Meijer Bleekrode was the son of Benjamin Bleekrode and Regina Boekman. The entire Bleekrode family worked in the diamond industry. Meijer Bleekrode learned to polish diamonds, but felt drawn to the art world. After completing his art education at the Quelliniusschool and Rijksnormaalschool, he decided to use his artistic talents for the socialist cause. His designs for the SDAP and the Algemeen Nederlandse Diamantbewerkersbond [the diamond-workers’ union] included posters and book covers. From 1927, he illustrated De Notenkraker, the Sunday supplement to the newspaper Het Volk.
In August 1942, Meijer Bleekrode went into hiding with his wife and two children. He and his wife were captured and deported.
After the war the two children collected the art works of Meijer Bleekrode, and eventually donated them to the Jewish Historical Museum in Amsterdam.
Addition of a visitor of the website
See for a biography (in Dutch) on Meijer Bleekrode the website Biografisch Woordenboek van het Socialisme en de Arbeidersbeweging in Nederland and also the website of the Jewish Historical Museum.
See for further information: R. Fuks-Mansfeld (red.), Joden in Nederland in de twintigste eeuw. Een biografisch woordenboek (Utrecht 2007) 27.