Finding aid for the Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann drawings and papers, 1924-1936 2002.M.18
Jennifer Maiko Kishi
Special Collections
2013
1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 1100
Los Angeles 90049-1688
Business Number: (310) 440-7390
Fax Number: (310) 440-7780
reference@getty.edu
Contributing Institution:
Special Collections
Title: Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann drawings and papers
Creator:
Ruhlmann, Émile-Jacques, 1879-1933
Creator:
Porteneuve, Alfred
Identifier/Call Number: 2002.M.18
Physical Description:
25 Linear Feet
(11 boxes, 1 roll)
Date (inclusive): 1924-1936
Abstract: The Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann drawings and papers detail the later work of this
French Art Deco interior and furniture designer. This collection of interior design drawings displays a cross section of Ruhlmann's
most productive
period and forms a significant resource for the study of the history of modernism in French decorative arts. Included in this
collection are twenty-four
portfolios for seventeen design projects that document perspective views, floor plans, and interior design details. Materials
are largely visual,
comprised of original sketches, drawings, stencils, and renderings. Scattered throughout the collection are several handwritten
notes, financial
statements, and textual records.
Physical Location: Request access to the physical materials described in this inventory through the
catalog record for this collection. Click here
for the
access policy .
Language of Material: Collection material is in French.
Acquired in 2002.
Projects arranged alphabetically by client name.
Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann, a Parisian interior and furniture designer, was born on August 28, 1879. Ruhlmann, a central figure
in the development of the
French Art Deco movement, was best known for his lavish, luxury interiors for wealthy elites.
Ruhlmann was interested in design from an early age when he began sketching everyday life. In 1900, with no formal training
in cabinetmaking, Ruhlmann
produced his first furniture design. It was at this time that he established a lifelong friendship with the architect and
his future collaborator,
Pierre Patout. In 1901, Ruhlmann began his study of landscape painting, which later became a lifelong hobby. He married Marguerite
Seabrook in 1907.
That same year, after the death of his father, Ruhlmann inherited Société Ruhlmann, his father's business that specialized
in painting, wallpaper, and
mirrors. From 1914 to 1918, Ruhlmann devoted himself to furniture-making after being declared unfit for military services
in 1914. In 1919 he
established the firm Ruhlmann et Laurent (REL) in Paris with Pierre Laurent, his friend and fellow decorating contractor.
In the 1920s, Ruhlmann joined several organizations, among them the Salon d'Automne and Société des Artistes Décorateurs.
He was also involved in
numerous exhibitions, including the
Salon d'Automne and the 1925 Paris
Exposition Internationale
des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes
. Ruhlmann's Pavillon du Collectionneur (also known as the Hôtel du Collectionneur) in the 1925
Exposition, was the most admired attraction at the fair and brought much fame and success to Ruhlmann. In 1924, Éditions Albert
Morancé published
"Harmonies": Intérieurs de Ruhlmann, a portfolio of Ruhlmann's interior design works from 1918 to 1924, presented by Romanian
architect, Jean Badovici.
In August 1933, after a sudden illness, Ruhlmann wrote a detailed will planning the closure of his business upon his death.
Ruhlmann died in Paris on
November 15, 1933.
During the course of his life Ruhlmann changed his first name from Jacques-Émile to Émile-Jacques, leading to a certain amount
of confusion among
scholars as to the correct form of his name. He was registered as Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann at birth and many publications of
his time referred to him as
such. Among his colleagues and friends, he was known variously as Jacques-Émile, Émile, and Milo, though he was most commonly
referred to as Ruhlmann.
Ruhlmann himself appears to have preferred Émile-Jacques, EJ, or Émile, as evidenced in many written records he created. Moreover,
many of his earlier
works have monogrammed initials arranged as either EJR or ER, though over time he simplified this to just his last initial
R.
Open for use by qualified researchers.
Contact
Library Reproductions and
Permissions
.
Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann drawings and papers, 1924-1936, The Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles, Accession no. 2002.M.18.
http://hdl.handle.net/10020/cifa2002m18
Jennifer Maiko Kishi rehoused and created the finding aid for the collection in 2013 under the supervision of Ann Harrison.
The Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann drawings and papers held by the Getty Research Institute represent only a portion of the designer's
archive. Further
collections of Ruhlmann's drawings are held by the Musée des Années 30 and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.
Scope and Content of Collection
The Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann drawings and papers detail the later work of this French Art Deco interior and furniture designer.
This collection of
interior design drawings displays a cross section of Ruhlmann's most productive period and forms a significant resource for
the study of the history of
modernism in French decorative arts. Though many of the materials are undated, based on drawing and paper inscriptions from
the collection, dealer's
inventory, and research, the materials can be dated to between 1924 and 1936. Project titles are based on information provided
in portfolio inscriptions
and dealer's inventory.
Included in this collection are twenty-four portfolios for seventeen design projects that document perspective views, floor
plans, furniture designs,
and interior design details. Materials are largely visual, comprised of original sketches, drawings, stencils, and renderings.
Scattered throughout the
collection are several handwritten notes, financial statements, and textual records. The portfolios are labeled by project,
but some drawings may be
incorrectly filed.
Ruhlmann was a prolific "ensemblier" who designed furniture, wallpaper, carpet, floor coverings, window draperies, upholstery,
and lighting. This
collection provides rare visual documentation of Ruhlmann's conceptual design works through preliminary drawings and sketches.
Notable clients
represented in the collection include: André Tardieu, French Prime Minister from the 1920s; Daniël George Van Beuningen, Dutch
collector and
businessman; André Granet, architect; and Paul Rodier, textile and silk producer. The collection also provides documentation
of Ruhlmann's last major
interior design project for André Granet. This project began in 1932 and was completed by Alfred Porteneuve, Ruhlmann's nephew,
in 1934 after Ruhlmann's
death.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Furniture design -- France -- History -- 20th century
Interior decoration -- France -- History -- 20th century
Presentation drawings
Art Deco -- France
Decoration and ornament -- Art Deco
Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann drawings and papers
box 1*, folder 1-2
box 1*, folder 3
Apartment for Mr. and Mrs. Gianotti, circa 1933
box 2*, folder 1-4
Portfolio and envelope containing preliminary sketches for interior studies, perspective drawings and sketches, and floor plans
box 2*, folder 5-6
Portfolio containing annotated perspective drawings and sketches of interiors, floor plans, and stencils
box 3*, folder 1-2
Portfolio containing annotated preliminary sketches, perspective drawings of interiors, floor plans, and stencils
box 3*, folder 3
box 3*, folder 4
box 4*, folder 1
box 4*, folder 2
box 4*, folder 3
box 4*, folder 4
box 5*, folder 1-3
box 6*, folder 1-3
Office for Mrs. Rodier, circa 1931
box 7*, folder 1-3
box 8*, folder 3
box 8*, folder 1-2
Small drawings
roll 1**
Oversize drawings
box 9*, folder 1-5
box 10*, folder 1-3
box 11*, folder 1