Inside Nicholas Winton's scrapbook

In the late 1930s, a British stockbroker named Nicholas Winton used his vacation time to take a trip to Prague. He ended up saving the lives of 669 children, mostly Jews, from almost certain death. These are some photos and documents from a scrapbook detailing his efforts, which is housed at the Yad Vashem archives in Jerusalem. At left is the scrapbook cover.

Watch Bob Simon's report, "Saving the Children"

Nicholas Winton in Prague

02-photo-in-scrapbook-believed-to-be-him-o7cz-118-17.jpg — Yad Vashem Archives

This photo of Nicholas Winton is thought to be from his time in Prague, circa January 1939. Winton is on the right.

Watch Bob Simon's report, "Saving the Children"

Maps of Europe

Historians believe Nicholas Winton was closely following what the Nazis were planning. According to Dr. David Silberklang, senior historian at Yad Vashem's Research Institute, Winton collected maps while in Prague. This map seems to look ahead to what Germany saw as its future in the coming decade. It features the Nazi slogan, "Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer." One people, one empire, one leader.

Watch the 60 Minutes Overtime report, "The things she carried"

Early thoughts

This is an excerpt of a document Nicholas Winton wrote, highlighting some parents' struggles to help their children. This document was written in Prague on January 1, 1939.

Watch the 60 Minutes Overtime report, "The things she carried"

Photos of the children

Nicholas Winton, a stockbroker by trade, worked to find British families that would foster child refugees. These cards featured photos of the children he was trying to save.

Watch Bob Simon's report, "Saving the Children"

Photos of the children

Each card Nicholas Winton showed to prospective foster families included a thin layer of paper which stated the child's name, date of birth and, in some cases, their religion.

Watch the 60 Minutes Overtime report, "The things she carried"

Photos of the children

Some of the children's photos are labeled "placed." According to Dr. David Silberklang, senior historian at Yad Vashem's Research Institute, in most cases "placed" meant that the child had been chosen by a British family. In some instances there was an "X" across the name of the child, which meant the child had been taken off the list, and the child may or may not have survived.

Dr. David Silberklang and his colleagues found records of the deportation of Hans Boehm, a name listed on the bottom row. They traced Boehm's journey from Prague to Theresienstadt, and then from Theresienstadt to Auschwitz in the summer of 1942 when he was 15 years old.

Watch the 60 Minutes Overtime report, "The things she carried"

Eva Fleischmann

This is a travel document for one of the children Nicholas Winton helped. The child's name is Eva Fleischmann, whose sister Lady Milena Grenfell-Baines (nee Milena Fleischmann) is featured on Bob Simon's 60 Minutes story "Saving the Children."

(This document was saved by Eva Fleischmann, and does not appear in the scrapbook).

Ruth Steckelmacher

One of the children Nicholas Winton tried to help was 13-year-old Ruth Steckelmacher. In order to appeal to prospective parents, Steckelmacher included pictures of herself and a recommendation letter from a clothing designer she worked with in Prague. Suse Rotter, the designer, wrote of Ruth's talent in dealing with models and colors. On an adjacent page in the scrapbook are two sketches of her fashion designs.

Watch the 60 Minutes Overtime report, "The things she carried"

"Transport postponed"

This telegram demonstrates how difficult it was to organize a transport from Prague, as trains were often delayed.

The telegram, dated March 12, 1939, was sent by Trevor Chadwick, Nicholas Winton's counterpart in Prague with the text: "Transport postponed. Probably Tuesday."

Watch the 60 Minutes Overtime report, "The things she carried"

A response from President Roosevelt

On May 16, 1939, Nicholas Winton wrote to President Roosevelt asking if the Americans could take in any of the children. Winton received this letter from Rudolf E. Schoenfeld, first secretary of the American embassy in London, in response to the letter he sent the president.

Watch Bob Simon's report, "Saving the Children"

To Queen Mary

This letter from the mother of a 9-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter was sent to Queen Mary in the spring of 1939. According to Dr. David Silberklang, senior historian at Yad Vashem's Research Institute, the mother pleaded with the Queen writing (in German), "I'm writing to you as one mother to another. Please help me save my children." On the bottom left corner is a stamp from the Office of the Private Secretary to Her Majesty Queen Mary Marlborough House, which states, "This letter has not been acknowledged."

Watch the 60 Minutes Overtime report, "The things she carried"

"My dear Ma"

Nicholas Winton wrote this letter to his mother on January 18, 1939. He refers to her as, "My dear Ma."

Watch the 60 Minutes Overtime report, "The things she carried"

Nicholas Winton's mother

Nicholas Winton's mother Barbara is seen here answering phones in her son's London office. Mrs. Winton took on such a major role in the rescue missions that many of the thank you letters in the scrapbook are specifically addressed to "Mrs. Winton."

Watch the 60 Minutes Overtime report, "The things she carried"

A photo thanks

This is one of the thank you letters in the scrapbook written to Nicholas Winton's mother Barbara.

Watch Bob Simon's report, "Saving the Children"

Thank you Mrs. Winton

In this letter, a woman by the name of Martha Frank writes from Prague thanking Mrs. Winton for placing her son Tomy Frank.

Watch Bob Simon's report, "Saving the Children"

669 children saved

This excerpt of a report from October 1939 shows the number of children that Nicholas Winton saved: 669.

Watch the 60 Minutes Overtime report, "The things she carried"

A London diary

This newspaper article from June 10, 1939, mentions the arrival of 130 Czech children at a Liverpool Street platform. There is great color and detail about the meetings between the foster families and children -- how the families knew very little about what to expect and many children were unaware of the nature of their trip.

Watch the 60 Minutes Overtime report, "The things she carried"

Thank you Mr. Winton

Here is an example of one of the many thank you letters addressed to Nicholas Winton in the scrapbook.

Watch Bob Simon's report, "Saving the Children"