Violin Prodigy Harry Sokolove (Baltimore, Monday, July 20)
This surviving clipping from The Evening Sun, Baltimore, dated Monday, July 20 (likely from the early 1920s based on the design and typographic style), features a half-page article spotlighting a young violinist named Harry Sokolove, including a half-tone portrait of him in performance attire. Though not directly referencing Jacob H. Buckner, this type of article reflects the Jewish-American cultural scene in Baltimore during that era—of which Buckner and his extended community were an active part.
Key Points (Historical & Cultural Significance):
- Harry Sokolove, age 20, had just won first prize at the Brussels Conservatoire, a highly prestigious European institution.
- He is praised by César Thomson, a renowned Belgian violinist and teacher, who calls him “the most promising pupil that has come to him in years.”
- The article positions Sokolove as an emerging Jewish-American musical figure from Baltimore, celebrated for representing his city and possibly his heritage abroad.
- The success story of Sokolove reflects the immigrant Jewish community’s pride in education, cultural excellence, and international recognition—values also mirrored in other families like the Buckners.
- Its inclusion in your collection might be due to familial, social, or cultural associations with the Buckners, especially if they supported Jewish musical or educational societies in Baltimore.
✍️ FULL TRANSCRIPTION
THE EVENING SUN, BALTIMORE, MONDAY, JULY 20.
Making Name With Violin
![Image of young man with violin in formal dress]
HARRY SOKOLOVE
Mr. Sokolove, who is 20 years old, has just won first prize at the Brussels Conservatoire. Cesar Thomson considers the Baltimore youth the most promising pupil that has come to him in years.