Special Collections Research Center

Leo Finkelstein Papers


This collection contains materials relating to Leo Finkelstein, resident of Asheville, North Carolina, the Asheville Lions Club, and the Beth Ha-Tephila Cemetery in Asheville. It contains computer discs, notes, scrapbooks, book drafts, correspondence, photographs, programs, fliers, and other materials related Leo Finkelstein, his wife Sylvia, and the Lions Club, Elks Club, and Jewish Community in Asheville, North Carolina.


Select items from the Leo Finkelstein Papers Collection

The index for the Leo Finkelstein papers, 1905-1998.

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A list of questions about buying and selling produce and fish products for businesses.

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Leo Finkelstein provides an account of his family's past, starting in 1799 in Lithuania and ending with his life in Asheville.

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Finkelstein explains his family's past, beginning in Lithuania and ending in Asheville, North Carolina.

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Finkelstein describes his family's past, beginning in 1799 in Lithuania and ending with his life in Asheville, North Carolina, as well as some of the history of the Jewish community in Asheville.

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Harry and Fannye Sherman Finkelstein Wedding Photograph

A photograph of Harry and Fannye Finkelstein's wedding.

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A newspaper clipping explaining the struggles of Asheville's first pawnshop after getting loans became significantly easier.

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A photograph of the original pawnshop, Asheville, North Carolina.

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Those Asheville North Ca'lina Blues" sheet music from 1925 written by Frank B. Cook. Places such as "Eagle Street" and "Beaver Lake" are mentioned.

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Leo and Sylvia Finkelstein, circa 1980

A photograph of Leo and Sylvia Finkelstein.

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Group Photo, Party of Asheville, NC, Jewish Community, circa 1920

A group photo of the Asheville Jewish community.

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Group Photo, Costume Party of Asheville, NC, Jewish Community, circa 1920

A group photo of a Costume Party held by the Asheville Jewish community.

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A program cover of Those Asheville Blues.

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Leo Finkelstein was awarded the title of "Most Memorable" in 1997 at a talent show in Green Tree Ridge.

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An article written by Nancy Brower about the music group "Sanctimonious Seven" that Leo Finkelstein joined when he started learning piano after his retirement from pawnbroking.

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A clipping from the Asheville Citizen Times showing Julie Nixon standing in front of the Finkelstein loan office.

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A newspaper clipping about Leo Finkelstein's life after he retired and a brief overview of his career as a pawnbroker.

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Group of Children in front of Car, Asheville, 1910s

Photograph of a group of children in front of a car in Asheville, North Carolina.

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Plaque, Lion of Judah Award Presented to Leo Finkelstein, 1997

The Lion of Judah Award which was presented to Leo Finkelstein in recognition of lifetime achievement.

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Harry Finkelstein in Front of Car, circa 1910

A photograph of Leo Finkelstein's father, Harry, in front of a car.

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Buncombe County Deputy Sheriff Certificate for Leo Finkelstein, 1934

Leo Finkelstein's 1934-36 Buncombe County, North Carolina, Deputy Sheriff certificate.

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State Convention Badge for Leo Finkelstein, 1933

A purple convention badge for Leo Finkelstein, identifying him as "Exalted Ruler" and "Asheville: In the Land of the Sky."

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This Asheville Citizen-Times article featuring Leo Finkelstein reports on the life of a pawnbroker, including bizarre items (such as a stuffed bear), rich clients who pay interest just to keep their winter coats safe over the summer, con artists, and a minister who scraped by pawning his Bible every Monday and retrieving it every Saturday evening.

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A conglomeration of papers Leo Finkelstein collected over his lifetime, from newspaper clippings about a bookmobile and his father's death to letters from the Buncombe County library. It includes pictures from the Asheville Lion's Club and Leo's years serving the military as well as Western Union telegrams, airline and travel ephemera, "Song of the Lions" sheet music, an obituary for Lambkin (pet dog), and various membership and identification cards.

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A conglomeration of papers Leo Finkelstein collected over his lifetime.

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Leo Finkelstein's account of Asheville, North Carolina in the early twentieth century, how the Jewish community functioned, and pawnbroking during the Depression. Item contains photographs.

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Leo Finkelstein's handwritten account of his memories, including those of his involvement with the Lion's Club.

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Historical reports from the time when Leo Finkelstein served as historian of the Lions Club.

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Letters of correspondence between Leo and the Lion's Club in which he describes his military training. He talks about his daily schedule, his comrades, his longing for home, and his new perspective on life. Patricia D. Beaver is editor.

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Leo's diary that he kept during the war. It includes handwritten entries, pictures of civilians he met, autographs, and a list of the places he went.

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A collection of photographs taken in a desert-like area, outside the San Diego area, with two couples and a little girl.

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A record of Leo Finkelstein's financial statements, what he held in his pawnshop, the interest he charged, and the worth of the items.

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Records from Lion's Club meetings from 1998 with reports of Leo Finkelstein's health and involvement in the community. It also includes information about Leo's swing band, the Sanctimonious Seven as well as sheet music "Song of the Lions," and flyers and other ephemera regarding Doc and Merle Watson's 1983 benefit concert.

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Various memorabilia from Leo Finkelstein's life, including handwritten letters, flyers, Lions Club and Beth ha-Taphila information, and newspaper clippings.

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A typed thank-you letter written by Jack Cole addressed to Paula Miall regarding memorial donation in memory of Lion E. Fritz Albertson .

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This item consists of a folder with several items including a bulletin from the Asheville reform synagogue, Beth ha-Tephila, which gives information on all the happenings of the Jewish community. It also contains correspondence from G. Finkelstein in Jacksonville, Florida, and from Sigbert Loeb on Congregation Bikur Cholim letterhead.

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This item contains the dedication of the West Asheville Jewish cemetery and memorial park to Lou Pollock, a man who was instrumental in its foundation. A 1949 Asheville Citizen-Times article, "Cemetery Here is Memorial to Living Man" is also included.

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Letter correspondence between Leo Finkelstein and his son-in-law, Marvin. Marvin asks for money because he cannot support his wife and child with his store job.

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Information about Sylvia Finkelstein's mother, Rose A. Bein, and her death in 1960. Includes letter correspondence between Leo Finkelstein and friends, records regarding the inheritance, and Rose Bein's admittance to the River Garden Hebrew Home for the Aged.

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Information and an appraisal report of Leo Finkelstein's property at 133 Westwood Road, Lakeview Park, Asheville, North Carolina.

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A packet of user manuals, warranties, and receipts for various household items (e.g., clock radio, Dustbuster, life chair, blender).

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Papers kept by the Asheville Lion's Club that give an account of Leo Finkelstein in his old age. Item also includes Community Care Partners 1998 report.

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A copy of the 1922 Asheville High School yearbook, information about the 50th reunion in 1972, and a photograph of the 60-year reunion in 1982.

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Miscellaneous memorabilia including Leo Finkelstein's involvement in the Valley of Asheville Brethren, his epistolary book Letters from Leo, and a Q & A about pawnbroking.

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Fliers and newsletter describing events at the Asheville Jewish Community Center and miscellaneous cards from Phyllis Finkelstein, Leo's daughter.

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An order form for buying Leo's books: Asheville and the Poor Man's Bank.

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Correspondence between Leo Finkelstein and the Veteran's Administration about medical compensation for injuries Leo received in the war. The Administration claims that his current medical problems have nothing to do with the war, but Leo continues to fight for compensation.

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Description of Jewish life in Asheville at the start of the 20th century. Leo begins with his family history in Lithuania and explains how his father came to America after a series of unfortunate events.

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This item contains notes from Leo Finkelstein's speech and his account of his family roots, from Lithuania to Asheville, North Carolina.

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A member of the Asheville Lion's Club reminisces on the "good old days" in the 1930s. The item also contains a handwritten story about the time humorist Irving Cobb spent the night at the Grove Park Inn.

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