My object is a shaving mug that belonged to my great-great grandfather, Zelig (who was eventually known as Grandpa Linus). Zelig immigrated from Russia stowing away on a train sometime during the Russian Revolution. Being a shaving mug, it was obviously for shaving, though it now resides in my grandmother’s cabinet. The mug is mostly white, but to add some “extra flavor,” embellished upon it are the numbers, in blue, 1, 9, 2, and 0, along with some colorful lines and flowers for good measure. It is made of Bavarian China. To my family it doesn’t matter whether this object is valuable , it will always be just as important to my family as Grandpa Linus ever was to us (which means very, in case you didn’t catch that).I chose this everyday object not because it teaches of my culture but because it teaches of the common man of the 1920s and how he may compare to the men of nowadays. This object may still be seen in more modern homes, (to be more specific, bathrooms), but it is much less common. I have never (and will never) meet Grandpa Linus, but I imagine he was a good man, father, grandfather, and great grandfather, and I am sure he would have been the best great great grandfather. There is much I would want to ask him if he was still here, but most importantly I would want to spend some time with him. I never knew him, but he is still my grandfather and just like all others, I love him.

– Reuben Noam

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more