adelyn dohme was born in 1896 in baltimore to alfred robert louis dohme and emmie blumner (dohme). in 1918, she received her bachelor's degree from the boston school of fine arts, crafts, and decorative design. breeskin then served as an assistant in the print department of the metropolitan museum of art with kathryn b. child under the curator of prints, william mills ivins. in 1920, she married the violinist elias breeskin (1895–1969), but the couple divorced in 1930.