Julia Deutch (transcript only)

INTERVIEWER: Mary Cramer
INTERVIEWEE: Julia Deutch
DATE OF INTERVIEW: September 18, 1986
FULL NAME: Julia Deutch

Edgewater Project – Its Past, Its Present
Interviewed in Julia’s condominium, on the 13th floor.

MRS. DEUTCH, WE WERE TALKING A FEW MINUTES AGO ABOUT YOUR COMING OVER TO AMERICA, AND I FOUND THAT VERY INTERESTING. YOU WERE BORN IN WHAT CITY?

I was born in Budapest, 1911, June 6. I was raised and schooled in Budapest. I went to the Ignacio grammar school four years, Ignacio high school eight years, and four years of college.

WHEN DID YOU COME TO THIS COUNTRY?

I came to this country in 1939, September, end of September.

I’M SURE YOU REMEMBER THE DETAILS OF IT. YOU WERE TELLING ME SOME OF THE REASONS THAT CAUSED YOU TO COME TO THIS COUNTRY.

I came because Hitler started to march in from Germany to Vienna, and Vienna is about 220 kilometers from Budapest. I thought that was pretty close.

WHO CAME WITH YOU?

I was married before – my first husband and my three and a half year old daughter.

AND WHERE DID YOU GO WHEN YOU CAME TO THIS COUNTRY?

We arrived in New York and stayed in New York for a few weeks. Then we came to Chicago, because there were some relatives in Chicago.

THAT’S GOOD, YOU KNEW SOMEONE HERE. THAT’S ALWAYS A HELP. WHEN YOU FIRST CAME TO CHICAGO, WHERE IN CHICAGO DID YOU LIVE?

On Wellington, near Lincoln Park. We lived there, probably five, six years, because from Wellington we moved about two blocks north to Lakeside Place. That’s where the children were born.

HOW MANY CHILDREN DID YOU HAVE?

We had three children, all girls. I have one daughter also by my first marriage, so altogether, four girls.

WHEN DID YOU MOVE INTO THE EDGEWATER AREA?

I moved into here about 1969.

WHAT WAS EDGEWATER LIKE IN 1969? DID THEY STILL HAVE MANSIONS AROUND ON SHERIDAN ROAD?

No, they were all gone by that time. They had the empty lots, which they still have on some corners. On Thorndale – but they started with the high risers. That was in about ‘72 and ‘73. I’m not sure.

LOOKING AROUND YOUR HOME, I SEE THESE LOVELY CERAMIC PIECES AND BEAUTIFUL ART PIECES. YOUR HUSBAND WAS AN ARTIST, WASN’T HE?

Yes, he was a ceramic artist before he came to this country. In Italy and in France. He was a student of the famous artist,….

Oh, Yes, V a-huh!

HE WAS FAMOUS INDEED. WHERE DID HE DO HIS WORK HERE IN CHICAGO?

He started off teaching at a place for disabled children. He was teaching at Spaulding School for the handicapped and he also was teaching at the Hull House. In the Hull House he worked also for himself, but he had to be fired because he didn’t have a studio. And then in a few months –- actually when he came to this country he enrolled in the Art Institute as a student and three months later somebody noticed him in the Art Institute, and he became a teacher. That’s where he studied to teach –- at the Art Institute.

DID YOU TELL ME THAT SOME OF HIS WORK IS IN THE PERMANENT COLLECTION OF THE ART INSTITUTE?

Yes, but it’s down in the basement (both laugh)

He has some in the Museum of Modern Art and in Script College. He had some of his pieces, too in the Museum of Art in Dallas because he was fortunate enough to be on the team with one big artist there. He lectured at the University. When he lectured away, I went along, which was wonderful.

DIDN’T HE HAVE A STUDIO IN EVANSTON, TOO?

No, the first studio was on LaSalle Street, behind the Henrotin Hospital – off the alley.

WELL ARTISTS SEEM TO FUNCTION ANYWHERE, DON’T THEY?

He sold some products from there, and he had sales every Christmas, every Easter, and for some special occasions. Then from LaSalle Street (they needed that space for something else) we bought a place on Elm Street, no – Maple Street. It was a quiet three-story house with a courtyard. We used it as a studio, and there was a space where we could have kilns. The first floor from Maple Street was the Show Room. Then on the second and third floors we lived. Our children went to Frances Parker School, a very fine school.

THEN WHAT YEAR DID YOU COME UP HERE TO THE NORTH SIDE?

About 1952 we came to Wilmette, and my husband commuted to the studio and the girls went to a regular public school. We really had a broad experience getting acquainted with Chicago. Then in 1954, he built a studio in Wilmette. He didn’t buy a building, he built it. He bought a lot and he designed it for the purpose of having a ceramic studio. He had both a show room and a working place. That was in 1954; unfortunately he passed away in 1959.

HE MUST HAVE BEEN A FAIRLY YOUNG MAN!

He was 51. That was young.

WHAT DID YOU DO THEN? DID YOU HAVE TO HELP SUPPORT YOURSELF?

First I finished his work, because I had worked with him. I fired the kiln and we even had pieces from students because he was teaching two nights at New Trier and he was teaching one night. Also, one afternoon was put aside for New Trier students to come in and he gave them lectures and they could work if they wanted with clay. He liked working with them.

HE ALWAYS WAS THE TEACHER AS WELL AS THE ARTIST, WASN’T HE?

Yes, he was very much of a teacher and he liked to share his talents.

He liked young people. He liked children very much.

WHAT DID YOU DO TO SUPPORT YOURSELF?

I finished the work. Also I had very good friends of my husband who gave me ideas about handling the studio.

YOU RENTED IT?

I started to look for work and something just came to me – I became a dental assistant. I worked as a dental assistant – I don’t remember how long – I should have my resume with me, but I don’t have it.

I NOTE THAT YOU DID SOME WORK IN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY.

Yes, I went to school for a year for Occupational Therapy; really the idea came to me because I had a very good friend at Michael Reese who was the therapy director. On her recommendation I trained and I liked it because I had a knack, I had worked with ceramics. So I went and got a degree. Then I worked a short while in Evanston Hospital with the geriatrics and stroke patients.

THEN THAT PAVED THE WAY FOR YOU IN THE PROGRAMS YOU WORKED IN LATER THE THE SENIOR CITIZENS. I’D LIKE TO HEAR ABOUT THAT.

…… three of the group came from a senior center from some other part of Chicago and they had an interview with …… and I found out that the director was playing tennis with my former boss, the dentist. That’s how he got to me and then when the city took us over I was placed from that to Michigan Center. Then it was already the Mayor’s Office for Senior Citizens. Department of Human Resources, at that time, that was the name. Chicago Commission for Senior Citizens from 1967 to 1968 consisted of establishing programs for ……

Then I was placed at Armour Square Senior Center. It was in Bridgeport. There I really enjoyed what I was doing because I became – well, Mayor Daley put me on the Board of – what hospital is that? Mercy Hospital.

MERCY HOSPITAL! THAT’S A BIG ONE!

I was put there because once a senior citizen got hurt and I did something which is against the law – I put her in my car because I couldn’t get anything and I took her from one hospital to the other. Nobody wanted to take care of her. Then I got in Dutch with authorities and the Mayor put me on the board. That gave me an open door for my senior citizens.

THAT IS REALLY VERY INTERESTING! SO YOU WORKED IN THE OFFICE OF THE MAYOR FOR SENIOR CITIZENS FOR SOME TIME, DIDN’T YOU?

I worked there until ‘72. The duties were all Arts and Crafts for professional and para-professional instructors, such as ceramics, weaving, dynamics, history, English – and much more.

THAT WAS WIDE SPREAD. YOU CONDUCTED SOME OF THOSE CLASSES IN THOSE BUILDINGS?

I did the ceramics. Later on they took away some teachers and then I was teaching the ceramics part and I ran the kiln because every center had a kiln, so I took over those crafts and a volunteer was doing the weaving craft, so I selected volunteer people because they took away that part of the program. Then in 1972, during the year, I was going to the main office and worked there for awhile. Then I became director of the Foster Grandparent Program.

THE CITY OF CHICAGO WAS THE SPONSOR OF THAT, WASN’T IT?

The Senior Citizens sponsored that (Mary and Julia are talking here at the same time; one overtoning the other) because I had to give an account to the state and to the Federal Government.

IT’S INTERESTING THAT YOU MOVED INTO THE FOSTER GRANDPARENT PROGRAM. DID YOU LIKE WORKING WITH THAT?

Yes, I like it. The hospital connected with us.

Also M S was – I placed people there. Those were retarded children and they have connections there. We have foster grandparents there and in the Michael Reese Hospital, and Augustana Hospital, really not the hospital itself, but the opposite side was for the retarded children. But that now is moved up on to Sheridan Road, 7200 north. They call it Augustana Center for the Retarded.

IT’S INTERESTING THAT YOU SERVED AS THEIR DIRECTOR.

I liked it very much.

SO WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING WITH YOURSELF LATELY?

I still work – I work for the Jewish Community Center.

THE JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTERS HAVE A FULL PROGRAM, DON’T THEY?

They have a lot of centers. They’re good, too. One is Fischer’s on Broadway. Then I decided to teach when I didn’t want to work full time. I went on to a two-month college and I was teaching senior citizens in different off-campus places.

OH, THAT’S WHEN YOU BEGAN TEACHING AT TRUMAN?

Yes, but not at Truman – Off campus.

WHERE WERE THE OFF-CAMPUS SITES?

I was teaching at Fischer’s, and Zion, the Horowitz Center and Heart.

AND YOU WOULD BE TEACHING COURSES TO SENIOR CITIZENS THERE?

I was teaching different things at different centers. I was teaching something I loved. I had to study for it I don’t know how long at the 1ibrary. I bought Indian Cards. Then Indians started. American Indian Culture was what I was teaching. Then another course I was teaching was Jewish History and Culture. I was teaching in practically every one of them – an eight-week course. I also taught music history, but it was strictly classical. I didn’t play, I used the record player. That’s my life history.

ARE YOU STILL DOING THAT, OR ARE YOU EASING UP A LITTLE?

No, I’m still doing volunteer work. I’m going to start again in October at the Chicago Historical Society.

TELL ME A LITTLE ABOUT THAT BECAUSE WE WERE TALKING EARLIER ABOUT THAT. WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT THAT? WHAT DO YOU DO THERE?

I like to number the things and look up information in the library, look up in collections to see when they originally started, and as I mentioned, with the election buttons, I have to get some information from City Hall because I couldn’t figure out everything and everything isn’t in their library either. But there are still months before summer. We are packing because another department is moving in to another section of the museum. The Chicago Historical museum is enlarging. I enjoy this work and I enjoy packing, too, because those are things which are in storage. They are not exhibited. If they put on a kind of exhibit where they fit in, then those items are taken out. I saw the most beautiful silver that people had donated to the Museum and pottery, also commercial pottery – all very interesting – I didn’t mind a bit the packing. They hired other people to pack. I just helped – for me it was only four hours.

THAT’S A VERY GENEROUS BIT FOR A VOLUNTEER.

I like it. I start again on Monday over there. I don’t know exactly what I will do, or what hours. It all depends upon the necessity.

YOU’VE HAD A VERY RICH AND FULL LIFE AND I CAN TELL THAT YOU ARE NOT ABOUT TO STOP.

No, in fact, I would like to help you in any way that I could.

THAT’S VERY GOOD AND I APPRECIATE THAT. I HOPE YOU CAN HELP WITH THE PROJECT, JULIA. WE WERE TALKING A FEW MINUTES AGO, I THINK IT’S WONDERFUL THAT PEOPLE LIKE YOU CAN COME OVER TO THIS COUNTRY AND ADAPT, SUCCEED. YOU HAVE ENRICHED THE CITY AND THE COUNTRY BY YOUR PRESENCE HERE. YOU WERE TELLING ME THAT THERE ARE SOME OTHER VERY INTERESTING PEOPLE HERE, RIGHT IN YOUR BUILDING WHO CAME FROM OTHER COUNTRIES. CAN YOU GIVE ME SOME EXAMPLES?

Yes, in the beginning – in ‘69, we didn’t have so many, we had a few Koreans at that time, but in the past fifteen years we have very interesting people from India, from Viet Nam, and we have more Koreans and a few Japanese people. I noticed something this summer, a Japanese lady, mother of five children, was down at the pool with her little daughter and her husband. She was really Japanese. I had a chance to see, but what caught my eye really was that the father and the girl were swimming so beautifully, the crawl – without any noise, not even a ripple. I just compared with other swimmers and I really enjoyed watching them.

THESE PEOPLE LIVE RIGHT HERE IN THE BUILDING YOU LIVE IN?

Yes, some of them are renting. Some of them, especially the people from Japan, are here on some sort of business for a few months and then they go back, I learned that discussing and talking with them. And on our floor we had a very nice family, a doctor from India who married a nurse, an American nurse. They had four children during the time they lived here. Now they have moved away to the suburbs west of Chicago.

BUT EDGEWATER STILL CONTINUES TO ATTRACT A RICH MIXTURE OF PEOPLE. THAT’S WHAT MAKES EDGEWATER A VERY ATTRACTIVE SPOT.

If you go into the grocery store, which is very beautiful, Dominick’s, I go there because I like "People Watching" and I walk around very slowly and watch the people and what kind of clientele the store has. That really interests me.

YES DOMINICK’S WOULD BE A GOOD PEOPLE WATCHING SPOT AND THE VARIETY OF CLIENTELE IS EVIDENT. THIS HAS BEEN VERY INTERESTING TALKING TO YOU. I APPRECIATE YOUR GIVING ME THIS TIME.

It was a pleasure for me, too. (a smile in her voice)

THANK YOU, AND I HOPE YOU WILL HELP US WITH OUR ORAL HISTORY PROJECT

I’m very enthusiastic about it. I would like to do as much as I can or as much as you want me to do.

GOOD, JULIA!