Smithsonian Libraries

Tommi Parzinger collection, 1935-1981

Summary

Collection ID:
SIL-CH.1998-19-1
Creators:
Robsjohn-Gibbings, T. H. (Terence Harold), 1905-1976
Parzinger, Tommi, 1903-1981.
Dates:
1935-1981
Languages:
Undetermined
.
Physical Description:
5 Cubic feet
Repository:
This collection does not represent the entire Parzinger archive. The German firm, K.P.M., has the drawings Parzinger produced for the line of ceramics and a part of the documentation for the work in the United States was damaged or lost in a 1951 flood in the Madison Avenue office. However, enough of the archive remains to document a significant part of the designer's work from the 1940s-1970s. Included in the collection are brochures, ad sheets, magazine pages, chart-like sheets of furniture designs, drawings or blueprints, clippings, photographs, press articles, and pages of notes. The collection does not include business papers which were deliberately excluded for space reasons.

Arrangement note

Arrangement note
Materials are arranged into ten record groups: I. Furniture Designs for Willow & Reed, Salterini, Parzinger Originals and others; II. Silver Design; III. Ceramic/China Design; IV. Designs for Objects made of non-precious metals; V. Objects of Miscellaneous or Obscure Materials; VI. Designs for Enamel Work; VII. Designs for Textiles and/or Wallcoverings; IX. Lighting Fixture Design (electric); and X. Miscellaneous Items. There are also seven 3-ring binders containing photographs of Parzinger's furniture, silver, ceramics, and metalwork from the 1930s--the 1970s. There are notes on the backs of many of the photographs. There are also sketches of his designs for clients. Binder 7 contains photographs of 63 furniture designs by T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings.

Biographical/Historical note

Biographical/Historical note
Tommi (Anton) Parzinger (1903-1981) was born in Munich and received professional design training there at the Kunstgewebeschule (School of Arts and Crafts).He began his career as a freelance designer in Germany and Austria, working in ceramics, wallpapers, lighting, textiles, and furniture. In 1932 he came to the United States as a prize for winning a poster contest for North German Lloyd, the steamship company. In 1935 he settled in New York and became associated with Rena Rosenthal ("smart furniture and accessories shop") as a designer of china, glassware and furniture. Furniture became is primary focus in 1938 he became a designer for Charak of Boston. In 1939 he formed his own business, Parzinger, Inc., 54 East 57th Street, designing silver as well as furniture. Renamed Parzinger Originals in 1946, the firm also had addresses at 32 East 57th Street; 601 Fifth Avenue and 441 Madison Avenue. Donald Cameron became his partner. In addition to his own firm, he designed furniture, fabrics, lighting and a range of accessories for other firms, including Salterini (wrought iron), Hofstatter (furniture), Dorlyn (brass), and Willow & Reed (rattan). He also produced custom designs for interior decorators and many private clients. In 1996 and 1998 his work was shown by Palumbo Gallery, 972 Lexington Avenue, New York City.

Administration

Immediate Source of Acquisition note
All materials were donated to the museum by Donald Cameron in 1998.
Separated Materials note
The Cooper-Hewitt departments of Drawings and Prints, Applied Arts, and Textiles and Wallcoverings has additional materials on Parzinger in their collections.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access note
Unprocessed; access is limited; Permission of Library Director required; Policy.

More Information

Bibliography

Bibliography
English & French furniture and decorations ... with silver designed by Tommi Parzinger. New York : Parke-Bernet Galleries, Inc., 1941.

Other Finding Aids note

Other Finding Aids note
No finding aid available. A detailed biography of Parzinger was prepared by Gail Davidson.


Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Photographic prints Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Clippings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Design -- History -- 20th century -- Sources Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Interior designers -- United States Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Blueprints Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Catalogs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Industrial designers -- Germany Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Industrial designers -- United States Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Drawings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Awards Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Articles Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Furniture designers -- Germany Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Furniture designers -- United States Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Interior designers -- Germany Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sketches Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Correspondence Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Widdicomb, William. Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Tritt, Olga. Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Textile Workers Union of America Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Rosenthal, Rena. Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Parzinger, Tommi, 1903-1981. Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Parzinger Originals (Firm) Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Palumbo Gallery Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Norddeutscher Lloyd Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Katzenbach & Warren Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Cooper-Hewitt Design Archive Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Charak of Boston Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Cameron, Donald Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
American Designers' Institute Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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