Ina Rosen Friedman was born January 5, 1926, in Chester, Pennsylvania. She was the daughter of Jacob Sidney, a paper jobber, and Libby Leibowitz Rosen, a homemaker.

Exploring old things started as a young child for Rosen. She would visit her father's wholesale paper company that sold paper bags, napkins, toilet paper, sticky tape, school supplies, and even Halloween masks.

She would take the creaky elevator to the warehouse's third floor and poke around in the boxes that held little-known treasures from the early twentieth century.

Rosen also showed an interest in writing as a child. She wrote plays and short stories, but the fear of being laughed at prevented her from showing them to anyone.

Friedman received her bachelor of arts degree from Pennsylvania State University in 1946. The author married Sol Friedman on August 11, 1946. They raised four children: Ronne, Wendy, Lynn, and Loren. After becoming...