Elaine H. Dobrowski Collection
Deeply involved in the Polish community in Boston, Elaine (Proborszcz) Dobrowski (1923-2009) was the wife of attorney Francis R. Dobrowksi and mother of two children. She was a resident of Dorchester and Milton, Mass., and a long-time member of Our Lady of Czestochowa Church in South Boston.
Compiled by Elaine Dobrowski, this collection of photographs, printed materials, and news clippings documents the Polish community in Boston from the 1930s through the 1990s. The collection includes photographs of the Kosciusko Monument in the Boston Public Gardens, a children’s dance festival, and a Polish Women’s circle outing at Blinstrub’s Village as well as images of parades, receptions, and conventions.
Background on Elaine H. Dobrowski
Deeply involved in the Polish community in Boston, Elaine (Proborszcz) Dobrowski was the wife of attorney Francis R. Dobrowksi and mother of two children. A resident of Dorchester and Milton, Mass., she was a long-time member of Our Lady of Czestochowa Church in South Boston.
Dobrowski was born in Quincy, Mass., on Sept. 5, 1923, to immigrant parents, Stefanja and Deonizy Proborszcz. As a child she honed her interest in Polish culture and history through participation in Polish Saturday School, and as a young woman, she helped found the Boston Krakowianki Club, and took an active part in relief work for Poland and Polish displaced persons during and after the Second World War. Her commitments to Polish cultural organizations only grew after the war, when she helped to found the Krakowiak Polish dancers and served as an officer in several organizations, including the Massachusetts Federation of Polish Women’s Clubs, the Kosciusko Foundation, and the sodality of Our Lady of Czestochowa Church. She died on Mar. 28, 2009, and is buried in Milton Cemetery.
Scope of collection
Compiled by Dobrowski, this collection of photographs, printed materials, and news clippings documents the Polish community in Boston during the 1930s through the 1990s. Includes photographs of the Kosciusko Monument in the Boston Public Gardens, a children’s dance festival, and a Polish Women’s circle outing at Blinstrub’s Village as well as images of parades, receptions, and conventions.
Inventory
Administrative information
Access
The collection is open for research.
Provenance
Gift of Elaine H. Dobrowski, Jan. 1995.
Processing Information
Processed by I. Eliot Wentworth, Feb. 2019.
Language:
English
Language:
Polish
Copyright and Use (More information )
Cite as: Elaine H. Dobrowski Collection (MS 376). Special Collections and University Archives, University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries.
Search terms
Subjects
- Montague Farm Community (Mass.)
- Polish-Americans–Massachusetts
Contributors
- Dobrowski, Elaine H. [main entry]
Genres and formats
- Photographs
- Programs (Documents)