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Memories/Motifs

Rachel Deblinger, Author
Irene Guttman, page 1 of 4
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Irene Guttman: Life Magazine


The November 17, 1947 edition of Life Magazine featured the article "Orphans Clothed." The three page spread included six images of two young "war orphans": Irene Guttman and Charles Karo.

Both Irene and Charles were Jewish orphans who had survived the Holocaust and were brought to New York by an organization called Busy Buddies, a group affiliated with Rescue Children, Inc. and their Child Adoption Program. The brief article that accompanied these vibrant images noted that both children had lost their parents in concentration camps and due to starvation, but there is no mention of what Irene or Charles had lived through.

Rather, the article focuses on the work of Busy Buddies to raise money in support of orphans like Irene and Charles. And, the photographs show the children in awe of American opportunity and generosity: they are shown surrounded by food, new clothes, and gazing up at the wonder of New York City.

While the article raised awareness of the plight of Jewish orphans and directed readers to a viable avenue for action, the experiences and traumas of Irene and Charles were diminished to reveal the joy of children and of America. As can be seen in the representations that follow here, Irene's story as a Mengele Twin was told in more detail in the 1990s and until today.
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