Ellis Island, 1948

I was married to my first husband Leonard Barton Herrmann, (called Peter) in 1947, in spring of 1948 aged 20, I went to New York with Peter, to meet his parents. In those days, it was a long trip of approximately 15 hours; the airplane made several stops for fuel, I remember: in Switzerland, Shannon, Gander etc. I had obtained the Visa at the US Embassy in Rome, as the wife of Peter, an American citizen.

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AMERICA, The Beautiful

Who could ever imagine that after such a horrible beginning with my arrival in America, my life was to change completely because of “ America • The Beautiful”.

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140 Thompson, NYC, 1973-1996

My life at 414 East 75th had become impossible and dangerous. The building was full of people on drugs that came pounding at my door. Downstairs, lived the painter Castro Cid who had married a De Menil, he had money and was on all kinds of drugs. At night, much went on with his colleagues, gathering in the street below his windows, yelling his name, looking for drugs. Upstairs there was a woman, that went out to pick up men to bring home. They had to be willing to beat her up.

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