The Jewish Encyclopedia
of Western Pennsylvania
A project of the Rauh Jewish Archives at the Heinz History Center
Gershko “Harry” Wolkin (c1877-c1931) immigrated to Philadelphia from Brest-Litovsk around 1895. According to family legend, he was drawing in the dirt one day when a passing woman recognized his talent and sponsored him to attend the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. He attended the school from 1896 to 1898.
With his future wife Rose Zolotist, Wolkin relocated to Pittsburgh around 1903. He worked at the Imperial Art Studio at 1106 Fifth Ave. as a portrait painter and is credited as an early member of the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh in 1910. He lived at 837 Estella Ave. in the Beltzhoover neighborhood of Pittsburgh until around 1922 or 1923, when he relocated to New York.
Wolkin appears to have been primarily a portrait painter. At some point in the early 20th century, Rodef Shalom Congregation commissioned Wolkin to produce a portrait of Dr. J. Leonard Levy.