Smithsonian Institution Archives

Joseph H. Hirshhorn Papers, 1921-1981, 1996

Summary

Collection ID:
SIA.FA17-126
Creators:
Hirshhorn, Joseph H.
Dates:
1921-1981, 1996
Languages:
English
Physical Description:
1.88 cu. ft. (1 record storage box) (1 16x20 box) (0.19 non- standard size boxes)
Repository:
Smithsonian Institution Archives

Descriptive Entry

Descriptive Entry
This accession consists of papers of Joseph H. Hirshhorn. Joseph Hirshhorn was born in Latvia in 1899 and immigrated to the United States in 1905 with his mother and siblings. At twelve, Mr. Hirshhorn left school to sell newspapers and by fourteen he was working in the firm that would later become the American Stock Exchange. At seventeen, Mr. Hirshhorn established himself as a broker, and later invested in Canadian mining in the 1930s. This led to his eventual ownership of multiple uranium mines. Along with working as a businessman, Mr. Hirshhorn was an avid art collector and donated large sums of money to support the arts. In 1966 it was announced that he would donate his art collection to the United States, which would be housed in what would become the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden (HMSG).
This collection is comprised of Hirshhorn family photographs, correspondence, Mr. Hirshhorn's immigration documents, some news articles pertaining to Mr. Hirshhorn's uranium business, photographs of Mr. Hirshhorn with various artists, documents regarding the HMSG, photographs from Mr. Hirshhorn's funeral, awards from the mining industry, and related materials. The items in this collection were donated by Mrs. Olga Hirshhorn, Mr. Hirshhorn's fourth and final wife, as well as his children Gene LePere, Naomi Hirshhorn Caryl (also known as Naomi Caryl Hirshhorn), and Gordon Hirshhorn.

Administration

Author
Finding aid prepared by Smithsonian Institution Archives

Using the Collection

Prefered Citation
Smithsonian Institution Archives, Accession 17-126, Joseph H. Hirshhorn Papers
Access Restriction
Box 1 contains restricted materials; see finding aid.

More Information

Notes

Personal Papers


Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Hirshhorn, Joseph H. Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Hirshhorn, Olga Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
LePere, Gene, 1926- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Hirshhorn, Naomi Caryl Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Hirshhorn family Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Hirshhorn, Gordon Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
American Stock Exchange Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Art -- Collectors and collecting Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Art museums Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Art, Modern Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Mineral industries -- Canada Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Clippings Genre/Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Pamphlets Genre/Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Manuscripts Genre/Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Picture postcards Genre/Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Black-and-white negatives Genre/Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Black-and-white photographs Genre/Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Color photographs Genre/Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Color transparencies Genre/Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Artifacts Genre/Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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