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Joseph Urban papers, 1893-1998

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Series I: Vienna, 1897-1911

This series contains the records of the architecture and design projects from Urban's career in Vienna. It is arranged chronologically divided into five sections: General files-dated, General files-undated, Illustrations, Exhibits and Unidentified. It contains watercolor drawings, rough drawings, technical drawings, photographs, post cards, clippings, playbooks and exhibit catalogs. Of note are the catalogs from the 1902-1908 Hagenbund exhibits and the photographs of the 1908 Kaiserfest.

Subseries I.1: General Files

Bicycle tournament, May 26, 1897 :

Urban built a canopy for the tournament festival and made contributions to the program


Box 1 Folder 1 Program & description

Kaiser Jubilee Bridge, 1898 :

Urban won a competition to design this bridge between the Musikverein and the Künstlerhaus for the celebration of the emperor's 50th year of rule.

3 drawings, watercolor, pencil and ink:


Box B1 Folder 1 --Brucke 1, 29x22 cm., sig.


Box 1 Folder 2 --Brucke 2 & 3, 29x22 cm., sig.

Box 1 Folder 2 2 photographs

Bosnian Pavilion, 1898 :

Also built for the Kaiserfest, the celebration of the emperor's 50th year of rule. See also postcard at Avery Library

Box 1 Folder 3 4 post cards

Rathauskeller, 1899 :

With Heinrich Lefler.

4 drawings, watercolor/ink on board:

Box 1 Folder 4 --Large dining room, 25x18 cm.


Box B1 Folder 2A --Staircase, 30x20 cm.


Box 1 Folder 4 --Die Sage vom Kussdenpfennig


Box B1 Folder 2 --Strauss table, 28x22 cm.


Box B32 6 drawings of murals, watercolor/ink on board


Box 1 Folder 4 2 pencil sketches of murals


Box A Folder 1 Lamps


Box 1 Folder 5 Clipping, Councilmen's room

Box 1 Folder 5 & 6 48 photographs, various views


Box A1 Folder 1 4 photographs, various views


Box 1 Folder 7 51 prints, various views

[See also print and 4 photographs at Avery Library]

Esterházy Estates, 1899, 1903 :

Count Karl Esterházy saw Urban and Lefler's Lady's Room in the Winter Exhibit of 1897/98 at the Austrian museum and commissioned them to design an addition for his country chateau in St. Abraham in Hungary. In 1903 Urban designed a fountain for another Esterházy estate.

8 drawings, watercolor, pencil and ink:

Box 1 Folder 8 --2. decorative detail, 16x17 cm., sig.


Box B1 Folder 3A --II: Fireplace, 25x16 cm.

Box B1 Folder 3 --III: Bedroom, 22x23 cm., sig.

Box B1 Folder 4 --IV: Room with daybed, 26x21 cm., sig.

Box B1 Folder 5 --V: Corner of hall, 27x24 cm.

Box B1 Folder 6 --VI: Dining room, 27x24 cm., sig.

Box B1 Folder 7 --VII: Reception room, 28x24 cm., sig.


Box 1 Folder 8 --Bedroom, 16.5x24 cm.

Box 1 Folder 8 Wall Fountain, magazine print


Box C1 Folder 1 Wall Fountain, ink drawing, 42x30 cm.

[See also photograph of chateau at Avery Library]

Memorial Chapel for Empress Elizabeth, 1901 :

Kaiserin-Elizabeth-Kapelle at Baden bei Wien

4 drawings, watercolor, pencil and ink:


Box 1 Folder 9 --Memorial, view from gate, 17x14 cm.


Box B1 Folder 8 --Memorial, front elevation, 24x23 cm.

Box B1 Folder 9 --Memorial, view from gate, 25x17 (20x14) cm.

Box B1 Folder 10 --Memorial w/ front walkway, 25x17 (20x14) cm.

Wähner House, 1900 :

Theodor Wähner was the Commissioner in charge of the Rathauskeller renovation and the editor of Deutschen Zeitung.


Box 1 Folder 10 2 photographs of building

Box 1 Folder 10 Easter note

Box 1 Folder 10 Clock, watercolor on board, 27x14 (20x9) cm.

Goltz House, Alexander, 1902 :

Urban built and furnished an addition to the house of artist and Hagenbund member, Alexander Goltz on Granzinger Street 87.

2 drawings, watercolor, pencil and ink on board, sig.:

Box 1 Folder 11 --Room, corner & plan, 29x21 (24x19) cm.

Box 1 Folder 11 --Room, table in foreground, 29x21 (24x20) cm.

Von Wiener House and Office, 1902-1903 :

Baron Ritter von Wiener was Minister of Art, director of the Museum for Culture and Teaching and director of the Museum of Arts and Crafts. Von Wiener was a major patron of Urban and Lefler who provided them with government projects. Baron von Wiener took Urban as a delegate to represent Austria at the 1900 Paris World's Fair.

3 drawings, watercolor and ink on board:

Box 1 Folder 12 --Dining Room elevation, 18x30 cm.


Box C1 Folder 2 --Study- floor and elevation, 30x15 cm.

Box C1 Folder 2 --Study corner, 30x15 cm.


Box D1 Folder 1 --North side elevation, 40x40 cm.


Box 1 Folder 12 --Office of the Sectionschef von Stadler, 27x18 cm.


Box C1 Folder 3 5 plans

Spiesejaal Hotel Restaurant, 1905 :

Katowice, Poland (formerly, Kattowitz, Prussia)


Box 1 Folder 13 5 photographs of dining room

Zwischenspiel, 1905

Burgtheater comedy in 3 acts by Arthur Schnitzler

Box 1 Folder 14 Envelope

This folder contains the original envelope for the item, only. Drawing itself is in Box B1.


Box B1 Folder 11 Set sketch

Hopfner Restaurant, Paul, 1906

4 drawings, watercolor:


Box 1 Folder 15 --Doorknob detail, (16x11) cm.

Box 1 Folder 15 --Mantle detail, 20x28 cm.


Box B1 Folder 12 --Entrance elevation, 27x26 cm

Box B1 Folder 12 --Fireplace wall elevation, 26x29 cm.


Box C1 Folder 4 --Wall with mural elevation, 29x48 cm


Box 1 Folder 15 4 photographs of restaurant

Hölle Cabaret, 1906 :

With Heinrich Lefler. Cabaret in the cellar of the Theater an der Wien

Box 1 Folder 16 3 elevations, Theater

4 drawings, watercolor on board:


Box B1 Folder 13 --Elevation, mask wall, 7/30/06, 25x29 cm., sig.

Box B1 Folder 13 --Elevation, devil waltz, 24x29 cm.

Box B1 Folder 13 --Elevation, mask wall, 34x24 cm.

Box B1 Folder 13 --Curtain elevation, 7/30/06, 26x27 cm., sig.


Box 1 Folder 16 Photographs of theater and cabaret

Box 1 Folder 16 Program

Urban Home, Nibelungengasse 8, 1906 :

Donated by Robert Cole in 1995

Box 1 Folder 17 Corner of dining room elevation, 30x20 cm.


Box A1 Folder 2 Salon ground plan, 34x23 cm.

Box A1 Folder 2 Children's room wall elevation, 26x35 cm.

Landau Villa, Dr. Max, 1906 :

Villa am Semmering, Südbahnstr. 83


Box 1 Folder 18 5 plans, detail drawing


Box C1 Folder 5 5 detail drawings


Box 1 Folder 18 7 photographs of house and model

[See also drawing of furniture in Avery Library]

Redlich Villa, Carl, 1906-1907 :

Country house of the owner of the construction contracting firm Redlich and Berger


Box 2 Folder 1 Sketch of house exterior wall, pencil and ink

4 drawings, watercolor, pencil and ink:

Box 2 Folder 1 2 elevations, Else Redlich's room, 20.5x28.5 cm.


Box C1 Folder 6 --elevation of chair and divan, 23.5x34 cm.

Box C1 Folder 6 --elevation of hall, 22x44 cm.


Box 2 Folder 1 --Garden lamp detail, 18x29 cm.


Box C1 Folder 6 Ground plan, ink, 26x24 cm.

Box C1 Folder 6 Ground plan, watercolor and pencil, 41x29 cm.


Mapcase 14-E-11 Folder A.1 2 ground plans, 59x50 cm.


Box 2 Folder 1 5 photographs

Faust I, II, 1906-07 :

Directed by Paul Schlenther with Josef Kainz at the Burgtheater

Box 2 Folder 2 Playbook, German

Box 2 Folder 2 Set notes, 2 p.

2 drawings, watercolor and pencil:

Box 2 Folder 2 --Prologue, Vienna, 1907, 17x21 cm.

Box 2 Folder 2 --Gretchen's Room, 15x28 cm.

Box 2 Folder 2 17 set sketches

Box 2 Folder 2 3 postcards of actors in costume

Aschenbrödel (Cinderella), Vienna Hofoper, 1907 :

Box 2 Folder 3 4 technical drawings

Kaiser Jubilee Festzug, June 12, 1908 :

Celebrating the 60th year of rule of the Emperor Franz Josef.

Box 2 Folder 4 & 5 103 photographs of festival


Box B1 Folder 14 Wiener Zeitung leaflet, 4 p.


Box 2 Folder 5 Program, 12 p.

[See also photograph of pavilion at Avery Library]

Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, 1908, Vienna Hofoper :

Box 2 Folder 6 --I: Church, 18x24 (14x20) cm.


Box B1 Folder 15 --I: Church B, 34x22 cm.


Box 2 Folder 6 --II: Street, 18x24 (14x20) cm.

Box 2 Folder 6 --III.1: workshop, 18x24 (14x20) cm.

Box 2 Folder 6 --IV: Meadow, 18x24 (14x20) cm.

Box 2 Folder 6 2 p. libretto cover

Box 2 Folder 6 15 set elevations


Box C1 Folder 7 4 set elevations

[See also Vienna, 1909-11 and Boston January 23, 1914]

Suburbs, 1909 :


Box 2 Folder 7 7 plans

Tombstones and Chapels, 1909 :

Box 2 Folder 8 5 sketches

Box 2 Folder 8 18 photographs


Box B1 Folder 16 & 17 19 drawings and sketches


Mapcase 14-E-11 Folder A3 Rough sketch

Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), 1909, Leipzig Opernhaus :


Box 2 Folder 9 Libretto

Box 2 Folder 9 5 p. notes

Box 2 Folder 9 12 plans and drawings

Der Fliegende Holländer, 1909, Vienna Volksoper, and Budapest :

Box 2 Folder 10 Libretto

Box 2 Folder 10 Volksoper program, 1909

Box 2 Folder 10 2 plans

Box 2 Folder 10 4 plans, Budapest

Tannhäuser, 1909 :

Box 2 Folder 11 Libretto

Box 2 Folder 11 9 set drawings

Box 2 Folder 11 Program, Volksoper, 1909

Faust, 1909-11, Gounod, Brunswick :

2 watercolor drawings:

Box 2 Folder 12 --am Brunnen, 19x30 cm.

Box 2 Folder 12 --Street, 20x26 cm.

Box 2 Folder 12 Osterspaziergang set sketch

[See also Vienna (Goethe) 1906-07; Boston 2/26/13; Met 11/17/17 and 11/30/23 ]

Quo Vadis?, 1909-11, Budapest, written by J. Nougués :

Box 2 Folder 13 6 set drawings

Oberon, 1909-11, Charlottenburg :

Box 2 Folder 14 Ground plan, island


Box A1 Folder 3 8 set drawings


Box C1 Folder 8 4 drawings & plans

[See also Met, 12/18/18]

Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, 1909-11, Budapest :


Box 2 Folder 6 6 plans

[See also Vienna 1908 and Boston Opera January 23, 1914]

Die Fledermaus, 1909-11, Cologne Opernhaus, written by Johann Strauss :


Box 3 Folder 1 4 set drawings

Der Rosenkavalier, 1909-11, Cologne Opernhaus, written by Richard Strauss :

Box 3 Folder 2 Libretto


Box C1 Folder 9 3 set elevations


Box 3 Folder 2 Article, 2 p.

Salome, 1909-11, Stuttgart Hofoper, written by Richard Strauss :

Box 3 Folder 3 Set sketch

Der Ring Des Nibelungen, 1909-11, Budapest :

Box 3 Folder 4 Essay on Wagner, 17 p.

Box 3 Folder 4 Set notes & inventories, 25 p.

Das Rheingold, Budapest, Brunswick :

Box 3 Folder 4 libretto

Box 3 Folder 4 2 ground plans, Budapest

Box 3 Folder 4 Clipping of set

Box 3 Folder 4 10 plans and sketches


Box D1 Folder 2 4 plans

Die Walküre, Budapest, Mannheim National Theater, 1911 :


Box 3 Folder 5 Libretto


Box C1 Folder 10 5 technical drawings


Box 3 Folder 5 5 sketches and notes

Box 3 Folder 5 3 ground plans

Box 3 Folder 5 2 ground plans, Budapest

Siegfried :

Box 3 Folder 6 2 librettos

Box 3 Folder 6 Clipping of Act III

Box 3 Folder 6 4 sketches and plans


Box A1 Folder 4 2 drawings


Box 3 Folder 6 2 ground plans

Tristan und Isolde, 1909-11 :

Box 3 Folder 7 2 librettos


Box A1 Folder 5 Footwear, watercolor and ink, 32x26 cm.


Box 3 Folder 7 5 technical drawings

Lohengrin, 1909-11, Stuttgart Hofoper :

2 drawings, watercolor :

Box 3 Folder 8 --I: River bank scene, 9x11 (6x10) cm.


Box B1 Folder 18 --Costume drawing, 26x24 cm.


Box 3 Folder 8 4 set drawings, pencil


Box B1 Folder 19 Set drawing, pencil

[See also Metropolitan Opera February 6, 1921]

Zigeunerbaron (Gypsy Baron), 1910 :

By Johan Strauss conducted at the Hofoper by Felix Weingartner.


Box 3 Folder 9 5 set drawings

Der Junge Medardus, 1910 :

Box 3 Folder 10 4 set sketches

Mair House, Dr. Bartl, 1910 :

Dr. Mair was the local doctor for Scheiblingkirchen in lower Austria.

Box 3 Folder 11 Ground plan and rear elevation

Box 3 Folder 11 4 ground plans

Box 3 Folder 11 3 photographs of house

Eisenstein House, Viktor, 1910 :

Gregor-Mendel-Strasse 6. Eisenstein was the Vienna representative for the New York Life Insurance Company.

Box 3 Folder 12 2 drawings, watercolor, sig. :


Box B2 Folder 1 --Front elevation and ground plan, 29x24 (23x15) cm.

Box B2 Folder 1 --ground plan w/ landscaping, 29x24 (24x17) cm.

Benvenuto Cellini, 1911, Hofoper :


Box 3 Folder 13 3 detail drawings

Götterdämmerung, 1911, Mannheim Nationaltheater :

Box 3 Folder 14 5 Roller set & costumes designs

Box 3 Folder 14 12 set drawings


Box B2 Folder 2 2 set drawings

Lanval, 1911 :

Play by Eduard Stucken, Burgtheater

1 drawing, watercolor:


Box 3 Folder 15 --bedroom w/ ground plan

Box 3 Folder 15 Set drawing of bedroom


Mapcase 14-E-11 Folder A.2 2 technical drawings

Gudrun, 1912 :

Opera by Ernst Hardt, Burgtheater


Box 3 Folder 16 4 set drawings

Subseries I.2: General Files-Undated

Freytag Library and Salon :

Box 3 Folder 17 Freytag Library and Salon


Box A1 Folder 6 Salon, 2 ladies at piano, 28x24 cm.

Subseries I.3: Theater

Blaue Vogel (The Blue Bird) by Maurice Maeterlink :


Box 3 Folder 18 12 set sketches

Czar und Zimmermann, by Albert Lortzing, comic opera :

Box 3 Folder 19 3 plans

Eisenhammer, Der, music by Benito Bersa, book by A. M. Willner :

Box 3 Folder 20 Set sketch

Erasmus Montanus, Ludwig Holberg, play :

Box 3 Folder 21 5 sketches and notes

Förster-Christel (The Girl and the Kaiser), operetta by Bernhard Buchbinder :

Box 3 Folder 22 4 set sketches

Frau ohne Schatten, by Richard Strauss :

Box 3 Folder 23 Libretto

Freischütz, Der, see also Met 1923 :

Box 3 Folder 24 4 ground plans

Garde Officier :

Box 3 Folder 25 Set sketch

Graf von Luxemburg (The Count of Luxemburg), Franz Lehar :

Box 3 Folder 26 Set sketch

Iphigenie auf Tauris, by Christoph Gluck :

Box 3 Folder 27 Libretto

Box 3 Folder 27 2 set drawings

Jongleur de Notre Dame, (Der Gaukler unserer lieben frauen), by Massenet :

Box 3 Folder 28 Libretto, German

3 drawings and plans, watercolor:

Box 3 Folder 28 --I: outside abbey

Box 3 Folder 28 --Act II: inside cloister

Box 3 Folder 28 --Act III: Chapel

Königskinder, by Engelbert Humperdinck :

Box 3 Folder 29 Technical drawing

Landschaft :

Box 3 Folder 30 2 landscape drawings

Love's Labor Lost :


Box 4 Folder 1 Playbook, German

Lustigen Weiber von Windsor (The Merry Wives of Windsor) Opera by Otto Nikolai :

Box 4 Folder 2 Libretto

Nozze de Figaro (Marriage of Figaro) :

Box 4 Folder 3 Libretto, German

Pariser Leben, by Jacques Offenbach :

Box 4 Folder 4 3 set drawings

Puppenmädel, operetta by Leo Fall, Leo Stein and Alfred Maria Willner :

Box 4 Folder 5 4 set drawings

Rienzi, by Richard Wagner :

Box 4 Folder 6 Libretto

Box 4 Folder 6 Set notes & sketches, 14 p.

Roméo et Juliette :

Box 4 Folder 7 Set sketch

Rose vom Liebesgarten, opera by Hans Pfitzner :

Box 4 Folder 8 Rose vom Liebesgarten, opera by Hans Pfitzner


Box B2 Folder 3 2 set sketches

Schneemann, Der, Erich Wolfgang Korngold :


Box 4 Folder 9 Set sketch

Sirene, Die, by Leo Fall, Leo Stein and Alfred Maria Willner :

Box 4 Folder 10 2 set sketches

Sister Beatrice and Sumurün :

Box 4 Folder 11 Clipping and 2 postcards

Tiefland, opera by Eugen d'Albert :

Box 4 Folder 12 Ground plan


Box C1 Folder 11 Elevation drawing

Die Tote Stadt, Erich Wolfgang Korngold :


Box 4 Folder 13 Libretto

Verborgte Schloss :

Box 4 Folder 14 Set sketch

Waffenschmied, Der, comic opera by Albert Lortzing :

Box 4 Folder 15 3 ground plans

Wallenstein's Lager, play by Friedrich Schiller :

Box 4 Folder 16 Ground plan

Xantho, operetta by Jacques Richepin and Xavier Leroux :

Box 4 Folder 17 2 set sketches

Zerbrochene Krug (The Broken Jug), comedy by Heinrich von Kleist :

Box 4 Folder 18 4 sketches and notes

Zigeunerliebe, (Gypsy Love), music by Franz Lehar, book by A. M. Willner and Robert Bodanzky :

Box 4 Folder 19 1 set drawing

Subseries I.4: Illustrations

Chronika der drei Schwestern, 1899 :

Box 4 Folder 20 --3 illustrations, 23x39 cm.


Box B2 Folder 4 --Medieval street scene, p.8, 24x28 cm.

Box B2 Folder 5 --p. 34, 29x24 (28x23) cm.


Box 4 Folder 20 Bookbinding, 1899, watercolor, 21x30 cm., sig.

Grimm's Fairy Tales, 1904 :

Box 4 Folder 20 --4 illustrations


Box A1 Folder 7 --Der Froschkönig, 24x25 cm.


Box B2 Folder 6 --Rapunzel, 24x21 cm.


Box 4 Folder 20 8 p. Marienkind, 1905

Kling Klang Gloria, 1906 :


Box B2 Folder 5A --cover, 24x21 cm.


Box A1 Folder 8 --cover, 23x23 cm.


Box 4 Folder 20 Kaiser Calendar, 1898, 24x16 cm.

Box 4 Folder 20 Bookcover, 1910 Unsere Freiland Stauden, 29x20 cm.


Box B2 Folder 5B Andersen Calendar, 1911

Undated :


Box 4 Folder 21 16 miscellaneous drawings


Box C1 Folder 12 Wienermännergesang verein poster, 48x25 cm.


Box B2 Folder 7 Imperial Border, 40x27 cm.

Box B2 Folder 8 Wilhelm II of Germany tribute, 39x20 cm.


Box 4 Folder 21 23 borders and ornaments


Box D1 Folder 3 8 borders and ornaments

Subseries I.5: Exhibits

Jubiläums-kunst exhibit 1898 :


Box B3 Folder 1 catalog


Box 4 Folder 22 3 photographs of furniture, 1898

Box 4 Folder 22 Hevesi article, 4 p.

Hagenbund Exhibition Hall, 1901-1902 :

5 drawings, watercolor and pencil, sig. :


Box B2 Folder 9 --Entrance, 37x26 (36x25) cm.

Box B2 Folder 9A --Perspective of Hall, 28x17 cm.


Box 4 Folder 22 --Side elevation, 18x28 cm.

Box 4 Folder 22 --Front elevation and ground plan, 29x18 cm.

Box 4 Folder 22 --Ceiling, 19x22 cm.

Box 4 Folder 22 4 magazine clippings

Art show catalogs :


Box B3 Folder 2 Watercolor club,1899

Box B3 Folder 3 Secession 14th exhibit

Box B3 Folder 4 Vienna Art Show, 1908

Hagenbund Exhibits :

Box B3 Folder 5-36 32 Hagenbund exhibit catalogs, 1902-1906


Box 4 Folder 23-26 4 Hagenbund catalogs, 1905, 1908, 1910

Box 4 Folder 22 1902 exhibit, Playroom, sig.


Box 5 Folder 1 & 2 56 photographs of exhibits (2 sets of 28)

Box 5 Folder 5 14 St. Louis World's Fair photograph and copies

Box 5 Folder 5 1905, 14 photographs of exhibit


Box C2 Folder 1 1905-06, exhibit #19, Wall elevation, 38x40 cm.

Box C2 Folder 2 1906, 2 plans for 20th Exhibit


Box 5 Folder 5 1906, 4 photographs of 20th Oct-Nov exhibit

Box 5 Folder 5 15 photographs of exhibits, unidentified

Box 5 Folder 5 1908, 19 exhibit photographs

Box 5 Folder 5 1906 London announcement, 16x11 cm.


Box D1 Folder 4 1910, elevation of Redlich exhibit room, 58x41 cm.

Subseries I.6: Unidentified


Box 5 Folder 3 Playbooks, Moliere

Box 5 Folder 6 17 watercolor drawings

Box 5 Folder 6 22 drawings and plans

Box 5 Folder 6 9 photographs


Box A1 Folder 9-10 9 drawings


Box B2 Folder 10 Clock elevation, 21x29 cm., sig.


Box C2 Folder 3 3 elevations


Box D1 Folder 5 Vorraum elevations


Box 14-E-11 Folder A.4 Plans for home and office