from the Seattle Estonian Community. They had learned of our transfer with the U.S. military through the East Coast Estonian newspaper. We enriched our lives by joining the numerous activities organized by the local Estonians – among them volleyball, choir, cultural group, Mother's Day, Independence Day, Midsummer festivities, and West Coast Estonian Days – and expanded our Estonian friendship network immensely. We had been participating in Estonian groups in other parts of the world so it was not difficult to fit in, especially since we both were of Estonian heritage and spoke the language.	2008
Box
3	Roosna 1a	Negatives for photographs of Eda Roosna made by Mary Randlett	November 20, 2008
3	Roosna 1b	Negatives for photographs of Eda Roosna made by Mary Randlett	November 20, 2008
Box/Folder
1/35	Roosna 1a/15	Eda Roosna standing in front of an eagle sculpture by her house in Tacoma, Washington Mary Randlett (negative: Roosna 1a/15) (photographer)	November 20, 2008
1/35	Roosna 2	Eda Roosna in Stockholm, Sweden shortly after her family left Estonia Photograph copied from Eda Roosna's personal collection.	1945
		Photographs and accompanying materials not used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
1/36	Roosna 3	Contact sheet for roll 1a of Mary Randlett photographs of Eda Roosna	November 20, 2008
1/37	Roosna 4	Contact sheet for roll 1b of Mary Randlett photographs of Eda Roosna	November 20, 2008
1/38	Roosna 5	Eda Roosna complete statement	2008
1/38	Roosna 6	Eda Roosna between the birches in New York State shortly after moving to the United States Photograph copied from Eda Roosna's personal collection.	1961
1/38	Roosna 7	Eda and Valdek Roosna with friends on the East Coast Photograph copied from Eda Roosna's personal collection.	1993
1/38	Roosna 8	Eda Roosna in front of Toompea in Tallinn, Estonia Photograph copied from Eda Roosna's personal collection.	July 1993
		Karl Taht Karl Taht was born in 1933 in Viljandi, Estonia. In 1941, his family fled Estonia for Germany after the Soviet occupation of Estonia. In 1951, Taht and his family immigrated to Lincoln, Nebraska after living in a displaced persons camp in Germany. In 1952, he joined the United States Airforce and was assigned to Air Force Intellegence in Germany for three years. In 1960, Taht graduated from University of Maryland with a Bachelors of Science in Aeronautic Engineering. From 1960 to 1967, he was an engineer for Pratt & Whitney in Connecticut, Sea Space Systems in California, and Lockheed Aircraft in California. In 1967, Taht moved to Seattle, Washington to work as a flight test engineer for Boeing Commercial Aircraft Company. He retired from Boeing in 1999. In 2001, Karl was a board member of the Kistler-Ritso Foundation to build the Museum of Occupation in Tallinn, Estonia. He is also active in the Estonian Lutheran Church and the Estonian fraternity. Taht has been married to his wife, Eva (who is from Hungary), for over forty-four years.
		Photographs and statements used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
1/39	statement	Statement excerpt used in the exhibition My family, wife Eva and our one-year old son, moved to Seattle in May, 1967 after accepting an offer to work as a Flight Test Engineer for Boeing Commercial Aircraft in support of their 747 and 737 aircraft certification efforts. The commanding officer from my Air Force days was from Seattle and he ignited my desire years ago to move to this most beautiful territory in the United States. We found a nice home in the Seattle Sand Point District and had a great start with the help of fellow Estonians to enjoy living here...Although my wife of 44 years was born in Hungary, she always encouraged me to support our local Estonian cultural and church activities. I was a member of the Seattle Estonian folk choirs. In 2001, I was a board member of the Kistler-Ritso Foundation to build the Occupation Museum in Tallinn, Estonia about recent history.	2008
Box
3	Taht 1a	Negatives for photographs of Karl Taht made by Mary Randlett	August 6, 2008
3	Taht 1b	Negatives for photographs of Karl Taht made by Mary Randlett	August 6, 2008
Box/Folder
1/39	Taht 1a/14	Karl Taht standing on the balcony of his home in Bellevue, Washington Mary Randlett (negative: Taht 1a/14) (photographer)	August 6, 2008
1/39	Taht 2	Karl Taht with family, playing the violin Photograph copied from Karl Taht's personal collection.	1939
		Photographs and accompanying materials not used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
1/40	Taht 3	Contact sheet for roll 1 of Mary Randlett photographs of Karl Taht	August 6, 2008
1/41	Taht 4	Contact sheet for roll 2 of Mary Randlett photographs of Karl Taht	August 6, 2008
1/42	Taht 5	Karl Taht complete statement	August 6, 2008
1/42	Taht 6	Karl Taht in the United States Airforce Photograph copied from Karl Taht's personal collection.	around 1952
1/42	Taht 7	Karl Taht at Boeing working on a 737 flight test Photograph copied from Karl Taht's personal collection.	1968
1/42	Taht 8	Karl Taht with the Estonian flag, his oldest daughter with the American flag, and his wife with the Hungarian flag Photograph copied from Karl Taht's personal collection.	2004
1/42	Taht 9	Karl Taht with his grandson at the Estonian Museum of Occupation in Tallinn, Estonia Photograph copied from Karl Taht's personal collection.	September 11, 2005

LatviansReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
		Vaira Christopher Vaira Christopher was born in 1936 in Latvia. During the Second World War, she and her family escaped Latvia and eventually ended up in a displaced persons camp in Germany. In 1950, Christopher and her family moved to New Jersey, USA. In 1968, she moved to Seattle, Washington with her husband, Graham Christopher, who was attending University of Washington on a fellowship. In 1971, Christopher started work as a Pathologist at Swedish Hospital. She retired from Swedish Hospital in 1995. Christopher is involved in the Seattle Latvian Church and the University of Washington Baltic Studies Program.
		Photographs and statements used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
1/43	statement	Statement excerpt used in the exhibition My parents, as well as I, were born in Latvia. During World War II, we had to flee from the communists and subsequently lived in a Displaced Persons camp in Germany until 1950 when we came to the United States and settled in New Jersey. Regardless of where we lived, the language at home was always Latvian. The stories and prewar memories from my parents and grandparents nourished my interest about my Latvian heritage. In Seattle I worked as a pathologist at Swedish Hospital from 1971 - first as a resident and then as a staff pathologist. My boss, Dr. Hamlin, said that I was the first female doctor on the hospital-based staff at Swedish. It was a time when men still had some prejudice against women and felt that women should not "invade" their professional fields. Related to this, during my first year on staff, I encountered many obstacles, some difficult, others funny.	2008
Box
3	Christopher 1	Negatives for photographs of Vaira Christopher made by Mary Randlett	September 24, 2008
Box/Folder
1/43	Christopher 1/16	Vaira Christopher posing with Latvian knitted gloves at her home in Edmonds, WA Mary Randlett (negative: Christopher 1/16) (photographer)	September 24, 2008
1/43	Christopher 2	Vaira Christopher with friend in Latvian folk costume at a displaced persons camp in Germany Photograph copied from Vaira Christopher's personal collection.	1946
		Photographs and accompanying materials not used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
1/44	Christopher 3	Contact sheet for Mary Randlett photographs of Vaira Christopher	September 24, 2008
1/45	Christopher 4	Vaira Christopher complete statement	September 24, 2008
1/45	Christopher 5	Vaira Christopher with her parents in Latvia Photograph copied from Vaira Christopher's personal collection.	1939
1/45	Christopher 6	Vaira Christopher with her mother on a Baltic Sea beach along the Latvian coastline Photograph copied from Vaira Christopher's personal collection.	1939
1/45	Christopher 7	Vaira Christopher posing with Latvian knitted gloves at home in Edmonds, Washington Photograph of Vaira Christopher by Mary Randlett not used in the exhibit.	September 24, 2008
		Edvins Circenis Edvins Circenis was born in 1929 in Latvia. In 1950, he and his family arrived in the United States. In 1953, Circenis married Livija. In 1956, he graduated from University of Nebraska with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. That same year, he, his wife, and their daughter moved to Seattle so that he could begin work at Boeing Airplane Company. He worked at Boeing as an engineer in the Project Structural Design Group, which worked on the 707. In 1965, he was assigned to work on the 747 project and eventually invented the High Cab configuration for the 747. Circenis retired from Boeing in 1995. He was the administrator and treasurer of the Latvian children's summer camp "Mežotne" for 15 years. Circenis is also a co-founder of the West Coast Latvian Summer High School "Kursa" and served as its treasurer. He is actively involved in the Seattle Latvian community and helped to design the Latvian Cultural Center in 1971.
		Photographs and statements used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
1/46	statement	Statement excerpt used in the exhibition When the Boeing 747 project was launched in 1965, I was busy working on its initial baseline configuration development. There I invented the High Cab configuration of the 747 airplane and contributed to numerous other design concepts. But being of Latvian heritage was also like living in two different worlds at the same time. One world was entirely dedicated to my daily work at the Boeing Company and keeping abreast of local and national events. The other world was basically centered on keeping the Latvian heritage alive.	January 7, 2007
Box
3	Circenis 1a	Negatives for photographs of Edvins Circenis made by Mary Randlett	December 10, 2006
3	Circenis 1b	Negatives for photographs of Edvins Circenis made by Mary Randlett	December 10, 2006
Box/Folder
1/46	Circenis 1a/14	Edvins Circenis in his home with a Boeing 747 chart and model in background Mary Randlett (negative: Circenis 1a/14) (photographer)	December 10, 2006
1/46	Circenis 2	Edvins Circenis with a model of the Boeing 747 airplane that he helped design Photograph copied from Edvins Circenis' personal collection.	1965
		Photographs and accompanying materials not used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
1/47	Circenis 3	Contact sheet for roll 1 of Mary Randlett photographs of Edvins Circenis	December 10, 2006
1/48	Circenis 4	Contact sheet for roll 2 of Mary Randlett photographs of Edvins Circenis	December 10, 2006
1/49	Circenis 5	Edvins Circenis complete statement	January 7, 2007
1/49	Circenis 6	Edvins Circenis with models of the Boeing 747 and 107 airplanes Photograph copied from Edvins Circenis' personal collection.	1965
1/49	Circenis 7	Edvins Circenis inside of an airplane at Boeing Photograph copied from Edvins Circenis' personal collection.	no date
1/49	Circenis 8	Edvins and Livija Circenis in front of the Latvian Cultural Center in Seattle, Washington Photograph of Edvins Circenis by Mary Randlett not used in the exhibition.	December 10, 2006
		Ivars and Inese Graudins Ivars Graudins was born in 1939 in Latvia. In 1950, he and his family immigrated to Yakima, Washington. In 1965, Ivars graduated from University of Washington with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. After graduation, he worked in the Labor Market Research Unit of the Washington State Government. Ivars is currently the Statewide Area Labor Market Information Manager. Inese Graudins (maiden name: Saukants) was born in 1950 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She eventually moved to Portland, Oregon and graduated from Beaverton High School. In 1969, Inese married Ivars Graudins. In 1973, she graduated from University of Washington with a degree in Pharmacy. After moving to Olympia, Washington in 1986, Inese started to work as a relief pharmacist in Thurston County, Washington. For the past twenty-years, she has worked with Olympia Junior Programs, currently serving as a board member. Inese is active in the Latvian community, having taught folk dancing and Latvian culture to the youth groups, as well as participating in the choir.
		Photographs and statements used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
1/50	statement	Ivars and Inese Graudins' statement excerpts used in the exhibition Ivars Graudins was born in Latvia and arrived in Washington State to Yakima in 1950 with his family. They were sponsored by the Lutheran World Federation. After passing the required examination and being sworn in as citizens in 1958, they felt that Washington was their new home...Inese Saukants was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Latvian parents and she learned Latvian as her first language. Sunday School classes at the Latvian Lutheran Church, folk dancing, scouting, vocal ensemble work, and other activities all promoted mastery of the language...Both Inese and Ivars have been continually active in all aspects of the Latvian community in Washington – Ivars most often in the financial area, Inese working with children, youth, teaching folk dancing and Latvian culture, as well as participating in various folk dancing and choral endeavors.	November 30, 2008
Box
3	Graudins 1a	Negatives for photographs of Ivars and Inese Graudins made by Mary Randlett	July 24, 2008
3	Graudins 1b	Negatives for photographs of Ivars and Inese Graudins made by Mary Randlett	July 24, 2008
Box/Folder
1/50	Graudins 1b/32a	Ivars and Inese Graudins at home in Olympia, Washington Mary Randlett (negative: Graudins 1b/32) (photographer) Cropped version of original photograph used in the exhibition.	July 24, 2008
1/50	Graudins 1b/32b	Ivars and Inese Graudins at home in Olympia, Washington Mary Randlett (negative: Graudins 1b/32) (photographer) Original version of image.	July 24, 2008
1/50	Graudins 2	Ivars and Inese Graudins leading a Latvian folkdance at a community center in Portland Photograph copied from Ivars and Inese Graudins' personal collection.	1972
		Photographs and accompanying materials not used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
1/51	Graudins 3	Contact sheet for roll 1 of Mary Randlett photographs of Ivars and Inese Graudins	July 24, 2008
1/52	Graudins 4	Contact sheet for roll 2 of Mary Randlett photographs of Ivars and Inese Graudins	July 24, 2008
1/53	Graudins 5	Ivars and Inese Graudins complete statement	November 30, 2008
1/53	Graudins 6	Ivars Graudins with his brother and grandmother at the front door of their house in Yakima, Washington Photograph copied from Ivars Graudins' personal collection.	Early 1950s
1/53	Graudins 7	Inese Graudins celebrating Midsummer with her grandfather, Janis Saukants, in Minneapolis, Minnesota Photograph copied from Inese Graudins' personal collection.	1957
1/53	Graudins 8	Inese Graudins in Minneapolis wearing a folk costume from the Nīca region of Latvia Photograph copied from Inese Graudins' personal collection.	1961
		Miervaldis Jansevics April 5, 1933 - May 30, 2011. Miervaldis Jansevics graduated from University of Denver in 1964. Shortly after his graduation, he and his wife, Janina, moved to Seattle, Washington. He served on the building committee for the Seattle Latvian Cultural Center in 1971 and assisted in reviving the community's theater. In 1974, Jansevics assited in starting the Latvian Summer High School "Kursa" at Red Barn Ranch and served as a committee member. In 1975, he organized the Sixth West Coast Latvian Song Festival at the Seattle Center. In 1983, he helped to revive the summer camp at its new location in Shelton, Washington. In 1989, Jansevics traveled to Latvia with Ron Dotzauer (then Senator Jackson's Washington State Director) to train young people in Latvia in the democratic voting process. Jansevics served as Chairman of the Board of the West Coast Latvian Education Center from 1983 until 2003. He also served as the Vice-President of the American Latvian Association. Jansevics was active in the Shelton, Washington community: he was a member of the Shelton Skookum Rotary Club and organized the sister city project between Shelton and Talsi, Latvia. In 1994, along with the Rotary Club, he raised money for a project to remodel an office building in Auce, Latvia into a 38 bed country hospital. The project was completed in 2000. Jansevics received the Three Star Medal from the Government of Latvia, the Service Above Self Award from Rotary International, a 1989 International Freedom Award, and was named a Paul Harris Fellow by The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International.
		Photographs and statements used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
1/54	statement	Statement excerpt used in the exhibition After graduation from University of Denver, my wife and I decided to move to the Northwest. The Seattle Latvian Community welcomed the five of us (three daughters). It is a privledge to live here. We, the first generation Latvians, still had deep connection and roots with our native Latvia. We felt that it was our responsibility to inform our adopted country of the injustice done to Latvia by the Soviet Union. We also wanted to keep our language, traditions and culture alive for our children. I volunteered my time to achieve these goals.	June 6, 2007
Box
3	Jansevics 1a	Negatives for photographs of Miervaldis Jansevics made by Mary Randlett	February 11, 2007
3	Jansevics 1b	Negatives for photographs of Miervaldis Jansevics made by Mary Randlett	February 11, 2007
Box/Folder
1/54	Jansevics 1a/31	Miervaldis Jansevics in his home in Mountlake Terrace, Washington Mary Randlett (negative: Jansevics 1a/31) (photographer)	February 11, 2007
1/54	Jansevics 2a	Miervaldis Jansevics with his family and their sponsors, Mr. and Mrs. Derscheid, shortly after arriving in Kenyon, Minnesota Photograph copied from Miervaldis Jansevics' personal collection.	1949
1/54	Jansevics 2b	Miervaldis Jansevics with his family and their sponsors, Mr. and Mrs. Derscheid, shortly after arriving in Kenyon, Minnesota Photograph copied from DVD containing photos from Miervaldis Jansevics' personal collection.	1949
		Photographs and accompanying materials not used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
1/55	Jansevics 3	Contact sheet for roll 1 of Mary Randlett photographs of Miervaldis Jansevics	February 11, 2007
1/56	Jansevics 4	Contact sheet for roll 2 of Mary Randlett photographs of Miervaldis Jansevics	February 11, 2007
1/57	Jansevics 5	Miervaldis Jansevics complete statement	January 2, 2007
1/57	Jansevics 6a	Farmland with cows in Jaunauce, Latvia Jaunauce, Latvia is Miervaldis Jansevics' birthplace. Photograph copied from Miervaldis Jansevics' personal collection.	1938
1/57	Jansevics 6b	Farmland with cows in Jaunauce, Latvia Photograph copied from DVD that contains photographs from Miervaldis Jansevics' personal collection.	1938
1/57	Jansevics 7	Miervaldis Jansevics at a displaced persons camp in Regenburg, Germany Photograph copied from Miervaldis Jansevics' personal collection.	1948
1/57	Jansevics 8	Miervaldis Jansevics in the United States Air Force, standing by 3 elephant statues in Cambodia Photograph copied from Miervaldis Jansevics' personal collection.	1954
1/57	Jansevics 9	Miervaldis Jansevics walking towards a farmhouse in Latvia Photograph copied from Miervaldis Jansevics' personal collection.	no date
1/57	Jansevics 10	Miervaldis Jansevics by a container being shipped to Latvia by the Rotary International Hospital Project Photograph copied from Miervaldis Jansevics' personal collection.	1990s
1/57	Jansevics 11	Miervaldis Jansevics with a fish that he just caught in New Zealand Photograph copied from Miervaldis Jansevics' personal collection.	no date
1/57	Jansevics 12	Senator Henry "Scoop" Jackson receiving the Baltic Freedom Award Miervaldis Jansevics is to the right of Senator Jackson. Photograph copied from Miervaldis Jansevics' personal collection.	1981
1/58	Jansevics 13	Photos on DVD DVD contains 41 photos. There are also prints for each of the 41 photos. They are unidentified but they appear to be photographs of Jansevics as a young man with his family in Latvia and the displaced persons camp. Three of the photos are Jansevics 2a-2b, Jansevics 7, and Jansevics 8a-8b. The other photos are numbered 13a-13tt (skipping 13o).
		Gundars King Gundars King was born in Riga, Latvia in 1926. In 1944, his family left Latvia for Germany. In 1949, King graduated from Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany. In 1950, he left Germany for the United States to study at University of Oregon. In 1956, King graduated from University of Oregon. In 1958, he graduated from Stanford University with a Masters in Business Administration. In 1960, he arrived in Washington State to assist in starting the business school at Pacific Lutheran University. In 1963, he received his PhD in Business Leadership from Stanford University. He served as Dean and Dean Emeritus of the Pacific Lutheran University Business School. He was also President of the Western Association of Collegiate Schools of Business and Beta Gamma Sigma. King was the Founding President of the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies (AABS) and Director of the Baltic Studies Fund. He was also Director of IREX and AABS in the Baltic States. King was awarded a Doctorate, honoris causa, from Riga Technical University in 1991 and was made an Officer of the Latvian Three Star Order in 2006.
		Photographs and statements used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
1/59	statement	Statement excerpt used in the exhibition I came to live and work in Washington State in 1960, following my graduate studies at Stanford University. At that time, I had been in the United States for 10 years. My preference was for a faculty position at a small, private school in Oregon or Washington, an area much like my native Latvia. Pacific Lutheran University offered me an exciting opportunity to help establish and develop a new business school. I have maintained and expanded my knowledge of Latvian heritage in many ways. I edited a Latvian newsletter in San Francisco. I was one of the leaders of the Latvian community in Tacoma. Much of my professional work involved research, teaching and consulting in the Baltics, mostly to help reorganize collegiate schools and programs after the restoration of independence of the Baltic States.	June 25, 2008
Box
3	King 1a	Negatives for photographs of Gundars King made by Mary Randlett	July 24, 2008
3	King 1b	Negatives for photographs of Gundars King made by Mary Randlett	July 24, 2008
Box/Folder
1/59	King 1a/16	Gundars King in his Tacoma, Washington home with Latvian artwork in the background Mary Randlett (negative: King 1a/16) (photographer)	July 24, 2008
1/59	King 2	Gundars King as a consultant at Boeing Airplane Company Photograph copied from Gundars King's personal collection.	1962
		Photographs and accompanying materials not used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
1/60	King 3	Contact sheet for roll 1 of Mary Randlett photographs of Gundars King	July 24, 2008
1/61	King 4	Contact sheet for roll 2 of Mary Randlett photographs of Gundars King	July 24, 2008
1/62	King 5	Gundars King complete statement	June 25, 2008
1/62	King 6	Gundars King in high school at First State Riga Classic Gymnasium Photograph copied from Gundars King's personal collection.	1944
1/62	King 7	Gundars King with his wife,Valda, looking at his Doctoral dissertation Photograph copied from Gundars King's personal collection.	1963
1/62	King 8	Gundars King, in Latvia, as a Fulbright Scholar and advisor to the United States Embassy Photograph copied from Gundars King's personal collection.	1992
		Aija Pakulis and Sarma Davidson Aija Pakulis was born in Latvia. In 1950, her family (including her husband and children) left Latvia for South Dakota by way of Germany. In 1951, they left South Dakota for Seattle, Washington. Pakulis has been active in the Seattle Latvian community: She taught Latvian language at the Latvian Saturday school and has been a member of the Seattle Latvian Lutheran Church for a number of years. Pakulis currently lives in Seattle, Washington. Sarma Pakulis Davidson (daughter of Aija Pakulis) was born in Latvia and came to the United States with her family in 1950. She is president of the Latvian Association of Washington State.
		Photographs and statements used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
1/63	statement	Aija Pakulis' statement excerpt used in exhibition In 1951 Seattle had quite a few Latvian families that had been sponsored by the Lutheran Federation in Tacoma. We found jobs – my husband Fricis worked day hours and I did night shift so our children could be cared for. I joined Latvian Saturday school where I taught Latvian language and sang in the mixed choir. Our children danced in the folkdance group and acted in the school plays. We joined the Latvian Lutheran church. Our daughters Sarmite and Rudite attended summer camp for many years. In later years Sarmite became a school teacher, camp counselor and director when her children were of age. The Latvian language and culture was engrained in all the activities on weekends and home life.	November 6, 2007
Box
3	Pakulis 1a	Negatives for photographs of Aija Pakulis and Sarma Davidson made by Mary Randlett	February 17, 2007
3	Pakulis 1b	Negatives for photographs of Aija Pakulis and Sarma Davidson made by Mary Randlett	February 17, 2007
3	Pakulis 1c	Negatives for photographs of Aija Pakulis and Sarma Davidson made by Mary Randlett	February 17, 2007
Box/Folder
1/63	Pakulis 1c/9	Aija Pakulis and daughter Sarma Davidson at Aija's home in Seattle, Washington Mary Randlett (negative: Pakulis 1c/9) (photographer)	February 17, 2007
1/63	Pakulis 2	The Pakulis family on the train to the displaced persons camp at Emden, Germany Translation of Latvian text on verso of original: June 27, 1949. On the Nordstemmen train bound for Emden. Photograph copied from Aija Pakulis' personal collection.	June 27, 1949
		Photographs and accompanying materials not used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
1/64	Pakulis 3	Contact sheet for roll 1 of Mary Randlett photographs of Aija Pakulis and Sarma Davidson	February 17, 2007
1/65	Pakulis 4	Contact sheet for roll 2 of Mary Randlett photographs of Aija Pakulis and Sarma Davidson	February 17, 2007
1/66	Pakulis 5	Contact sheet for roll 3 of Mary Randlett photographs of Aija Pakulis and Sarma Davidson	February 17, 2007
1/67	Pakulis 6	Aija Pakulis and Sarma Davidson complete statement	November 6, 2007
1/67	Pakulis 7	British displaced persons camp in Emden, Germany Photograph copied from Aija Pakulis' personal collection.	1949
1/67	Pakulis 8	Aija Pakulis with daughters Sarma and Rudite at Emden displaced persons camp with bombed out building in background Translation of Latvian text on verso of original: August 14, 1949, Children's Festival at Emden. Photograph copied from Aija Pakulis' personal collection.	August 14, 1949
1/67	Pakulis 9	The Pakulis family saying goodbye on a ship bound for the United States Translation of Latvian text on verso of original: Going away from Wentworth towards Grohn on June 2, 1950. Photograph copied from Aija Pakulis' personal collection.	June 2, 1950
1/67	Pakulis 10	Pakulis family on a boat in New York Harbor at Ellis Island Translation of Latvian text on verso of original: We are going by boat on theGeneral Howe. Photograph copied from Aija Pakulis' personal collection.	June 15, 1950
		Erik and Inese Raisters Erik Raisters was born in 1954 in Seattle. His family moved to Los Angeles in 1961 before returning to Seattle in 1975. He graduated from the University of Washington in 1978 with a Bachelor of Science in Oceanography and in 1989 with a Bachelor of Science in Geology. Erik worked for 17 years in the oil industry, the last 12 for Sierra Geophysics, which is a geophysical software producer based in Redmond, Washington. Since 1996, he has worked as a Software Test Engineer specializing in network secrurity for WRQ (now merged with Attachmate) which is based in Seattle, Washington. He has participated in three "2x2" Latvian summer camps, which have the goal of immersing Latvian-American students in Latvian culture, history, and politics. He worked as a counselor for two summers at the Latvian Summer High School "Kursa" (when it was still based in Auburn, Washington) and is a member of the Seattle Latvian folk dance ensembleTrejdeksnītis, which he and Inese directed from 1993- 2008. Erik participates in the Latvian fraternity and is an elder at the Latvian Lutheran church in Seattle, Washington. Inese Raisters was born in 1955 in London, Ontario, Canada. Her family moved to Seattle, Washington in 1965. In 1979, Inese graduated from University of Washington School of Dentistry. She has had her own private dental practice in Seattle for more than 27 years. She attended the Sunday school at the Latvian Lutheran Church and sang in the choir. She joined the folk dance groupTrejdeksnītisat the age of 16 and was the group's director, along with Erik, from 1993-2008. Inese's choreography for the group has won awards in competitions at the national level. She and Erik still dance withTrejdeksnītis, which has performed at the Northwest Folklife Festival, Skandia Midsommarfest, the Seattle Public Library's Baltic Rites of Spring concert, and for the Bellevue-Liepaja Sister Cities Committee.
		Photographs and statements used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
1/68	statement	Erik and Inese Raister's statement excerpts used in the exhibition Erik Raister's statement excerpt used in the exhibition: After returning to study at the UW, I joined the Seattle Latvian folk dance ensemble "Trejdeksnitis". Our two boys have attended the Seattle Latvian Sunday school, the West Coast Latvian summer camp, graduated from the Latvian summer high school "Garezers" in Michigan and, of course, both danced in "Trejdeksnitis". Inese Raister's statement excerpt used in the exhibition: I started with the folk dance group "Trejdeksnitis" at age 16 and have been the director of the group since 1993, also creating new chroreographies that have won awards in competitions at a national level. "Trejdeksnitis" has performed at numerous Northwest Folklife festivals, Skandia Midsommarfest, Seattle Public Library events, for the Bellevue-Liepaja Sister Cities Committee.	December 12, 2006
Box
3	Raisters 1a	Negatives for photographs of Erik and Inese Raisters made by Mary Randlett	December 3, 2006
3	Raisters 1b	Negatives for photographs of Erik and Inese Raisters made by Mary Randlett	December 3, 2006
Box/Folder
1/68	Raisters 1b/11	Erik and Inese Raisters at home in Mukilteo, Washington Mary Randlett (negative: Raisters 1b/11) (photographer)	December 3, 2006
1/68	Raisters 2a	Erik and Inese Raisters at the Latvian Song and Dance Festival in Riga, Latvia Cropped version of image used in exhibition. Photograph copied from Erik and Inese Raisters' personal collection.	1990
1/68	Raisters 2b-2c	Erik and Inese Raisters at the Latvian Song and Dance Festival in Riga, Latvia Original version of image. Translation of Latvian text from verso of original: 1990-7-July festival procession at (to) the Freedom Monument. Photograph copied from Erik and Inese Raisters' personal collection.	1990
		Photographs and accompanying materials not used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
1/69	Raisters 3	Contact sheet for roll 1 of Mary Randlett photographs of Erik and Inese Raisters	December 3, 2006
1/70	Raisters 4	Contact sheet for roll 2 of Mary Randlett photographs of Erik and Inese Raisters	December 3, 2006
1/71	Raisters 5	Erik and Inese Raisters complete statement	December 12, 2006
1/71	Raisters 6	Erik and Inese Raisters at the Latvian Song and Dance Festival in Riga, Latvia Photograph copied from Erik and Inese Raisters' personal collection.	July 7, 1990
1/71	Raisters 7	Erik and Inese Raisters with their dog at their home in Mukilteo, Washington Photograph of Erik and Inese Raisters by Mary Randlett not used in the exhibition.	December 3, 2006
1/71	Raisters 8	Erik and Inese Raisters in front of their house in Mukilteo, Washington Photograph of Erik and Inese Raisters by Mary Randlett not used in the exhibition.	December 3, 2006
		Vija Rauda Vija (Rogainis) Rauda was born in 1932 in Valka, Latvia. On August 25, 1944, her family left Latvia for Germany, eventually ending up in a displaced persons camp at Alt Garge. In 1950, She and her family left Germany for New York City. They eventually settled in Asheboro, North Carolina. In 1951, while she stayed in Asheboro for work, the rest of her family moved to Longview, Washington so that her father could work at the Longview Fiber paper mill. Later that year, she joined her family in Washington and attended Lower Columbia Junior College in Longview. In 1953, Vija graduated from Lower Columbia Junior College and started school at University of Washington. In 1955, she received her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from University of Washington. In 1956, Vija married Vigo Rauda. After graduation, she worked as a researcher at the University of Washington Department of Medicine and contributed to several research papers on the role of enzymes in diabetes. In 1964, Vija left University of Washington Medical School and started to work for her husband at Topographic Map and Model Company (now Rauda Scale Models Inc.), which designed (and still designs) topographic maps and scale models for architects, engineers, public visitor centers, and real estate developers. In 1995, Vija became the President of Rauda Scale Models Inc. She has been active in the Seattle Latvian community: Secretary of the Latvian Summer High School "Kursa" until 2003, organized the Latvian exhibit at the 1993 Northwest Folklife Festival, started a Latvian craft education program, under the direction of Skaidrite Abolins, which lasted for four years, and in 2008, she organized the exhibitThe Latvians: 50 Years in the State of Washingtonat the Nordic Heritage Museum.
		Photographs and statements used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
1/72	statement	Statement excerpt used in the exhibition I entered the University of Washington in the fall of 1953 and graduated in 1955 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry. I was hired by the Department of Medicine to work on enzyme research. I met my future husband Vigo Rauda at the UW and we purchased our first home in the Northgate area of Seattle in December, 1959. That was a milestone – my own home. It gave me that feeling of permanency which I had not experienced since leaving Latvia in 1944. It is a gathering place for the Rauda, Rogainis and Meneks families for holidays, birthdays, and other get-togethers. It also became the first home of my husband's topographic model-making business. I joined him in the business in 1967. This year Rauda Scale Models Inc. celebrates its 48th year in business in Seattle, providing topographic exhibits and scale model exhibits to architects, engineers, real estate developers and public visitors centers.	November 20, 2008
Box
3	Rauda 1a	Negatives for photographs of Vija Rauda made by Mary Randlett	November 21, 2008
3	Rauda 1b	Negatives for photographs of Vija Rauda made by Mary Randlett	November 21, 2008
Box/Folder
1/72	Rauda 1b/21	Vija Rauda in her home in Seattle, Washington Mary Randlett (negative: Rauda 1b/21) (photographer)	November 21, 2008
1/72	Rauda 2	Vija Rauda in front of Bagley Hall (Department of Chemistry) at University of Washington Photograph copied from Vija Rauda's personal collection.	1955
		Photographs and accompanying materials not used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
1/73	Rauda 3	Contact sheet for roll 1 of Mary Randlett photographs of Vija Rauda	November 21, 2008
1/74	Rauda 4	Contact sheet for roll 2 of Mary Randlett photographs of Vija Rauda	November 21, 2008
1/75	Rauda 5	Vija Rauda complete statement	November 20, 2008
1/75	Rauda 6	Latvian students at University of Washington Photograph copied from Vija Rauda's personal collection.	1954/1955
1/75	Rauda 7	Vija Rauda and Zaiga Alksnis-Phillips at University of Washington graduation Photograph copied from Vija Rauda's personal collection.	1955
1/75	Rauda 8	Vija and Vigo Rauda at their wedding in Longview, Washington Photograph copied from Vija Rauda's personal collection.	1956
1/75	Rauda 9	Rogainis family during Christmas in Longview, Washington Standing: Janis, Vija, Andris. Sitting: Ella (mother), Alfred (father). Photograph copied from Vija Rauda's personal collection.	1956
		Maija Reikstins Maija Reikstins was born in 1950 in Tacoma, Washington. Her grandparents and parents had arrived in the United States from Latvia in 1949. Maija studies and teaches Latvian music, particularly the Latvian Dainas, which is the Latvian song collection. Maija arranges music for the Seattle Latvian community's womens choir Sigulda, of which she is also the director. The choir has performed at the Northwest Folklife Festival and for the Bellevue-Liepaja Sister City Program. She was also the music director at the Latvian summer camp for childrenMežotne, as well as at the Latvian Summer High School "Kursa" – both located at the West Coast Latvian Education Center in Shelton, Washington. Maija has also worked with the Seattle Girl's Choir, Seattle Pacific University choir, and the Marysville High School choir. Since 1980, she has managed the Latvian Credit Union.
		Photographs and statements used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
1/76	statement	Statement excerpt used in the exhibition I was born in Tacoma, Washington, April 7, 1950. The newspaper announced me as a sign of hope to the new emigrant community in Tacoma. I had been told that I was the first birth to Latvian immigrants on the West Coast. I have studied the origin and development of Latvian music, using our vast heritage of 1 million songs and word collections called Dainas. I arrange music and teach it to the Latvian community choir and my women's vocal ensembleSigulda. For years I was the director of music at the children's summer camp and now at the Latvian summer high school Kursa. Teaching the magical history and wonder of our immense cultural folklore in music...gives me the great satisfaction of seeing young people gain pride in their heritage.	June 2, 2007
Box
3	Reikstins 1a	Negatives for photographs of Maija Reikstins made by Mary Randlett	December 3, 2006
3	Reikstins 1b	Negatives for photographs of Maija Reikstins made by Mary Randlett	December 3, 2006
Box/Folder
1/76	Reikstins 1a/30	Maija Reikstins in her home in Edmonds, Washington Mary Randlett (negative: Reikstins 1a/30) (photographer)	December 3, 2006
1/76	Reikstins 2	Latvian women's folk ensemble at the Seattle Latvian Cultural Center Andris Kuja (photographer) Maija Reikstins is 3rd from left in the back. Photograph copied from Maija Reikstins' personal collection.	1992
		Photographs and accompanying materials not used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
1/77	Reikstins 3	Contact sheet for roll 1 of Mary Randlett photographs of Maija Reikstins	December 3, 2006
1/78	Reikstins 4	Contact sheet for roll 2 of Mary Randlett photographs of Maija Reikstins	December 3, 2006
1/79	Reikstins 5	Maija Reikstins complete statement	June 2, 2007
1/79	Reikstins 6	Maija Reikstins with the Latvian Ambassador to Canada at the Latvian Independence Day Celebration in Edmonton, Canada Left to Right: the Ambassador's Secretary, Maija Reikstins, Latvian Ambassador to Canada, Ausma Lidacis. Photograph copied from Maija Reikstins' personal collection.	November 18, 2005
1/79	Reikstins 7	Maija Reikstins with her husband Janis Photograph copied from Maija Reikstins' personal collection.	2005
		Guntis Smidchens Guntis Smidchens received his PhD from Indiana University in 1996. In 1993, he was invited to teach four courses at the University of Washington as a Visiting Lecturer. He was also asked to assist with establishing the Baltic Studies Summer Institute (BALSSI). In 1994, Guntis was offered the chance to establish the University of Washington Baltic Studies Program and to teach courses in the Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian languages. In 2011, he was named Associate Professor of Baltic Studies in the University of Washington Department of Scandinavian Studies.
		Photographs and statements used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
1/80	statement	Statement excerpt used in the exhibition In fall of 1993, the University invited me to teach four courses as a Visiting Lecturer, and asked me to help establish the Baltic Studies Summer Institute. My assignment was to teach the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian languages, as well as occasional courses in folklore studies. For me, the opportunity to teach at University of Washington was a dream come true. I could finish writing my dissertation about these three countries, their folklore and their national cultures, and I could earn a living teaching what I loved to study! The students were talented and hard workers, and it was a pleasure to come in every day and meet my colleagues in the Department of Scandinavian Studies. The friendship and goodwill that I felt in the local Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian communities was energizing; I knew that I wasn't alone in my desire to establish the study of these three languages and cultures at the University.	2008
Box
3	Smidchens 1a	Negatives for photographs of Guntis Smidchens made by Mary Randlett	December 10, 2008
3	Smidchens 1b	Negatives for photographs of Guntis Smidchens made by Mary Randlett	December 10, 2008
Box/Folder
1/80	Smidchens 1b/18	Guntis Smidchens standing outside of Suzzallo Library at University of Washington Mary Randlett (negative: Smidchens 1b/18) (photographer)	December 10, 2008
1/80	Smidchens 2	Guntis Smidchens and best friend at grandfather's farm in Wisconsin Guntis Smidchens is in the front. Photograph copied from Guntis Smidchens' personal collection.	1967
		Photographs and accompanying materials not used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
1/81	Smidchens 3	Contact sheet for roll 1 of Mary Randlett photographs of Guntis Smidchens	December 10, 2008
1/82	Smidchens 4	Contact sheet for roll 2 of Mary Randlett photographs of Guntis Smidchens	December 10, 2008
1/83	Smidchens 5	Guntis Smidchens complete statement	2008
1/83	Smidchens 6	Guntis Smidchens with his father at Niagara Falls Photograph copied from Guntis Smidchens' personal collection.	1969
1/83	Smidchens 7	Guntis Smidchens with his mother's side of the family Guntis Smidchens is standing in the far right corner. Photograph copied from Guntis Smidchens' personal collection.	1979
1/83	Smidchens 8	Guntis Smidchens with his father's side of the family Guntis Smidchens is in the back left corner. Photograph copied from Guntis Smidchens' personal collection.	1988
		Kazimirs and Voicechs Upenieks Kazimirs Upenieks was born in 1923 in the Latgale region of Latvia. In 1941, both he and his brother Voicechs joined the German army to fight against the Soviet forces. In 1944, Kazimirs and his brother left Latvia and were placed in a prisoner of war camp in Belgium in 1945. In 1946, he and his brother were transferred to a displaced persons camp in Germany. They stayed at the displaced persons camp until 1951. In 1951, Kazimirs left Germany for the United States and ended up in Seattle, Washington. He and his brother managed a gas station on Boren and Yesler. They left to manage another station in 1954, which was located in Lake City. They opened their own tire store in 1972 and sold it to Les Schwab in 2000. Kazimirs Upenieks lives in Kenmore, Washington. Voicechs Upenieks was born in 1920 in the Latgale region of Latvia. In 1941, both he and his brother Kazimirs joined the German army to fight against the Soviet forces. In 1944, Voicechs and his brother left Latvia and were placed in a prisoner of war camp in Belgium in 1945. In 1946, he and his brother were transferred to a displaced persons camp in Germany. They stayed at the displaced persons camp until 1951. In 1951, Voicechs left Germany for the United States and ended up in Seattle, Washington. He and his brother managed a gas station on Boren and Yesler. They left to manage another station in 1954, which was located in Lake City. They opened their own tire store in 1972 and sold it to Les Schwab in 2000. Voicechs Upenieks previously lived in Lynnwood, Washington. He now lives in Kenmore, Washington.
		Photographs and statements used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
1/84	statement	Kazimirs and Voicechs Upenieks' statement excerpts used in the exhibition Kazimirs Upenieks' statement excerpt used in the exhibition: We had a sponsor in Seattle who guaranteed work and a room to live. Our sponsor was Royal Brougham from the PI. He was a nice man. He expressed an interest in sponsoring athletes. I was a runner so he sponsored both of us. I was working in a plating shop when I first got here. There were a lot of Latvians. It was tough job but good pay – a dollar and nineteen cents an hour. Voicechs Upenieks' statement excerpt used in the exhibition: Our first gas station was on Boren and Yesler. Then we had a station on Aurora by the bridge and then one in Lake City. Then we opened our own store. We tried to be competitive and we tried to be honest. I don't like anybody to cheat me and I don't like to cheat somebody else. We got a good reputation. Our business was growing, we bought the property and we bought a bigger store after a while.	October 9, 2007
Box
3	Upenieks 1a	Negatives for photographs of Kazimirs and Voicechs Upenieks made by Mary Randlett	February 13, 2007
3	Upenieks 1b	Negatives for photographs of Kazimirs and Voicechs Upenieks made by Mary Randlett	February 13, 2007
Box/Folder
1/84	Upenieks 1b/17	Kazimirs and Voicechs Upenieks at the Latvian Community Center and Church in Seattle, WA Mary Randlett (negative: 1b/17) (photographer)	February 13, 2007
1/84	Upenieks 2	Kazimirs and Voicechs Upenieks at the Shell gas station that they managed on Lake City Way and NE 98th Street, Seattle, Washington The Upenieks brothers managed the station in the 1960s before they opened their own tire store. Photograph copied from Kazimirs and Voicechs Upenieks' personal collection.	1960s
		Photographs and accompanying materials not used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
1/85	Upenieks 3	Contact sheet for roll 1 of Mary Randlett photographs of Kazimirs and Voicechs Upenieks	February 13, 2007
1/86	Upenieks 4	Contact sheet for roll 2 of Mary Randlett photographs of Kazimirs and Voicechs Upenieks	February 13, 2007
1/87	Upenieks 5	Kazimirs and Voicechs Upenieks complete statement	October 9, 2007
1/87	Upenieks 6	Kazimirs and Voicechs Upenieks outside of the Latvian Community Center and Church in Seattle, WA Photograph of Kazimirs and Voicechs Upenieks by Mary Randlett not used in the exhibition.	February 13, 2007

LithuaniansReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
		Irena Blekys Irena Blekys was born in 1950 in Chorley, England. Her parents had escaped the second Soviet Occupation in 1944 and ended up in a displaced persons camp in Oldenburg, Germany, before immigrating to England. In the mid-1950s, the Blekys family moved to Chicago, Illinois. Blekys worked in medical research at the University of Illinois-Chicago College of Medicine, Dermatology Department, before moving to Seattle with her husband, Allan Johnson, in 1981. She is actively involved in the Seattle Lithuanian community and is the Secretary of the University of Washington Department of Scandinavian Studies Advisory Board. Blekys is a member of the Board of Directors of the Lithuanian-American Community, Inc. (LAC), an Officer of the LAC, Inc., Washington Chapter, and is the Adminstrative Executive Director of the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies (AABS). She has written articles forTulpe Times,Bridges,Draugas, and The Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Blekys was the translator ofThe Diary of a Partisan: A Year in the Life of the Postwar Lithuanian Resistance Fighter Dzukas(2008).
		Photographs and statements used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
2/1	statement	Statement excerpt used in the exhibition Our most intense period of community life was centered on the changes taking place during the final demise of the Soviet Union in the late 1980's and the emerging independence of the Republics of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. Public demonstrations were staged to publicize the need for US recognition of Lithuanian independence and counter the propaganda of Soviet officials such as Gennadi Gerasimov visiting Seattle. As the number of Lithuanian families began to grow in the Puget Sound area in the 1990's, it became clear that our children would benefit from activities that would bring them together to share their heritage and language. I and a few other mothers, including Danute Musteikis Rankis and Juarte Mazeika Harrison, started a family camp we calledLankas. This annual event since 1995 continues as new families join and support the running of the camp program.	2008
Box
3	Blekys 1a	Negatives for photographs of Irena Blekys made by Mary Randlett	December 10, 2006
3	Blekys 1b	Negatives for photographs of Irena Blekys made by Mary Randlett	December 10, 2006
Box/Folder
2/1	Blekys 1a/10	Irena Blekys in her home in Seattle, Washington Mary Randlett (negative: Blekys 1a/10) (photographer)	December 10, 2006
2/1	Blekys 2	Irena Blekys crossing the Atlantic with her parents, Ona and Petras Blekys Photograph copied from Irena Blekys' personal collection.	1951
		Photographs and accompanying materials not used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
2/2	Blekys 3	Contact sheet for roll 1 of Mary Randlett photographs of Irena Blekys	December 10, 2006
2/3	Blekys 4	Contact sheet for roll 2 of Mary Randlett photographs of Irena Blekys	December 10, 2006
2/4	Blekys 5	Irena Blekys complete statement	2008
2/4	Blekys 6	Irena Blekys and her mother crossing the Atlantic Photograph copied from Irena Blekys' personal collection.	1951
2/4	Blekys 7	Irena Blekys with her parents in Canada at age 3 Photograph copied from Irena Blekys' personal collection.	1953
2/4	Blekys 8	Wedding of Irena Blekys and Allan Johnson in Chicago, Illinois Photograph copied from Irena Blekys' personal collection.	early 1980s
2/4	Blekys 9	Irena Blekys and daughters at a Lithuanian Independence Day celebration in Seattle, Washington From left to right: Irena Blekys, daughters Jessie and Ona Johnson, friend Zita Petkus, friend Jurate Harrison. Photograph copied from Irena Blekys' personal collection.	1990s
2/4	Blekys 10	Demonstration at the Seattle Federal Building urging United States recognition of Lithuanian, Latvian, and Estonian independence Irena Blekys' daughter Ona Johnson in center holding sign. Blekys' daughter Jessie Johnson is to Ona's right. Photograph copied from Irena Blekys' personal collection.	1991
2/4	Blekys 11	LankasLithuanian Family Camp in Shelton, Washington Photograph copied from Irena Blekys' personal collection.	1996
2/4	Blekys 12	LankasFamily Camp guest lecturers Vytautas Svagzdys and Guntis Smidchens with Irena Blekys From left to right: Vytautas Svagzdys, Irena Blekys, Guntis Smidchens. Photograph copied from Irena Blekys' personal collection.	1996
2/4	Blekys 13	Folksinging group Ukana performing at Lithuania Days in Los Angeles, California Irena Blekys is front-left. Photograph copied from Irena Blekys' personal collection.	1998
2/4	Blekys 14	University of Washington Baltic Studies booth at Lithuania Days in Los Angeles, California Photograph copied from Irena Blekys' personal collection.	1998
2/4	Blekys 15	Lithuanian Committee to Support Baltic Studies with their Latvian guests at the Celebration of the Latvian Community Gift to the University of Washington Baltic Studies Program Back row, left to right: Jurate Harrison, Bruno Morkunas, Mr. Kukainis, unidentified Latvian. Seated, left to right: Irena Blekys, Ina Bray. Photograph copied from Irena Blekys' personal collection.	1998
		Ina Bertulyte Bray Ina Bertulyte Bray was born in Klaipeda, Lithuania (then Memel) in the mid-1930s. In 1944, her family fled to Germany. In 1950, Bray's family left Munich, Germany for Los Angeles, California. After marriage, she and her husband moved to Seattle, Washington in 1968. Bray has degrees in Library Science from University of California - Los Angeles and University of California - Berkeley. She worked as the school librarian at St. Joseph School for over 17 years, served on the King County Arts Commission (now 4Culture) until 1979 and was a member of the Board and volunteer for Friends of the Seattle Public Library. As part of the Lithuanian community in Seattle, Bray served as the President of the Washington Chapter of the Lithuanian American Community, Inc., for 16 years. She has also promoted Lithuanian culture and ideals through various forums, including involvement in exhibits of Baltic artifacts at the Nordic Heritage Museum, dance and craft lessons in the Seattle Parks and Recreation Program, and as a member of the Advisory Board for the University of Washington Baltic Studies Program. In 1973, Bray received a Community Award "For Outstanding Service to the Ideals of Brotherhood" from the National Conference of Christians and Jews. In 1987, she received a Spirit of Liberty Award on behalf of the Ethnic Heritage Council of the Northwest from then Mayor Charlie Royer.
		Photographs and statements used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
2/5	statement	Statement excerpt used in the exhibition When we moved here, there existed only a small enclave of Lithuanians. However, in the early 1970s for various reasons their activities as an organization began to recede. Yet, sustaining our Lithuanian heritage had deep significance for many of us, and so, along with a few like-minded individuals, I undertook the task of reviving the community. I was chosen as President and served, with a two-year hiatus, for some 16 years. This organization becameonepathway in sustaining my Lithuanian heritage, and the springboard for a myriad of activities – cultural, social, educational, and political. Our activities provided a bonding that grew out of a common past or heritage, a shared need to reach to those in captive Lithuania, but they also expressed our sense of gratitude to our host country, America.	December 11, 2006
Box
3	Bray 1a	Negatives for photographs of Ina Bertulyte Bray made by Mary Randlett	November 11, 2006
3	Bray 1b	Negatives for photographs of Ina Bertulyte Bray made by Mary Randlett	November 11, 2006
3	Bray 1c	Negatives for photographs of Ina Bertulyte Bray made by Mary Randlett	November 11, 2006
3	Bray 1d	Negatives for photographs of Ina Bertulyte Bray made by Mary Randlett	November 11, 2006
Box/Folder
2/5	Bray 1a/7	Ina Bertulyte Bray in her home in Seattle, Washington Mary Randlett (negative: Bray 1a/7) (photographer)	November 11, 2006
2/5	Bray 2a	Ina Bertulyte Bray making tortillas with a student in the People's Portable at Laurelhurst Elementary School, Seattle, Washington Ray Goodall (photographer) Cropped version of original photograph used in the exhibition. Photograph copied from Ina Bertulyte Bray's personal collection.	1973
2/5	Bray 2b	Ina Bertulyte Bray making tortillas with a student in the People's Portable at Laurelhurst Elementary School, Seattle, Washington Ray Goodall (photographer) Original version of image. Photograph copied from Ina Bertulyte Bray's personal collection.	1973
		Photographs and accompanying materials not used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
2/6	Bray 3	Contact sheet for roll 1 of Mary Randlett photographs of Ina Bertulyte Bray	November 11, 2006
2/7	Bray 4	Contact sheet for roll 2 of Mary Randlett photographs of Ina Bertulyte Bray	November 11, 2006
2/8	Bray 5	Contact sheet for roll 3 of Mary Randlett photographs of Ina Bertulyte Bray	November 11, 2006
2/9	Bray 6	Contact sheet for roll 4 of Mary Randlett photographs of Ina Bertulyte Bray	November 11, 2006
2/10	Bray 7	Ina Bertulyte Bray complete statement	December 11, 2006
2/10	Bray 8	Lithuanian representatives for the 1990 Goodwill Games Seated-middle: Bob Walsh, President, Goodwill Games. Seated-right: Ina Bertulyte Bray, President, Lithuanian American Community, Inc., Seattle Chapter. Standing -left: Arvydas Juozaitis, Lithuanian Olympic Organization. Standing-middle: Valdas Adamkus, Lithuanian American Community, Inc. (Valdas Adamkus became President of Lithuania in 1998).	1990
2/10	Bray 9	Members of the Latvian, Lithuanian, and Estonian communities meeting with University of Washington Professors Dan Waugh and Tom Dubois to support the establishment of a Baltic Studies Program at University of Washington Photograph copied from Ina Bertulyte Bray's personal collection.	June 23, 1993
2/10	Bray 10	Ina Bertulyte Bray at home in Seattle, Washington Photograph of Ina Bertulyte Bray by Mary Randlett not used in the exhibition.	November 11, 2006
		Vytautas Victor Lapatinskas Vytautas Victor Lapatinskas was born in 1926 in Varnai, Lithuania. He and his family spent time in Germany before leaving for the United States in 1949. In 1961, he arrived in Seattle, Washington from Chicago, Illinois to work for the Boeing Airplane Company. Lapatinskas is the Honorary Consul for the Republic of Lithuania in Seattle and serves on the Advisory Board to the University of Washington Department of Scandinavian Studies.
		Photographs and statements used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
2/11	statement	Statement excerpt used in the exhibition I arrived in Seattle in 1961 from Chicago. From the very first days it was clear that this area will be our home for a long time to come. I had a good job at the Boeing Co. and the natural beauty of the area was overwhelmingly attractive. In Seattle we met several Lithuanians of our own generation and a relatively large number of older immigrants from the 1920s and 1930s. They were primarily blue collar workers whom we considered communist sympathizers. We were the victims of communism and our association with them was very limited. In retrospect it was our mistake. We refused to take over their self-help organizationGediminason the grounds that it might be considered a communist organization. Remember, the 1960s were the height of the Cold War. They were getting old and liquidated Gediminas, destroying all the documents. Because of us, this Lithuanian heritage was lost.	2008
Box
3	Lapatinskas 1a	Negatives for photographs of Vytautas Victor Lapatinskas made by Mary Randlett	February 17, 2007
3	Lapatinskas 1b	Negatives for photographs of Vytautas Victor Lapatinskas made by Mary Randlett	February 17, 2007
Box/Folder
2/11	Lapatinskas 1a/23	Vytautas Victor Lapatinskas in his home in Seattle, Washington Mary Randlett (negative: Lapatinskas 1a/23) (photographer)	February 17, 2007
2/11	Lapatinskas 2	Vytautas Victor Lapatinskas with Washington State Governor Gary Locke and Ambassador Vygaudas Ušackas of Lithuania Left to Right: Vytautas Victor Lapatinskas, Ambassador Vygaudas Ušackas, Governor Gary Locke. Photograph copied from Vytautas Victor Lapatinskas' personal collection.	2005
		Photographs and accompanying materials not used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
2/12	Lapatinskas 3	Contact sheet for roll 1 of Mary Randlett photographs of Vytautas Victor Lapatinskas	February 17, 2007
2/13	Lapatinskas 4	Contact sheet for roll 2 of Mary Randlett photographs of Vytautas Victor Lapatinskas	February 17, 2007
2/14	Lapatinskas 5	Vytautas Victor Lapatinskas complete statement	2008
2/14	Lapatinskas 6	Vytautas Victor Lapatinskas with his mother in Varnai, Lithuania Photograph copied from Vytautas Victor Lapatinskas' personal collection.	December 16, 1931
2/14	Lapatinskas 7	Vytautas Victor Lapatinskas with his family in Germany before coming to the United States Vytautas Victor Lapatinskas is second from the left. Photograph copied from Vytautas Victor Lapatinskas' personal collection.	1949
2/14	Lapatinskas 8	Vytautas Victor Lapatinskas in London, UK, with the statues of Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt Photograph copied from Vytautas Victor Lapatinskas' personal collection.	2002
2/15	Lapatinskas 9	Business card for Vytautas Victor Lapatinskas, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Lithuania	no date
		Rimvydas Miksys Rimvydas Miksys was born in 1942 in Lithuania. In 1944, his family fled Lithuania for Germany. Miksys and his family eventually ended up in the United States, first settling in New York. From 1964-1968, he was in the United States Navy and flew 200 combat missions off of an air craft carrier as a co-pilot, navigator, and bombadier. In 1970, Miksys received his MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. That same year, he, along with his wife and son, moved to Washington State. In the 1970s, he was the Manager of Volume Services, a food service company. He stayed with Volume Services for eight years before founding a bingo newspaper. The newspaper supported the fundraising efforts of various charities including the Boys and Girls Club, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and the Sno-King Hockey Association. Miksys is the Chair of the Washington State Chapter of the Lithuanian-American Community, Inc.
		Photographs and statements used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
2/16	statement	Statement excerpt used in the exhibition: I have sustained my heritage by participation in the life of the Lithuanian-American Community (LAC) here. I am now serving my third term as the president of the organization. Its purpose is to promote the educational and cultural life of Lithuanians in King County. I have also "renewed" my heritage by frequent visits to Lithuania beginning in 1995. The LAC supports three folk dance groups and a summer camp for children as well as numerous exhibitions and performances by Lithuanian artists. At times we have brought Lithuanian scholars to the city and the UW campus.	June 2, 2007
Box
3	Miksys 1a	Negatives for photographs of Rimvydas Miksys made by Mary Randlett	May 5, 2007
3	Miksys 1b	Negatives for photographs of Rimvydas Miksys made by Mary Randlett	May 5, 2007
Box/Folder
2/16	Miksys 1a/2	Rimvydas Miksys in his home in Seattle, WA Mary Randlett (negative: Miksys 1a/2) (photographer)	May 5, 2007
2/16	Miksys 2	Rimvydas Miksys on the ferry to Staten Island Photograph by Rimvydas Miksys' father. Photograph copied from Rimvydas Miksys' personal collection.	1949
		Photographs and accompanying materials not used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
2/17	Miksys 3	Contact sheet for roll 1 of Mary Randlett photographs of Rimvydas Miksys	May 5, 2007
2/18	Miksys 4	Contact sheet for roll 2 of Mary Randlett photographs of Rimvydas Miksys	May 5, 2007
2/19	Miksys 5	Rimvydas Miksys complete statement	June 2, 2007
2/19	Miksys 6	Rimvydas Miksys at age 2½ with his mother Jamina Miksys in the horse-drawn wagon that they used when they fled Lithuania for Germany Photograph by Rimvydas Miksys' father. Photograph copied from Rimvydas Miksys' personal collection.	October 1944
2/19	Miksys 7	Rimvydas Miksys while stationed at Oak Harbor, Washington during his time in the United States Navy Rimvydas Miksys is on the left. Photograph copied from Rimvydas Miksys' personal collection.	circa 1964-1968
		Antanas and Aldona Minelga Antanas Minelga married Aldona (Gylys) in 1950 in Chicago, Illinois. In 1959, they moved to Olympia, Washington from Chicago. He and his brother-in-law started Neringa Construction. The family also purchased a trailer court and an apartment building. He was a member of the Kiwanis Club of Olympia, Washington. Aldona Minelga was born in Raseiniai, Lithuania. Her mother, Alexandra "Mama" Gylys, hid three Jewish families during the Nazi occupation of Lithuania. In 1976, Mama Gylys was awarded with the highest honor from the government of Israel ,which declared Mama and her husband Leon "Rightous of the Nations" for their efforts to save their Jewish neighbors. Aldona and her family eventually left Lithuania in 1944 for Germany. In 1948, they moved to Chicago, Illinois. In 1950, Aldona married Antanas Minelga in Chicago. In 1959, she and Antanas moved to Olympia, Washington. In 1960, her parents followed her to Olympia and bought a restaurant. Aldona was a member of the Olympia Art League and was one of the founders of Daughters of Lithuania.
		Photographs and statements used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
2/20	statement	Antanas and Aldona Minelga's statement excerpt used in the exhibition: We visited Washington State for the first time in April, 1956. It was love at first sight. A few years later, in 1959, we moved here for good. I, Antanas, started a building business called Neringa Construction. Aldona's parents moved here from Chicago in 1960 and bought a restaurant in Olympia that was one of the first K.F.C. franchises. We also purchased a trailer court and an apartment building. So we have been in the business world most of the time. Our participation in civic organizations was first of all in the Lithuanian community organization. I, Antanas, was also a member of the Kiwanis for 45 years. I, Aldona, was a founding member of Daughters of Lithuania, an organization which started in Chicago over 55 years ago. I was also a member of the Olympia Art League and participated in local art shows.	2008
Box
3	Minelga 1	Negatives for photographs of Antanas and Aldona Minelga made by Mary Randlett	July 24, 2008
Box/Folder
2/20	Minelga 1/4	Antanas and Aldona Minelga with Lithuanian artwork in the backyard of their home in Olympia, Washington Mary Randlett (negative: Minelga 1/4) (photographer)	July 24, 2008
2/20	Minelga 2	Wedding portrait of Antanas and Aldona Minelga in Chicago, Illinois Photograph copied from Antanas and Aldona Minelga's personal collection.	1950
		Photographs and accompanying materials not used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
2/21	Minelga 3	Contact sheet for Mary Randlett photographs of Antanas and Aldona Minelga	July 24, 2008
2/22	Minelga 4	Antanas and Aldona Minelga complete statement	2008
2/22	Minelga 5	Antanas and Aldona Minelga Photograph copied from Antanas and Aldona Minelga's personal collection.	early 1950s
2/22	Minelga 6	Antanas and Aldona Minelga with their children Photograph copied from Antanas and Aldona Minelga's personal collection.	1978
2/22	Minelga 7	Lee's Restaurant, owned by Aldona Minelga's mother (Alexandra "Mama" Gylys), in Olympia, Washington Photograph copied from Antanas and Aldona Minelga's personal collection.	circa 1970s
		Dalia Tutlys Mrowiec Dalia Tutlys Mrowiec was born in 1935 in Lithuania. She and her family eventually ended up in Germany before moving to the United States. In 1986, Mrowiec moved to Seattle, Washington when her husband was hired by the Fluke Company. Mrowiec is a member of the Seattle chapter of the Daughters of Lithuania and served as its treasurer for six years. She currently lives in Arlington, Washington and owns Blueberry Acres, a blueberry farm.
		Photographs and statements used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
2/23	statement	Statement excerpt used in the exhibition I have sustained my Lithuanian heritage by becoming a member of the Lithuanian Community and participating in local events. Also, I joined the Daughters of Lithuania. When my mother was alive and lived with me, we spoke Lithuanian at home. It was wonderful – the kids didn't understand us and it would drive them nuts. Actually, my son started to understand what we were saying and we had to be careful. At one of the Daughters of Lithuania meetings, I was asked if I would host the Annual Picnic/Fundraiser for the Daughters of Lithuania at my blueberry farm. The picnic has been going on for about 20 years and is one of the bigger gatherings of local Lithuanians.	July 18, 2008
Box
3	Mrowiec 1a	Negatives for photographs of Dalia Tutlys Mrowiec made by Mary Randlett	July 18, 2008
3	Mrowiec 1b	Negatives for photographs of Dalia Tutlys Mrowiec made by Mary Randlett	July 18, 2008
Box/Folder
2/23	Mrowiec 1a/27	Dalia Tutlys Mrowiec at her blueberry farm in Arlington, Washington Mary Randlett (negative: Mrowiec 1a/27) (photographer)	July 18, 2008
2/23	Mrowiec 2	Dalia Tutlys Mrowiec with a friend at Girl Scout Camp in Germany Photograph copied from Dalia Tutlys Mrowiec's personal collection.	1948
		Photographs and accompanying materials not used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
2/24	Mrowiec 3	Contact sheet for roll 1 of Mary Randlett photographs of Dalia Tutlys Mrowiec	July 18, 2008
2/25	Mrowiec 4	Contact sheet for roll 2 of Mary Randlett photographs of Dalia Tutlys Mrowiec	July 18, 2008
2/26	Mrowiec 5	Dalia Tutyls Mrowiec complete statement	July 18, 2008
2/26	Mrowiec 6	Dalia Tutlys Mrowiec with her sisters Dalia Tutlys Mrowiec is on the right-hand side. Photograph copied from Dalia Tutlys Mrowiec's personal collection.	1948
2/26	Mrowiec 7	Dalia Tutlys Mrowiec weighing blueberries at her blueberry farm Photograph copied from Dalia Tutlys Mrowiec's personal collection.	no date
2/26	Mrowiec 8	Dalia Tutyls Mrowiec on a tractor on her blueberry farm Photograph copied from Dalia Tutlys Mrowiec's personal collection.	no date
		Juozas and Zita Petkus Juozas Petkus arrived in Seattle, Washington from Chicago, Illinois to work for Boeing Airplane Company in 1978. In 1982, he and his wife represented the Lithuanian Community at a rally in support of the Solidarity Trade Union. Juozas lives in Kirkland, Washington. Zita (Burneikyte) Petkus was born in Lithuania. She and her family eventually ended up in a displaced persons camp in Germany. In 1949, Zita and her family left Germany for the United States. She and her family settled in Chicago, Illinois. In 1978, Zita and Juozas Petkus left Chicago for Seattle, Washington. For 25 years, she was the editor of the Lithuanian community's newsletterTulpe Times. Zita organized the Lithuanian folk dance group "Lietutis", which has performed at the Northwest Folklife Festival, the Nordic Heritage Museum, the Museum of History and Industry, the Seattle Public Library, and at festivals in Chicago, Los Angeles, Toronto, and Vancouver. She assisted in organizing exhibitions on Lithuania and the Lithuanian community at the Nordic Heritage Museum in 1984 and 1993, a Lithuanian folk art exhibit at Providence Health System and Kirkland Public Library in 1998, and an exhibit on Lithuanian culture at a reception for the new Honorary Consul of Lithuania to Washington State in 2001.
		Photographs and statements used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
2/27	statement	Zita Petkus' statement excerpt used in the exhibition For my part, I offered to produce a "one time only" bilingual newsletter for the Lithuanian community.Twenty-five years and 101 issues later, I finally stepped down as the editor ofTulpe Times, turning it over to a new generation. At approximately the same time that the newsletter was born, I also organized a folk dance group,Lietutis. In retrospect, its value was enormus in fostering Lithuanian identity and building community. Over the years it has become the unofficial goodwill ambassador of the Lithuanian Community in the Puget Sound area, representing Lithuanians in local and regional events such as the Northwest Folklife Festival, as well as in festivals in Chicago, Toronto, Vancouver, and Los Angeles.	January 2, 2007
Box
3	Petkus 1a	Negatives for photographs of Juozas and Zita Petkus made by Mary Randlett	February 18, 2007
3	Petkus 1b	Negatives for photographs of Juozas and Zita Petkus made by Mary Randlett	February 18, 2007
Box/Folder
2/27	Petkus 1a/34	Juozas and Zita Petkus, in their living room, holding a linen piece from Lithuania with Lithuanian buttons and banners Mary Randlett (negative: Petkus 1a/34) (photographer)	February 18, 2007
2/27	Petkus 2	Juozas and Zita Petkus at the "Black Ribbon Day" demonstration at the Seattle Center The demonstration marked the 50th anniversary of the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact, which was the pretext for the Soviet occupation of the Baltic countries in 1939. Photograph copied from Juozas and Zita Petkus' personal collection.	August 23, 1989
		Photographs and accompanying materials not used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
2/28	Petkus 3	Contact sheet for roll 1 of Mary Randlett photographs of Juozas and Zita Petkus	February 18, 2007
2/29	Petkus 4	Contact sheet for roll 2 of Mary Randlett photographs of Juozas and Zita Petkus	February 18, 2007
2/30	Petkus 5	Juozas and Zita Petkus complete statement	January 2, 2007
2/30	Petkus 6	Zita Petkus' mother in Lithuania Photograph copied from Zita Petkus' personal collection.	pre-1939
2/30	Petkus 7a	Document given to Zita Petkus when she left the displaced persons camp for the United States Photograph copied from Zita Petkus' personal collection.	May 9, 1949
2/30	Petkus 7b-7c	Scanned copies of original document given to Zita Petkus when she left the displaced persons camp for the United States Copied from Zita Petkus' personal collection.	May 9, 1949
2/30	Petkus 8	Zita Petkus with her family in Chicago, Illinois Photograph copied from Zita Petkus' personal collection.	1952
2/30	Petkus 9	Juozas and Zita Petkus dancing in the Lithuanian folk dance group at Expo '86 in Vancouver, Canada Juozas and Zita Petkus are the couple in front. Photograph copied from Juozas and Zita Petkus' personal collection.	1986
2/30	Petkus 10	Juozas and Zita Petkus on the Kirkland, Washington waterfront Photograph copied from Juozas and Zita Petkus' personal collection.	1990
		Rasa Raisys Rasa Raisys was born in 1967. She and her family moved to Seattle, Washington in 1971. In 1991, Raisys graduated from University of Washington with a degree in International Studies. She was a member of the Seattle Lithuanian folk dance groupLietutisand the Daughters of Lithuania. Raisys currently lives in Seattle, Washington.
		Photographs and statements used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
2/31	statement	Statement excerpt used in the exhibition We have always been active in the Lithuanian Community here in King County. I joined the dance group at a young age and participated in the Daughters of Lithuania from a young age. Being active in groups that are part of your heritage makes you feel like you are part of a community. I danced in theLietutisdance group for many years. We performed in various places throughout Seattle. It gave others insight into the different communities that existed here in Seattle.	2008
Box
3	Raisys 1a	Negatives for photographs of Rasa Raisys made by Mary Randlett	February 10, 2007
3	Raisys 1b	Negatives for photographs of Rasa Raisys made by Mary Randlett	February 10, 2007
3	Raisys 1c	Negatives for photographs of Rasa Raisys made by Mary Randlett	February 10, 2007
Box/Folder
2/31	Raisys 1b/4	Rasa Raisys in her home in Seattle, Washington Mary Randlett (negative: Raisys 1b/4) (photographer)	February 10, 2007
2/31	Raisys 2	Rasa Raisys in her dance costume Photograph copied from Rasa Raisys' personal collection.	1983
		Photographs and accompanying materials not used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
2/32	Raisys 3	Contact sheet for roll 1 of Mary Randlett photographs of Rasa Raisys	February 10, 2007
2/33	Raisys 4	Contact sheet for roll 2 of Mary Randlett photographs of Rasa Raisys	February 10, 2007
2/34	Raisys 5	Contact sheet for roll 3 of Mary Randlett photographs of Rasa Raisys	February 10, 2007
2/35	Raisys 6	Rasa Raisys complete statement	2008
2/35	Raisys 7	Rasa Raisys with the Lithuanian-American dance group Rasa Raisys is kneeling center-front. Photograph copied from Rasa Raisys' personal collection.	no date
2/35	Raisys 8	Seattle Lithuanian dance group Lietutis Rasa Raisys is fourth from the left in the second row. Photograph copied from Rasa Raisys' personal collection.	circa 1980s
2/35	Raisys 9	Rasa Raisys making a Lithuanian folk weaving with weaver Dalia Tutlys Rasa Raisys is second from right. Photograph copied from Rasa Raisys' personal collection.	no date
		Vytautas and Donata Svagzdys Vytautas Svagzdys was born in 1930 in Radvilskis, Lithuania. In 1946, he was arrested by the KGB due to his ties with the Lithuanian partisan movement. The same year, Vytautas was sentenced to ten years in prison for political crimes. His imprisonment was in the Karelia region of Finland, where he stayed until 1948. In 1948, he was relocated to a "special regime camp" (commonly referred to as a Gulag) in the town of Norilsk on the Arctic Circle. In 1953, the political prisoners at the camp led an uprising against the camp's guards. In 1955, Vytautas was released from the camp, but had to stay in Norilsk. In 1955, he met and eventually married Donata Muraskaite (a former political prisoner from Lithuania). In 1969, Vytautas and Donata Svagzdys left Norilsk, with their son and daughter, for Lithuania. In 1993, their daughter and son-in-law moved to the United States. Vytautas and Donata joined their daughter in 1999. Vytautas is involved in the Lithuanian American Community, Inc., Seattle Chapter and has given presentations in courses through the University of Washington Scandinavian Studies Department. Donata Svagzdys was born in 1928 in Vilaviskis, Lithuania. She was imprisoned for political crimes in the Gulag at Norilsk in the Arctic Circle. In 1955, Donata met and eventually married Vytautas Svagzdys who was a fellow prisoner at Norilsk. In 1969, they returned to Lithuania and remained there until 1999, when they left to join their daughter and her family in the United States. Donata is actively involved in the Seattle Lithuanian community and is a member of the Daughters of Lithuania. She has given presentations to University of Washington students on her experiences during the partisan war against Community occupation in Lithuania during the 1940s. Donata and Vytautas Svagzdys live in Seattle, Washington.
		Photographs and statements used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
2/36	statement	Vytautas Svagzdys' statement excerpt from the exhibition In January of 1946, I was arrested by the KGB (the Soviet political police) for having ties to the Lithuanian partisan movement. In May of that same year, I was sentenced to a ten-year prison sentence for being a "political" criminal. At this time, I was sixteen years old. I was imprisoned in Finland's Karelia region until 1948. Then (at the age of 18) I was sent to the northernmost Arctic Circle, to the town of Norilsk, to a "special regime camp". It was a camp for political prisoners. At the end of February in 1955, I was released to "freedom". I write "freedom" in quotes because I was forbidden to leave Norilsk. Here, I became acquainted with a Lithuanian young woman, Donata, a former political prisoner. We married and started a family. Our son and daughter were born in Norilsk. In 1969 our whole family returned to our Lithuanian homeland.	2008
Box
3	Svagzdys 1a	Negatives for photographs of Vytautas and Donata Svagzdys made by Mary Randlett	November 18, 2006
3	Svagzdys 1b	Negatives for photographs of Vytautas and Donata Svagzdys made by Mary Randlett	November 18, 2006
Box/Folder
2/36	Svagzdys 1b/15	Vytautas and Donata Svagzdys with their grandchildren in the home in Seattle, Washington Mary Randlett (negative: Svagzdys 1b/15) (photographer)	November 18, 2006
2/36	Svagzdys 2	Vytautas and Donata Svagzdys with their children in Lithuania Photograph copied from Vytautas and Donata Svagzdys' personal collection.	1973
		Photographs and accompanying materials not used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
2/37	Svagzdys 3	Contact sheet for roll 1 of Mary Randlett photographs of Vytautas and Donata Svagzdys	November 18, 2006
2/38	Svagzdys 4	Contact sheet for roll 2 of Mary Randlett photographs of Vytautas and Donata Svagzdys	November 18, 2006
2/39	Svagzdys 5	Vytautas and Donata Svagzdys complete statement	2008
2/39	Svagzdys 6	Vytautas and Donata Svagzdys in Norilsk, Soviet Union (now Russia) Photograph copied from Vytautas and Donata Svagzdys' personal collection.	1961
		William (Vilius) Algirdas Zalpys William (Vilius) Algirdas Zalpys was born in 1959 in Cuba. He moved to Vancouver, Washington in 1996. He works for the City of Vancouver as a grounds keeper for Park Hill Cemetery. Zalpys is an elected Official for Clark County Cemetary District #1. He was President of the Portland/Vancouver Chapter of the American Lithuanian Community, Inc. Zalpys and his wife started the Lithuanian folkdance groupAitvaras. He headed up the effort to install a monument to mark the locations of the Lithuanian and Polish-Lithuanian Cemeteries in Roslyn, Washington.
		Photographs and statements used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
2/40	statement	Statement excerpt used in the exhibition Soon after arriving in Vancouver, Washington, I began helping the local Portland Lithuanian Community and within a few years became the President. I also created a Lithuanian folkdance groupAitvaraswith the help of my wife. As for my children, their first languages were Lithuanian and Spanish. Once they started Kindergarten, they learned English. We require the children to speak Lithuanian or Spanish at home as a means of maintaining their language skills. We have traveled to St. Kazimir Lithuanian Catholic Church in Los Angeles for the children's baptisms and first communions. I try to keep in touch with the Lithuanian community worldwide through the internet.	July 23, 2008
Box
3	Zalpys 1a	Negatives for photographs of William (Vilius) Algirdas Zalpys made by Mary Randlett	August 7, 2008
3	Zalpys 1b	Negatives for photographs of William (Vilius) Algirdas Zalpys made by Mary Randlett	August 7, 2008
Box/Folder
2/40	Zalpys 1b/22	William (Vilius) Algirdas Zalpys in front of his house in Camas, Washington Mary Randlett (negative: Zalpys 1b/22) (photographer)	August 7, 2008
2/40	Zalpys 2	William (Vilius) Algirdas Zalpys with a group of Roslyn Residence members next to the Miner's Memorial Photograph copied from William (Vilius) Algirdas Zalpys' personal collection.	no date
		Photographs and accompanying materials not used in the exhibition
Box/Folder	item
2/41	Zalpys 3	Contact sheet for roll 1 of Mary Randlett photographs of William (Vilius) Algirdas Zalpys	August 7, 2008
2/42	Zalpys 4	Contact sheet for roll 2 of Mary Randlett photographs of William (Vilius) Algirdas Zalpys	August 7, 2008
2/43	Zalpys 5	William (Vilius) Algirdas Zalpys complete statement	July 23, 2008
2/43	Zalpys 6	William (Vilius) Algirdas Zalpys and his family in Key West, Florida near the "90 miles to Cuba" marker Photograph copied from William (Vilius) Algirdas Zalpys' personal collection.	no date
2/43	Zalpys 7	William (Vilius) Algirdas Zalpys at the Lithuanian Royal Union of Nobility initiation ceremony in Lithuania Photograph copied from William (Vilius) Algirdas Zalpys' personal collection.	2003
2/43	Zalpys 8	William (Vilius) Algirdas Zalpys with his wife and daughter at the St. John's Day festival Photograph copied from William (Vilius) Algirdas Zalpys' personal collection.	no date
2/43	Zalpys 9	William (Vilius) Algirdas Zalpys with his wife at the Tulip Festival in Woodburn, Washington Photograph copied from William (Vilius) Algirdas Zalpys' personal collection.	no date
2/43	Zalpys 10	Disc containing five photographs. All photographs are already in the collection (Zalpys 2, Zalpys 6-9) Photographs copied from William (Vilius) Algirdas Zalpys' personal collection.	no date

Framed exhibitReturn to Top

Three packing boxes containing framed exhibit panels.

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box
Crate 1	Framed photographs of Estonians	circa 1938-2008
Crate 2	Framed photographs of Lithuanians	circa 1938-2008
Crate 3	Framed photographs of Latvians	circa 1938-2008

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