Douglas Wayne Male Papers
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Abstract
Douglas Wayne Male volunteered in the Spanish Civil War and served in the Abraham Lincoln Brigade. He died at Gandesa in April 1938. The collection contains letters he wrote to his sister and brother-in-law, Lee and Sam Kutnick detailing his experiences in Spain. The collection also includes correspondence by another volunteer, Boleslaw Sliwon, Spanish military documents attesting to the disappearance of Douglas Male and Jack Taub at Gandesa, and two sheets of colored stamps (imprinted S.R.I.) sold in aid of war victims in Spain.
Historical/Biographical Note
Douglas Wayne Male was born in Kentucky and was living in San Francisco in 1937 when he left for Spain to volunteer in the Spanish Civil War. He was then 23 years old. He sailed to Europe on the Berengaria on July 3, 1937, arriving in Spain on July 24th. Lists in the International Brigade Archives describe him as a seaman, single and a member of the Young Communist League from 1936. He died at Gandesa in April 1938.
He corresponded regularly with his sister and brother-in-law, Lee and Sam Kutnick, and signed most of his letters from Spain with the nickname "DUD."
Arrangement
Folders are arranged alphabetically within each series.
The files are grouped into two series:
Missing Title
- I, Correspondence.
- II, Subject Files.
Scope and Content Note
Series I: Correspondence, 1937-1938, consists of letters written by Male mostly to his sister and brother-in-law, Lee and Sam Kutnick, detailing his experience in Spain. Letters from another seaman volunteer, Boleslaw Sliwon to Lee Kutnick are also in this collection. Postcards from Male and from Sliwon to various people (including Harry Bridges) and a postcard from a Spanish Communist are also included. Letters from Jack Taub and Elhanon Bridges and miscellaneous letters from others, including a volunteer who signs himself "Bob," complete the correspondence.
Series II: Subject Files, 1937-1939, consists of a portrait postcard and ticket autographed by Dolores Ibarruri; two Spanish military documents attesting to the disappearance of Douglas Male and Jack Taub at Gandesa; a clipping from Frente Rojo, 1937; and two sheets of colored stamps (imprinted S.R.I.) sold in aid of war victims in Spain.
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Access Restrictions
Materials are open to researchers. Please contact the Tamiment Library & Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives for more information and to schedule an appointment, tamiment.wagner@nyu.edu or 212-998-2630.
Use Restrictions
Copyright (or related rights to publicity and privacy) for materials in this collection was not transferred to New York University. Permission to use materials must be secured from the copyright holder. For more information, please contact the Tamiment Library & Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, tamiment.wagner@nyu.edu or 212-998-2630.
Preferred Citation
Published citations should take the following form:
Identification of item, date; Collection name; Collection number; box number; folder number;
Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
70 Washington Square South
New York, NY 10012, New York University Libraries.
Provenance
The Douglas Wayne Male papers were donated to New York University by ALBA, via Peter Carroll, in 2004.
Separated Material
Photographs and 34 blank postcards from Spain were transferred to the ALBA photograph and postcard collections.
