Bob's Art Corner
Bob (Robert Isadore) Serotkin was born in Philadelphia, Pennslyvania on May 23 1911, the sixth of seven children born to Russian immagrants.
He grew up in Philadelphia and later Camden, New Jersey where he graduated Camden High School at the top of his class. He was a top math student and voted "most likely to succeed".
Due to the depression, there was no money to go to college, so Bob worked in the family's clothing store to help support his family. Eventually he was able to attend a 6 month photography training program at the School of Fine Arts in Philadelphia. In February he enlisted in the army and was assigned to the 1st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron.
On the 29th of September 1943 (10 days after his marriage to my grandmother, Rose Hymowitz), he shipped out to Africa and began to photograph West Africa (Ivory Coast, Ghana), North Africa (Morroco, Tangiere, Egypt) and Italy.
After Africa he returned to the States for further training on B-29s in Smoky Hill, Kansas.
In 1945 he was sent to the Far East and reached Okinawa just before the peace talks with Japan. In January 1946, Bob was discharged.
About Bob
Most of his artwork on the various planes was done overseas and in Kansas. During the four years
he was in service, he wrote to my grandmother every day and sent her many of the photographs included
on this site.
My grandparents met at a hotel in the Catskill Mountains in New York, while he was on leave.
My grandmother was there with her girlfriend, who dared her for two cents, to start talking with him.
She took the dare, won the two cents and later married him on September 19, 1943.
Bob Serotkin died on December 21, 1986.
Rose Serotkin died on February 16, 2006.