[CHWALEWIK Edward, GUMOWSKI Marian] Correspondence of Edward Chwalewik to Marian Gumowski. 4 letters from 1918-1946

CHWALEWIK Edward, GUMOWSKI Marian] Correspondence of Edward Chwalewik (1873-1956), bibliophile, excellent expert on Polish private collections, bibliographer to Marian Gumowski (1881-1974), prominent numismatist. The set contains 4 letters from 1918-1946.

The collection counts the following items:

1. 2 p. postcard sent to Ela Gumowska, wife of Prof. M. Gumowski. Date. Warsaw 28. III. 1918 [Dear Madam. Amusing myself in my moments of leisure from more serious activities with the elaboration of the "Catalogue of Polish exlibrises" a la "Spis rycin" Czapski, goes to Dear Madam[...]. Dimension 9 x 14 cm.
The author describes the current occupation and asks to send some information regarding the exlibrises he received in exchange ("who drew the exlibrises of Mikulicz-Kadecka [...], Jozef Muczkowski [...] Jan Ptaśnik [...] Adam Prager [...]". He assures at the end of his reverence and wishes Happy Hallelujah.

2. post card 2 pp. Dat. Sat. 24. I. 42. addressed to Marian Gumowski.
[Highly Respected and Dear Director! I received your Christmas letter with good wishes quite a week ago. I returned to Warsaw from Christmas exploits in the middle of January...]. Dimension 10.5 x 14.2 cm.
The author informs that he received a letter with Christmas wishes, confirms that the stored books are safe ("I still have a lot of peat and firewood"). Informs about friends' travels and recent visits.

3. postcard 2 pp. Date. Monday, 8. I. 46. Skolimow. [My Dear Friends! Having read in the letters that you belong to the professorship of M. Copernicus University in Torun - and not knowing your closer, private address - I hasten to inform you at the general address of the University that I survived the turmoil of Warsaw 1944 and that I am temporarily living in Skolimow near Warsaw...]. Dimension 10.5 x 14.2 cm.
Prof. Chwalewik informs about his current stay in Skolimow, inquires about the fate of the sons of pp. Gumowskis ("have they already returned from the camps to the bosom of the family?"). He informs that he has some matters of Piast numismatics.

4. handwritten letter to Marian Gumowski,, 4 pp. Dat. Sunday, 20. i. 46, Skolimow. Dimension 17.5 x 13.5 cm.
[...I became a victim of the August Uprising quite by accident. Since mid-1943 I lived almost permanently in Bielawa, where I even transported my handy library...].
E. Chwalewik describes the circumstances of his move at the end of July 1944 from Bielawa, where the German artillery was stationed, to Warsaw - and further the tragic fate of his own and his son's apartment and library, which were. completely destroyed ("there I lost the remnants of my library and the manuscripts and ex-librises I brought from Bielawa"). He goes on to describe the fate of his internment as a hostage in the Sejm Hotel on Wiejska Street and his subsequent wandering, which ended in Skolimow in December 1944. He goes on to cite the tragic fate of the collection in Bielawa, which was completely stolen or destroyed by the Germans and the surrounding population. In turn, the property (homestead and fields) were taken over by the communist state.
He goes on to write about the coin of Boleslaw the Curly with the image of the prince and his wife Anastasia.

Marian Gumowski (1881-1974) - Polish numismatist and sphragist, historian, in 1919-1932 director of the Museum of Wielkopolska in Poznań, since 1955 professor at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń.

Edward Chwalewik (1873-1956) - librarian, bibliophile, exlibris researcher and bibliographer. He was a co-founder of the established in 1921. Society of Polish Bibliophiles in Warsaw. He was involved in the history of Polish exlibris. [biography after wikipedia.pl].