Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Joseph Ternbach Papers, 1915-1985, in the Archives of American Art.

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.ternjose
Creators:
Ternbach, Joseph, 1897-1982
Dates:
1915-1985
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
1 Linear foot
Repository:
The papers of sculpture conservator and restorer Joseph Ternbach measure 1.0 linear feet and date from 1915-1985. The papers include biographical material, correspondence, financial records, and printed material.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The papers of sculpture conservator and restorer Joseph Ternbach measure 1.0 linear feet and date from 1915-1985. The papers include biographical material, correspondence, financial records, and printed material.
Correspondence is with colleagues and customers including Mrs. Marcel Duchamp, John Woodman Higgins, Joseph Hirshhorn, Thomas T. Hoopes, Abram Lerner, Henry Moore, E. P. Richardson, and Homer Saint-Gaudens. Also found are letters from Alfred Barr concerning the restoration of Brancusi's, "Bird in Flight." Financial records contain material on the Gold and Silversmiths' Association dues and invoices for restoration work. Printed material includes the by-laws of the Gold and Silversmiths' Association, articles by and about Ternbach, exhibition catalogs and announcements featuring artifacts from Ternbach's collection, and booklets about antiques.

Arrangement

Arrangement
Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Joseph Ternbach (1897-1982) was a sculpture conservator and restorer born in Vienna, Austria. In 1939, he and his family fled Nazi Germany and resettled in Forest Hills, New York where he continued his work as a conservator.

Administration

Author
Caroline Donadio
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The Joseph Ternbach papers were donated by Ternbach's wife, Anna, in 1982, 1985, and 1987.
Processing Information
The collection was processed by Jean Fitgerald in 1991. A finding aid was written by Caroline Donadio in 2019.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center.
Preferred Citation
Joseph Ternbach papers, 1915-1985. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Restorers -- New York (State) -- Forest Hills, Queens Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sculpture -- Conservation and restoration Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Art -- Conservation and restoration Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Conservators -- New York (State) -- Forest Hills, Queens Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Moore, Henry, 1898-1986 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Brancusi, Constantin, 1876-1957 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Barr, Alfred H., Jr., 1902-1981 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Saint-Gaudens, Homer, 1880-1958 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Richardson, Edgar Preston, 1902-1985 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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