INVENTORY OF THE LAEMMLE GALLERY PHOTOGRAPHS DOCUMENTING THE LAEMMLE ART BUSINESS, MUNICH AND LOS ANGELES, 1894-1993
Finding aid prepared by Christi Richardson and Ted Walbye.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Laemmle Gallery photographs documenting the Laemmle art business, Munich and Los Angeles
Date (inclusive): 1894-1993
Number: 93.P.1
Creator/Collector:
Laemmle Gallery
Physical Description:
17.0 linear feet
(43 boxes)
Repository:
The Getty Research Institute
Special Collections
1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 1100
Los Angeles, California, 90049-1688
(310) 440-7390
Abstract: This collection of glass negatives, photographs, and tearsheets was assembled by art dealers Siegfried and Walter Laemmle
in the course of pursuing business in Munich and Los Angeles and represents the remaining records of their business.
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Language: Collection material is in
English
Biographical / Historical Note
Siegfried Laemmle was an art dealer in Munich for over 40 years. Walter Laemmle and family continued to deal in decorative
arts and furniture when the family immigrated to Los Angeles during World War II.
Administrative Information
Access
Open for use by qualified researchers.
Publication Rights
Preferred Citation
Lammmle Gallery photographs documenting the Laemmle art business, Munich and Los Angeles, 1894-1993, Research Library, The
Getty Research Institute, Accession no. 93.P.1
Acquisition Information
Acquired in 1993.
Processing History
Processed by Christi Richardson and Ted Walbye, 1997.
Scope and Content of Collection
This collection of glass negatives, photographs, and tearsheets was assembled by art dealers Siegfried and Walter Laemmle
in the course of pursuing business in Munich and Los Angeles and represents the remaining records of their business.
Almost all of the glass negatives and many of the prints record objects that passed through Siegfried Laemmle's Munich shops
(first on Karlstrasse, later on Lenbachplatz and Briennerstrasse) over a 40-year period. These images are the only remaining
documents of Laemmle's business in the art market in Germany before World War II. Most of the works depicted are late medieval
and early Renaissance sculptures, including several by Tilman Riemenschneider. There are also several interior views of the
Munich shops showing art objects offered for sale. Tearsheets from books and journals and commercial photographic prints constitute
a picture reference collection.
Approximately one-fifth of the glass negatives and a few of the prints are personal images, depicting Laemmle family members
and groups. The collection also contains a recorded interview made on May 17, 1993 with Walter Laemmle and his business associate
Roger-F. Bettlé, and Myra Orth and Frances Terpak of the Getty Research Institute. The digitized version is available online.
Connect to digitized audio recording. Access is available on-site only.
Arrangement note
Arranged in 3 series:
Series I. Glass negatives, circa 1894-1990;
Series II. Photographs of sculpture and decorative arts, and family, circa 1894-1993;
Series III. Photographs and clippings of paintings, drawings, prints, circa 1894-1990
Indexing Terms
Subjects - Topics
Art dealers--California--Los Angeles
Art dealers--Germany--Munich
Art--Germany--Munich--Marketing
Sculpture, Medieval
Sculpture, Renaissance
Genres and Forms of Material
Audiocassettes
Black-and-white glass slides
Black-and-white prints (photographs)
Clippings (information artifacts)
Interviews
Oral histories (document genres)
Contributors
Laemmle, Siegfried
Laemmle, Walter
Riemenschneider, Tilman, d. 1531
Container List
Series I.
Glass negatives,
ca. 1894-1990
Physical Description:
ca. 650 items
Scope and Content Note
Subjects depicted are primarily the objects handled by the family dealership: sculpture, furniture, and decorative arts. Includes
circa 135 family images and images of the interior of the gallery in Munich.
Box 1
Personal images: family
Physical Description:
17.0 items
Scope and Content Note
3 x 5 glass negatives.
Box 2
Decorative arts
Physical Description:
21.0 items
Scope and Content Note
Ceramic and glassware, clocks, frames, jewelry, metalwork, scientific instruments, tools, sculpture, paintings. 3x5 glass
negatives.
Box 3
Paintings and sculpture
Physical Description:
21.0 items
Scope and Content Note
5x7 glass plates.
Box 4
Sculpture
Physical Description:
21.0 items
Scope and Content Note
Animals and architectural decorations. 5x7 glass negatives.
Box 5
Sculpture
Physical Description:
20.0 items
Scope and Content Note
Architectural decorations. 5x7 glass negatives.
Box 6
Sculpture
Physical Description:
21.0 items
Scope and Content Note
Images of Christ and sculptures of the Virgin Mary. 5x7 glass negatives.
Box 7
Sculpture
Physical Description:
22.0 items
Scope and Content Note
Sculptures of the Virgin Mary. 5x7 glass negatives.
Box 8
Sculpture
Physical Description:
21.0 items
Scope and Content Note
Putti and reliefs. 5x7 glass negatives.
Box 9
Sculpture
Physical Description:
21.0 items
Scope and Content Note
Reliefs and religious narratives. 5x7 glass negatives.
Box 10
Sculpture
Physical Description:
21.0 items
Scope and Content Note
Religious narratives, saints and ecclesiastical figures. 5x7 glass negatives.
Box 11-13
Sculpture
Physical Description:
63.0 items
Scope and Content Note
Saints and ecclesiastical figures. 5x7 glass negatives, 21 per box.
Box 14
Sculpture
Physical Description:
20.0 items
Scope and Content Note
Saints and ecclesiastical figures and secular figures 5x7 glass negatives.
Box 15
Sculpture
Physical Description:
8.0 items
Scope and Content Note
Secular figures. 5x7 glass negatives.
Box 16
Decorative arts
Physical Description:
20.0 items
Scope and Content Note
Calendars, ceramics and glassware. 5x7 glass negatives.
Box 17
Decorative arts
Physical Description:
21.0 items
Scope and Content Note
Ceramics and glassware. 5x7 glass negatives.
Box 18
Decorative arts
Physical Description:
21.0 items
Scope and Content Note
Ceramics and glassware. 5x7 glass negatives.
Box 19
Decorative arts
Physical Description:
21.0 items
Scope and Content Note
Ceramics and glassware, clocks, frames. 5x7 glass negatives.
Box 20
Decorative arts
Physical Description:
21.0 items
Scope and Content Note
Furniture. 5x7 glass negatives.
Box 21
Decorative arts
Physical Description:
21.0 items
Scope and Content Note
Furniture, gameboards, jewelry, lamps, candlesticks, metal objects. 5x7 glass negatives.
Box 22
Decorative arts
Physical Description:
22.0 items
Scope and Content Note
Metal objects and miscellaneous. 5x7 glass negatives.
Box 23
Decorative arts
Physical Description:
8.0 items
Scope and Content Note
Textiles, carpets, needlework, tools. 5x7 glass negatives.
Box 24
Decorative arts
Physical Description:
26.0 items
Scope and Content Note
Musical and scientific instruments, textiles. 5x7 glass negatives.
Box 25
Decorative arts and personal images
Physical Description:
25.0 items
Scope and Content Note
Ceramics and glassware, clocks, frames, furniture, metal, gallery interiors, scientific instruments, watches. 5x7 glass negatives.
Box 26
Paintings and Sculpture
Physical Description:
29.0 items
Scope and Content Note
Altarpieces, animals, architectural decorations, images of the Virgin, reliefs, religious narratives, putti, saints and ecclesiastical
figures. 5x7 glass negatives and b/w acetate negatives and transparencies.
Box 27
Personal images
Physical Description:
21.0 items
Scope and Content Note
Family images, and gallery interior. 5x7 glass negatives.
Box 28-32
Personal images: family
Physical Description:
97.0 images
Scope and Content Note
Family. 5x7 glass negatives.
Box 42-43
Original housing for glass plate negatives
Series II.
Photographs of sculpture and decorative arts, and family,
ca. 1894-1993
Physical Description:
4.0 box(es)
Scope and Content Note
Photographs of sculpture and decorative objects handled by the gallery. Also includes family photographs.
Box 33
Sculpture
Scope and Content Note
Altarpieces, animals, architectural decorations, works by Donatello, images of Christ, sculptures of the Virgin, nativity
scenes, putti, reliefs.
Box 34
Sculpture
Scope and Content Note
Religious narratives, saints and ecclesiastical figures, and secular figures.
Box 35
Decorative arts
Scope and Content Note
Ceramic and glassware, clocks, decorative paintings and drawings, frames, furniture.
Box 36
Decorative arts and personal images
Scope and Content Note
Ivory, jewelry, lamps, candlesticks, metal, misc., musical and scientific instruments, textiles, carpets, costumes, tools,
watches, and family photographs.
Series III.
Photographs and clippings of paintings, drawings, prints,
ca. 1894-1990
Physical Description:
5.0 box(es)
Scope and Content Note
Photographs and printed materials documenting Northern Schools, French, and Italian artists. These images were collected by
the gallery and used for research. Arranged in alphabetical order by artist. Included in this series is a recorded interview
with Walter Laemmle, conducted by Getty Research Institute staff in May 1993.
Box 38
Cranach (the Elder), Lucas
Box 38
Flindt (the Younger), Paul
Box 38
Master of the St. Bartholomew Altarpiece
Box 39
Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von
Box 39
Holbein (the Younger), Hans
Box 40
Master of the Dortmund Altarpiece
Box 40
Master of the Holy Kinship
Box 41
Tiepolo, Giovanni Battista
Box 41
Waldmüller, Ferdinand Georg
Box 44
Interview with Walter Laemmle,
1993 May 17
Interview with Walter Laemmle, 1993 May 17 (digital version available on-site only)
Physical Description:
1 sound cassette : analog ; 2 x 1 in
Scope and Content Note
Interview conducted at the Getty Research Institute by curators, Francis Terpak and Myra Orth, with Roger-F. Bettlé (Walter
Laemmle's business partner) present.
