First edition of the memoirs of Annie (“Ans”) Leontine Willy Samama-Polak (1924-2023), published on the occasion of her 90th birthday. Printed in a limited edition of 100 numbered copies, this copy has a manuscript dedication to Rik van Dam (1950-2018).
 
Growing up in a nurturing and scholarly household, Ans was the daughter of the illustrious philosopher Leo Polak (1880-1941), whose family home in Groningen boasted a treasured and well-stocked library. While she was aware of her Jewish identity, her father, an atheist, raised his children in a secular environment.
 
Unlike her father and one of her sisters, Ans survived the war, despite having been caught by the infamous Nazi Ferdinand aus der Fünten several times. Post World War II, she married Sylvio Samama (1925-1992) and developed into an important Mensendieck therapist, helping countless musicians around the world. The cello and music, in general, were pivotal throughout her remarkable life, which is clearly illustrated in the title of her memoirs. The volume is illustrated with 26 pages of photographs.
 
Rik van Dam (1950-2018), the dedicatee of this copy, was the partner of publisher and passionate book collector Johan Polak (1928-1992), who commissioned Carel Willink to paint Rik’s portrait.
 
An English translation of Ans’s memoirs was published posthumously on the occasion of her 100th birthday, on 21 May 2024. This first Dutch edition is not listed in WorldCat.