Rafael and Nelly Brenner family papers

Rafael Brenner (1898-1973) and his brother, Leo Brenner (approximately 1896-1958), were born in Poland and founded photographic product retailer Photo-Brenner in Cologne, Germany in 1919. The business grew to include three photographic supply stores and a mail order business, and Rafael’s wife, Nelly Brenner (1901-1991), helped with the business. After Nazi harassment and a boycott of the business in 1933, Rafael was arrested, forced to sign over the family property at a discounted rate, and pressured to leave Germany. He moved to Rome with his wife and sons, Norbert (1924-2013) and Berthold (b. approximately 1927), where the family established a new store. Leo moved to Palestine and established a store in Haifa. Nelly was arrested in Rome in 1938 around the time of Hitler’s May visit and was persuaded to leave Italy. The family immigrated to the United States at the end of the year and established a new store in Washington, D.C. The Rafael and Nelly Brenner family papers consist of advertisements, photographs, printed materials, and store catalogs documenting the Brenner family’s photograph supply stores in Cologne, their expropriation under the Nazi regime, the establishment of their store in Rome, their escape to the United States, the establishment of their store in Washington, DC, and Leo Brenner’s store in Haifa.