Ben Zion Black Collection

Ben Zion Joseph Black was born in the city of Kovno (later Kaunauss), Lithuania on July 4, 1886. (At that time, the area was officially in Russia but gained independence in 1918.) His father, Chaim, worked as an artist. The family moved to England. His mother's name was Leah. Ben Zion studied art in Europe and worked as a sign maker there. He immigrated to America, arriving in Burlington, VT in 1909.

In 1910, he was hired by the Chavi Adam Synagogue on Hyde Street in Burlington to paint the interior. A portion of his work came to be known as the Lost Shul Mural which was partially restored and unveiled in 2015. The mural is a rare surviving example of the religious and folk art tradition prevalent in synagogues in Europe that were systematically destroyed by the Nazis.

In February of 1912, he married Ruth (Rachel) Ethel Saiger (1890-1975). She was the daughter of Moses I. Saiger (approximately 1849-1911) and Beileh Rokovsky (approximately 1849-1934). Ruth and her parents immigrated through New York City in 1907, settling in Burlington where her siblings Sarah Clara Saiger Rosenberg (1871-1954), George Saiger (1873-1925), and Simon/Simeon Saiger (1881-1924) were already living. Ben Zion and Ruth had known each other in Kovno. Both were active in the arts: Ruth had a talent for singing and acting and Ben Zion created poems, plays, and drawings. They lived in the Boston, MA area from 1912-1918 where Ben Zion was employed as a commercial painter, creating murals and movie theatre marquees.

They returned to Burlington in 1919 where he opened a sign painting business on Center Street called B. Black Signs, using the motto "signs of the better kind." As owner/operator for about 50 years, he created banners, billboards, and posters and designed logos for several local businesses such as Vermont Transit and Maltex Cereal. He became a specalist in gold leaf which meant he was in demand at professional offices from New York to New Hampshire. He even supervised the work of painting Montpelier's gold dome for several years.

Ben Zion and Ruth and were active supporters of the Yiddish culture and art community in Burlington. He established a Yiddish Theatre Group (1920) for which he wrote, produced, and acted in local theatrical performances; Ruth often performed as well. In 1931, he assembled a mandolin orchestra with over 30 participants. He also served as chair of the local Yiddish Culture Society, regularly inviting and often underwriting visits from prominent Yiddish scholars and performing artists. He assembled a collection of more than 5,000 Yiddish books and phonograph records. He wrote a column called "The Yiddish World" for a newsletter printed in Vermont and wrote Yiddish poetry that appeared in Yiddish newspapers and periodicals. Ben Zion died on December 20, 1972.

The family included three daughters: Rebecca Eva Rieders (1913-1999), Leicia A. Black (1921-2012), and Constance M. Black (1927-1994). A granddaughter, Bonnie L. Rieders, also known as Hannah Bond (1943-1994), was a poet and visual artist. A few of her works are included in the collection.