Ursula Sternberg papers, 1923-2014 (bulk: 1950-2000).

Format:

Other

Author/Creator:

Sternberg, Ursula, -2000, creator.

Language:

Dutch

English

French

German

Subjects (All):

Art.

Artists.

Emigration and immigration.

Exhibitions.

Families.

Musicians.

Voyages and travels.

Women artists.

World War, 1939-1945.

Europe--Description and travel.

Europe.

Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social life and customs.

Philadelphia (Pa.).

Sternberg, Jonathan.

Genre:

Advertisements.

Audiocassettes.

Audiovisual materials.

Compact discs.

Correspondence.

Diaries

Drawings (visual works)

Paintings (visual works)

Photographs.

Promotional materials.

Sketchbooks.

Slides (photographs)

Videocassettes

Manuscripts, American -- 20th century.

Penn Provenance:

Gifts of Peter Sternberg and Tanya Pushkine, 2019 and 2020.

Physical Description:

39 boxes (23 linear feet)

Arrangement:

Organized in 6 series: I. Family and personal material; II. Correspondence; III. Address books, calendars, diaries, and visual diaries; IV. Artwork; V. Exhibits and expos; and VI. Interviews.

Place of Publication:

1923-2014

Language Note:

In English, French, German, and Dutch.

Biography/History:

Ursula Sternberg was born on April 12, 1925, in Germany, the daughter of Walter and Thea Hertz. In 1936, when Ursula was eleven and her sister Renée was seven, her Jewish family fled Nazi Germany to live in Aerdenhout, in the Netherlands; however, when the Nazis occupied the Netherlands, the family was forced to move to Naarden where they lived in partial hiding; and later to occupied Belgium, where they lived in complete hiding. According to Pamela J. Forsythe, "Ursula was separated from the family for a time, sent into hiding because her father feared she looked 'too Jewish,'" (Forsythe). Ursula had begun painting as early as age six, and during the war, her creativity and talent was utilized by the family as they worked to rebuild her father's successful apparel business that he was forced to abandon when leaving Germany. The family, in response to American soldiers' appetite for souvenirs and gifts to send home, created a business of hand-decorated handkerchiefs. Monique Seyler states that "Ursula jumped wholeheartedly into designing and painting these hankies, which helped to launch her commercial career" post-war, designing for her father's new business, Forma, which manufactured bras and bathing suits. (Seyler, page 58). Following World War II, Ursula moved to London (16, Eccleston Square) where she worked as a designer of fabric and fashion for companies including Ascher, Caprice, Forma (her father's company), Franco-Suisse, O.W. Loeb (possibly a relation's company), and Peter Pan Foundations, among others. She lived in London through much of the 1950s, but traveled widely through Europe during this period. In 1957, she married Jonathan Sternberg (1919-2018), an American conductor, musical director, and professor of music, recognized as a key figure in introducing modern American music to post-war Europe. Prior to immigrating to the United States, the Sternbergs spent five months in Halifax, Nova Scotia and then returned to Europe where they lived in Brussels. In 1966, Ursula, Jonathan, and their two children, Peter and Tanya, moved to the United States. In 1971, the family settled in Elkins Park, in the Philadelphia area, to accommodate Jonathan Sternberg's appointment at Temple University as professor and conductor. In 1989, the family moved to Chestnut Hill, where Ursula apparently felt more at home, in what she felt was a more European way of life. Throughout her life, Ursula created prolifically, producing hundreds of sketchbooks, thousands of drawings and paintings, and more than one hundred "visual diaries." She candidly described, in word and images, her world, commenting on friends and family, travel, food, books she was reading, concerts and exhibits she attended, and occasionally current events. She frequently wrote about her experimentation with new artistic methods and supplies. She was deeply critical of Americans and the United States; but according to Seyler, she struggled to feel at home anywhere in the world, despite her frequent travels and what appears to have been an ability to make friends globally. Ursula's health seems to have troubled her throughout her adult life and in the late 1990s, she was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Ursula Sternberg died on September 22, 2000, survived by her husband, Jonathan; her son, Peter; her daughter Tanya Pushkine; and her two grandchildren, Luca and Lara-Sophia Rojas.

Summary:

The Ursula Sternberg papers document nearly every aspect of her life through her art. While there is limited correspondence and material directly related to her family and her youth, her daily calendars, her diaries, and her visual diaries shed light on her personality and on the way she viewed her world. Researchers should be aware that there is artwork within virtually every series and that the collection overlaps significantly between series, within boxes, and even with scrapbooks. It will probably be necessary for researchers to consult large components of this collection, regardless of research topic. Every series within the collection contains a mixture of English, French, and German, and some contain Dutch. Researchers interested in the lives of artists and women artists, the lives of those who lived in Nazi-occupied Europe, immigrants to the United States in the late 20th century, and the artistic and music circles in Europe and Philadelphia will find this collection to be valuable. This collection also documents families, relationships, perceptions of Americans and the United States of America, and the art of chronicling one's life through drawings and diaries.

OCLC:

1288271610