Berl n Duba Pellicoff and the Grand kids in Atlantic City, 1926
Dublin Core
Title
Berl n Duba Pellicoff and the Grand kids in Atlantic City, 1926
Description
Long after Berl (Bernard) Pellicoff left Russia (Nsofska) and his friend Moshe and after he lived in Philadelphia, he won a huge financial award from the U.S. Government as a result of an eminent domain seizure made after World War I started (the property was important due to its proximity to the Pennsylvania Railroad freight yard.) He used those funds to move to Atlantic City and ultimately purchased the 100 room Majestic Hotel.
Every summer, the grandkids visited them in Atlantic City and are depicted here in 1926. George is upper left. Herbie Bell, upper middle, and Mort Bloom, upper right. Elkie is next to her grandmother, and Baby Hi, here 5 years old, being held by his grandparents.
Gil (Elkie's son) writes: Fanny Bell—Ethel and Abe’s sister somehow ended up owning 100% the Majestic Hotel. This hotel was 100+ rooms, served three Kosher meals a day, attracted Jewish patrons from New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and had many Jewish entertainers as guests throughout the years. The location was on the beach block of New Jersey Ave in Atlantic City.
Aunt Fanny never left the hotel, would not even sit outside on the huge porch. Dale and I would go there with our Mother and the big treat was Aunt Fanny taking us to a high walk in vault and giving each one of us a dollar---a lot of money in those days.
Gil wrote these words to his children about his Majestic Hotel Experience:
This is the hotel that my great grand-father Beryl and great grandmother Duba owned. ( see link below )
Somehow my great--aunt Fannie took it over when they died eliminating the rightful inheritance of my grandfather Abraham, and my great-aunt Ethel who lived in California.
Anyway, Aunt Dale and I were taken there on many occasions by our Mother. Aunt Fannie was always pleasant to us, taking us to a giant build-in wall safe, making a dramatic contribution to both of us of one dollar. In those days that was a very generous gift.
The hotel offered three strictly kosher meals a day. We would venture into the back kitchen and I would enjoy spinning the knife sharpener around.
There were several African-American porters and elevator operators, maids who lived in a basement-like area on the street level.
They were always very friendly to us and I remember an elevator operator letting us ride with him up and down many times when no guests around.
Each meal had tons of food. Breakfast had fruit juices, lox, bagels, rye, cheeses, eggs, pancakes, waffles, pastry on and on. You get the idea.
Every meal was a feast and the guests did not miss a meal.
There was a cardroom off the main lobby. My Grand-mom Jenny, your great great grand-mother, played poker there , high stakes 1-2-3 cent poker with a bunch of avid old lady poker plays. My Grand-mother, I later learned, folded her hand unless she had an almost guaranteed winner.
The huge front porch looked out on the avenue. However, the hotel was on a beach block thus a short walk to the boardwalk and beach.
The guests would sit and rock on the rocking chairs. There was also a sun room running along the main lobby. This room had many plants. Tropical fish, tropical birds, plenty of sun and ocean breezes.
Apparently my family forgave Aunt Fannie for acquiring sole position of the hotel in that we went there frequently and greeted Aunt Fannie as though nothing negative ever occurred. Not sure how my Aunt Ethel reacted, three thousand miles away.
Our memories of our times at the Majestic always made Dale and me happy.
Every summer, the grandkids visited them in Atlantic City and are depicted here in 1926. George is upper left. Herbie Bell, upper middle, and Mort Bloom, upper right. Elkie is next to her grandmother, and Baby Hi, here 5 years old, being held by his grandparents.
Gil (Elkie's son) writes: Fanny Bell—Ethel and Abe’s sister somehow ended up owning 100% the Majestic Hotel. This hotel was 100+ rooms, served three Kosher meals a day, attracted Jewish patrons from New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and had many Jewish entertainers as guests throughout the years. The location was on the beach block of New Jersey Ave in Atlantic City.
Aunt Fanny never left the hotel, would not even sit outside on the huge porch. Dale and I would go there with our Mother and the big treat was Aunt Fanny taking us to a high walk in vault and giving each one of us a dollar---a lot of money in those days.
Gil wrote these words to his children about his Majestic Hotel Experience:
This is the hotel that my great grand-father Beryl and great grandmother Duba owned. ( see link below )
Somehow my great--aunt Fannie took it over when they died eliminating the rightful inheritance of my grandfather Abraham, and my great-aunt Ethel who lived in California.
Anyway, Aunt Dale and I were taken there on many occasions by our Mother. Aunt Fannie was always pleasant to us, taking us to a giant build-in wall safe, making a dramatic contribution to both of us of one dollar. In those days that was a very generous gift.
The hotel offered three strictly kosher meals a day. We would venture into the back kitchen and I would enjoy spinning the knife sharpener around.
There were several African-American porters and elevator operators, maids who lived in a basement-like area on the street level.
They were always very friendly to us and I remember an elevator operator letting us ride with him up and down many times when no guests around.
Each meal had tons of food. Breakfast had fruit juices, lox, bagels, rye, cheeses, eggs, pancakes, waffles, pastry on and on. You get the idea.
Every meal was a feast and the guests did not miss a meal.
There was a cardroom off the main lobby. My Grand-mom Jenny, your great great grand-mother, played poker there , high stakes 1-2-3 cent poker with a bunch of avid old lady poker plays. My Grand-mother, I later learned, folded her hand unless she had an almost guaranteed winner.
The huge front porch looked out on the avenue. However, the hotel was on a beach block thus a short walk to the boardwalk and beach.
The guests would sit and rock on the rocking chairs. There was also a sun room running along the main lobby. This room had many plants. Tropical fish, tropical birds, plenty of sun and ocean breezes.
Apparently my family forgave Aunt Fannie for acquiring sole position of the hotel in that we went there frequently and greeted Aunt Fannie as though nothing negative ever occurred. Not sure how my Aunt Ethel reacted, three thousand miles away.
Our memories of our times at the Majestic always made Dale and me happy.
Source
A beautiful rendition of the Hotel Majestic is depicted at
https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/search/commonwealth:x920gb98m.
Its 5 stories, impressive dining room, and lobby are depicted.
Another rendition is depicted at
https://www.cardcow.com/96438/hotel-majestic-atlantic-city-new-jersey/
https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/search/commonwealth:x920gb98m.
Its 5 stories, impressive dining room, and lobby are depicted.
Another rendition is depicted at
https://www.cardcow.com/96438/hotel-majestic-atlantic-city-new-jersey/
Date
1926
Still Image Item Type Metadata
Date Start
1926
Date End
1926
Tags
Citation
“Berl n Duba Pellicoff and the Grand kids in Atlantic City, 1926,” Bloom Archive, accessed December 3, 2024, https://bloomarchive.org/items/show/322.
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