Preferred Citation
Francis Henry Lenygon and Jeannette Becker Lenygon architectural records and papers, circa 1910s-1960s, Department of Drawings & Archives, Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library, Columbia University.
COinS Metadata
available (e.g., for Zotero).
Summary Information
At a Glance
| CLIO record: | View CLIO record |
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| Creator(s): | Lenygon, Francis Henry, 1877-1943. |
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| Title: | Francis Henry Lenygon and Jeannette Becker Lenygon architectural records and papers,
circa 1910-1967.
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| Physical description: | Drawings, photographs, papers : (19 archives boxes ; 11 manuscript boxes ; 3 print boxes; 1 portfolio)
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| Language(s): |
Materials are in English.
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| Access: |
This collection is
available for use by qualified readers by appointment in the Dept. of Archives & Drawings' Reading Room, Avery Architectural
and Fine Arts Library at Columbia University. The majority of this collection is maintained in off-site storage and must retrieved with advance
notification. For further information and to make an appointment to use this collection, please call (212) 854-4110 or email avery-drawings@libraries.columbia.edu.
More information » |
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Arrangement
Arrangement
The collection is made up of eight series:
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Description
Scope and Content
This collection includes architectural drawings,
holograph and typescript papers, business and financial records,
black and white photographs, lantern slides, diaries, scrapbooks,
and printed papers relating to the professional work and interests
of Francis Henry Lenygon and Jeannette Becker Lenygon.
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Using the Collection
Access Restrictions
This collection is
available for use by qualified readers by appointment in the Dept. of Archives & Drawings' Reading Room, Avery Architectural
and Fine Arts Library at Columbia University. The majority of this collection is maintained in off-site storage and must retrieved with advance
notification. For further information and to make an appointment to use this collection, please call (212) 854-4110 or email avery-drawings@libraries.columbia.edu.
Restrictions on Use
Columbia University is providing access to the materials in the Library's collections solely for noncommercial educational and research purposes. The unauthorized use, including, but not limited to, publication of the materials without the prior written permission of Columbia University is strictly prohibited. All inquiries regarding permission to publish should be submitted in writing to the Director, Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library, Columbia University. In addition to permission from Columbia University, permission of the copyright owner (if not Columbia University) and/or any holder of other rights (such as publicity and/or privacy rights) may also be required for reproduction, publication, distributions, and other uses. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of any item and securing any necessary permissions rests with the persons desiring to publish the item. Columbia University makes no warranties as to the accuracy of the materials or their fitness for a particular purpose.
Preferred Citation
Francis Henry Lenygon and Jeannette Becker Lenygon architectural records and papers, circa 1910s-1960s, Department of Drawings & Archives, Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library, Columbia University.
For Further Information
For more information about using the collections and conducting research in the Department of Drawings & Archives, please see our FAQ.
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About the Finding Aid / Processing Information
This collection was processed by Catherine Fischer (Graduate Archival Intern) under the supervision of
Shelley Hayreh, in 2015-2016
CLIO ID: 6468144 View CLIO record
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Index Terms
The names and terms listed below are represented in this collection. Links below allow searches at Columbia University through the Archival Collections Portal and through CLIO, the catalog for Columbia University Libraries, as well as ArchiveGRID, a consortial/union catalog offered by OCLC that allows users to search the holdings of multiple archives and libraries.
All links open new windows.
Subjects
| Heading | CUL Archives:
Portal | CUL Collections:
CLIO | Nat'l / Int'l Archives:
ArchiveGRID |
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History / Biographical Note
History
Born in England in 1877, Frances Henry Lenygon was trained as a cabinetmaker and studied at
the South Kensington Museum in London. By 1900, he found work with Art Workshops,
Ltd., and soon after with Charles Duveen, son of Sir Joseph Duveen. Employed
by C.J. Charles for several years, Lenygon became well-known as cabinetmaker
to England's artisocracy. He opened his own firm, Lenygon & Co., in 1904,
and in 1912 merged with Morant & Co., to become Lenygon & Morant,
holding royal warrants under four successive British kings.
In 1910, Lenygon
made his first visit to the United States to supervise the interior decoration
of Whitlaw Reid, and soon opened a New York branch of his firm. As in England,
Lenygon's American clients were wealthy and sophisticated and relied on Lenygon
to furnish authentic and reproduction interiors in period styles. In the 1930s,
Lenygon was hired by Nelson Rockfeller to serve as a major consultant to the
reconstruction of Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia, and selected all the
furnishings for the Governor's Palace there.
Lenygon was widely known for his
expertise in 17th- and 18th-century British furniture and interiors and lectured
widely on the subjects. He served as president of the American Institute of
Decorators and the Art and Antiques Dealers League of America. He was also a
Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and the North British Academy.
Lenygon died
in New York City in 1943. He was survived by his second wife, Jeanette Becker
Lennygon, whom he married in 1926.
Jeannette Becker Lenygon was a well-respected interior
designer, best known for her redecoration of several rooms in the White House
during John F. Kennedy's presidency and for the interior redesign of Gracie
Mansion for New York mayor John Lindsay. She was also a founding member of the
American Institute of Interior Designers. Jeannette died in Evanston, Illinois,
in 1977.
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