Arthur D. Dubin, 1923-2011, began architectural study at the U. of Michigan, was drafted, attended the Army Special Training Program (ASTP) at Lake Forest College in 1943, participated in the invasions of Leyte (Philippines) and Okinawa in the Pacific (1944-45), and returned with decorations to finish his architectural degree at Michigan.  

By the summer of 1949, by then working in his father's Chiccago architectural firm, Arthur Dubin took a young architect's trip to Europe, traveling by ship--a student one, the S. S. Volendam. A "passionate pilgrim" as Henry James dubbed the type or a "culture-vulture" as Dubin himself described the Volendam's passengers, Dubin kept a diary, sent postcards home, and did colored pencil sketches. When he returned he put this all into a scrapbook of his travels in post-war Europe--from Britain to Italy, Frrance, Switzerland, Belgium, and the Ndtherlands--the "Grand Tour," with a map on the front showing his route. His interest in trains and transportation, travel, hotels, restaurants and routes, in addition to his architectural interests (including sketching), make his account of his travels noteworthy. The scrapbook contains in addition snapshot photographs, tourist maps, hotel brochures and bills, timetables, menus, and other travel ephemera--things Dubin would collect carefully for the next half century. As he prepares to return from Amsterdam a cable from his father announced that they have secured the commission for a marine Drive, Chicago, apartment buidling and that Arthur should "hurry home."  

This digitized version is dark, but items can be rescanned on request.