This is a recording of the oral history of Bella Trachtenberg conducted by Albert S. Lyons on October 31st, 1985. Some of the significant topics represented in this oral history include: working as a stenographer; stories from life in France while working in the laboratory at Base Hospital No. 3 AEF during World War I; her experiences with and opinion of the men of the Board of Trustees and Medical Board; recalling controversies and tensions between surgeons, as well as the first and second woman externs, Isabel Beck (finished training in 1924) and Gertrude Felshin (class of 1925), and the first woman intern Rose Speigel; and George Baehr’s work with the Consultation Serivces and early animal kidney transplants, including her own role in Baehr’s kidney transplants as an anesthesiologist.

The recording begins in mid-sentence without context.

Dr. Ennio Gallozzi, an anesthesiologist who was born, raised, and trained in Rome, Italy, discusses his life, and how he came to study in the US and continue training at St. Luke’s as a resident in anesthesiology, eventually spending 44 years at the hospital. He mentions life growing up under Mussolini, and the devastation WWII wrought on Rome, and includes stories about colleagues and family life.

This is an interview with former Trustees Helen Roosevelt and her son Andrew E. Roosevelt, relatives of Roosevelt Hospital founder James H. Roosevelt. Helen Roosevelt speaks about her childhood and of her volunteer work at the Hospital, recounting several stories including hosting staff holiday parties, her children's relationship with the Hospital, acquaintances there and other highlights. Andrew Roosevelt describes his experiences at the Hospital including events during the September 11th attacks, moving the burial site of James H. Roosevelt from Hospital grounds to the family plot in the New York Marble Cemetery, and stories of Yoko Ono at the Hospital after John Lennon's murder.

Horace L. Hodes, MD (1907-1989) served as Director of the Pediatrics Department at The Mount Sinai Hospital from 1949-1976 and as Herbert H. Lehman Professor and Chairman of Pediatrics at Mount Sinai School of Medicine from 1965-1976. He is interviewed by Albert S. Lyons, MD, Archivist at The Mount Sinai Medical Center. In this interview, Dr. Hodes discusses his career; his research work; his military service during World War II as part of the Rockefeller University unit; the efforts at The Mount Sinai Hospital to create Mount Sinai School of Medicine; Hans Popper, MD, PhD, Gustave L. Levy, Chairman of the Mount Sinai Board of Trustees; and the Department of Pediatrics at Mount Sinai.

Dr. Jeanne Baer describes her family’s background in Germany and France in the years leading up to World War II, their life evading German troops in France, and their move to the US in 1948. She discusses her schooling in Pennsylvania, and her acceptance and training experiences in medical school through her residency in medicine. She provides interesting details of training in the 1960s including fellowship training in gastroenterology and finally her appointment to the radiology department at St. Luke’s Hospital and the work she did there. Baer particularly mentions Dr. Virginia Kanick with whom she formed a close friendship and training in the 60s and 70s as a woman in what was a man’s field.

In part one of a two-part interview, Dr. Braun recounts her childhood in Shanghai, China during the third Japanese invasion, before the World War II. She discusses her family's struggles to escape the war, her father and grandfather's relationship with the U.S.; her grandfather's various diplomatic roles for China and the Kuomintang; her parents' meeting in the US (her mother is from Poland) and their lives after marriage.

This small collection spans the career of Dr. Garlock: from medical school material, to ambulance duty logs from his internship at New York Hospital, photographs and some case reports on plastic surgery patients, private practice patient records, Operative Clinic presentations he made as Chief of Surgical Service at Mount Sinai, to the book on surgery of the alimentary tract that was published after his death.
While the range is wide, the records still only provide a surface picture of the man. The detailed notes and sometimes colorful drawings that Dr. Garlock created in medical school speak to his attention to detail. The early volumes are labeled "John Harry Garlock." He also noted a change of address on the notebooks from 346 W. 56th Street to 180 Claremont Avenue. This move happened during his medical school years.
His surgical acumen and style are brought out in the patient files and transcripts of the surgical clinics. The latter also give a glimpse into early plastic surgery at New York Hospital and The Mount Sinai Hospital. It was Dr. Garlock who helped establish plastic surgery as a surgical specialty here. The clinics were ended in January of 1943 for the duration of the War because there was a problem obtaining a sufficient number of orderlies.
Also instructive for insights into Dr. Garlock are the correspondence files, one with colleagues (Box 1, f.6) and the other with patients (Box 2, f.6). The ambulance log books in Box 1 show Dr. Garlock's keen eye for his surroundings and provide wonderful details on the people he treated and the treatments of the day.
Of note, too, is a series of letters Dr. William Hitzig wrote on behalf of Dr. Garlock when the latter was planning a trip to India. Dr. Hitzig had many connections there and wrote letters of introduction for the Garlocks. There is also a series of letters regarding a controversy between Drs. Sigmund Mage and Richard Lewisohn. (Box 1, f.9)
The patient records found here are only a portion of the files maintained by Dr. Garlock at his office. At his death, the records were divided among Dr. Garlock's junior colleagues. Many of those included here are the records of ileostomy and colostomy patients that were taken by Dr. Albert S. Lyons.
This collection contains some photographs, many of which are large and mounted. Thirteen posed publicity photos of unknown musicians and dancers were removed and sent to the Lincoln Center Archives for inclusion in their collections.

A Trustee-led committee was created in 2001 to plan and create events to mark the sesquicentennial of The Mount Sinai Hospital’s founding in January 1852. The Chairman of the Committee was Trustee Ellen Katz.

A special 150th anniversary logo was created and regularly occurring events were ‘branded’ with the anniversary theme. Special events that were planned and carried out included: a kick-off event on January 16th, marking the actual 150th anniversary; a special Mount Sinai history exhibit at The Museum of the City of New York with an opening reception; a 150th Anniversary Community Health Day; and a 150th Anniversary Academic Symposium held in 2003.

This material consists of planning files and commemorative material from the various events held during 2002/2003 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of The Mount Sinai Hospital.