The Lucille and Dr. Bertram Levin large art book collection donated by their children

We have recently received nearly 60 art and history monographs, the Lucille and Dr. Bertram Levin large art book collection donated by their children Elliot Levin, Karen Levin Zukrow and Professor Diane Levin Zamir in loving memory of their parents.
Lucille (Rusky) Levin, born in Iron Mountain, Michigan, USA and Dr. Bertram Levin, from Chicago, Illinois, USA were not only experts in their respective fields – nursing and medicine – but were avid art book collectors. Over the course of 45 years, they took special delight in continuously adding to their collection, relishing each and every acquisition. Often the additions to the collection were birthday gifts that they exchanged. It gave them great joy to share their love of art with family and community, not only through acquisitions, but also through regularly volunteering at community art fairs. A parting wish, conveyed by Dr. Levin, was that their art book collection, ultimately, be donated to a worthy library in Israel. Now this wish has come true.
The family generously shipped the collection to the library from Chicago. We carefully selected items that were missing from our catalogue: valuable items, art textbooks and monographs in a variety of fields of art, as well as catalogues of works by great artists.
Books from the collection that our library had previously acquired have been donated to the Pyramid – an art library currently being built at the Wadi Salib Performing Arts Center in Haifa.

The Lucille and Bertram Levin collection demonstrates its owner's broad interests in art and provides a comprehensive exposure to various fields of art from practically every corner of the world. Beginning with the pillars of Western art - prestigious editions of Hieronymus Bosch and Pablo Picasso, 2 volumes of Paul Klee's diaries, 4 volumes of Joan Miro's lithographies, a number of volumes about Marc Chagall, sketch books by Georges Braque and more; through broad reviews of the art of painting, sculpture and print in Europe and the United States, such as: The Loom of Art, 200 Years of American Sculpture, The Art of the Print and many others; and finally art from other continents and from other nations, such as Asia: 250 years of Japanese Art and China: a History in Art, Indian and Mexican Indian Art of Mexico and Central America, and Eskimo art including Sculpture of the Eskimo. These fields have in recent years become major research fields. In addition, a special niche in the hearts of the Levin family is dedicated to the culture, history and art of the Jewish people. This is reflected in the following books: The Jewish World – History and Culture of the Jewish People, Ancient Jewish Art, and Safed and her people: eighteen reliefs in metal.
The breadth of the collection will undoubtedly enrich the various art areas of the library. The collection will serve as a significant tool for students in the Art History Department of the University.
It should also be noted that the donated collection is beautifully preserved, as if new, and in original, ornate bindings and book jackets.
We are grateful to Elliot Levin, Karen Levin Zukrow and Professor Diane Levin-Zamir and their families for awarding this gem to the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Library, University of Haifa in loving memory of their parents.