Monday, August 03, 2009

Dina Gottliebova Babbitt, 1923-2009

Dina Gottliebova Babbitt, an Auschwitz concentration camp inmate who survived by creating artwork of fellow prisoners for Nazi doctor Josef Mengele, and years later fought to have her work returned to her from the Auschwitz museum, died on July 29.

After WWII she became the second of three wives of animator and union leader Art Babbitt. Starting in the early 1950s she worked as an assistant animator at Lew Bunin Productions, the Billancourt studio in Paris, Warner Bros., Bill Melendez, Phil Duncan, Reel 3 and Hanna-Barbera. She joined Local 839 in 1965 as an assistant animator at Filmfair. She worked for Format, Bakshi, Krantz and again briefly for Warner Bros. According to Cartoon Brew, she worked on Tweety and Wile E. Coyote cartoons and Cap'n Crunch commercials.

Kevin Koch reported on the controversy over her artwork in the TAG Blog, and later posted a transcript of an interview with the artist.

Her family has vowed to continue the campaign for the return of the artwork to her estate. More on the Free Dina's Art blog.

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