An Empire Style Mahogany Pedestal Desk, By Kahn, Paris

Anita Kahn was born in Jersey City on February 23, 1920, the daughter of Morris and Pauline Goretsky, Russian immigrants. Anita's father was a dry goods salesman and her mother was a seamstress. She met her future husband, Arthur Edward Kahn, who became a prominent New York dentist, on a blind date. His father had been a candy store owner, and his mother a housewife. After serving on an Air Force base in Texas during the Second World War, Anita and Arthur moved to Manhattan, where he began his dental practice. Anita had been an art student at Temple University and during the 50s, she resumed her studies at The New School for Social Research as a student of Moses Soyer, Richard Pousette-Dart and Anthony Toney. This rekindled interest in the arts led in the following decades to Anita and Arthur becoming art collectors and patrons of the arts. Anita was known for her beauty, flair for dressing, acumen, and her sharp wit.