Laemmle Gallery photographs documenting the Laemmle art business, Munich and Los Angeles, 1894-1993

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.

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

Restrictions

Access

Open for use by qualified researchers.

Publication Rights

Contact Library Reproductions and Permissions.

Indexing Terms

Subjects - Topics

Genres and Forms of Material

Contributors

Administrative Information

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

http://hdl.handle.net/10020/cifa93p1

Acquisition Information

Acquired in 1993.

Processing History

Processed by Christi Richardson and Ted Walbye, 1997.

Container List