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Marie Trommer collection

Call Number

PR 437

Date

1909-1970, inclusive

Creator

Trommer, Marie, 1895-1971

Extent

7 Linear feet in 6 record cartons and 1 flat box

Language of Materials

The documents in the collection are in English. A small number of items (greeting cards) are in Hebrew.

Abstract

The collection consists primarily of the artwork and writing of Marie Trommer (1895-1971), a Ukrainian-born American artist, art critic, poet, and journalist.

Biographical / Historical

Marie Trommer (1895-1971) was a Ukrainian-born artist, art critic, poet, and journalist. Trommer was born in Kremenchoug, Ukraine on September 29, 1895 to Bernard and Betha (Yedlin) Trembitsky. The family immigrated to the United States in 1905, settling in Brooklyn; Marie was then known as Mary Trembitsky. After graduating from Cooper Union Art School in 1914, she changed her name to Marie Trommer and established herself as an artist and art critic in New York City. A staff member of the Jewish Tribune, Trommer contributed to many other American Jewish publications, including the Jewish Daily News and the Boston Jewish Advocate. In addition, Trommer edited the American-Russian Review, and was known for her translations of Russian and Ukrainian literature into English, as well as translations of American and British poetry into Russian.

Marie Trommer's artwork was first exhibited at the Society of Independent Artists in 1924. Her work was shown consistently over the following 30 years, with exhibitions at the American Museum of Natural History and the Grant Galleries, among others. Trommer specialized in landscapes and figures, working primarily in oils, pen and ink, and watercolors. She also worked with textiles, especially embroidery, creating many colorful mixed media pieces that incorporate sequins, buttons, beads, metallic thread, and more.

Marie Trommer died in New York City on February 6, 1971.

Source: Botnick, Annette Muffs. "Marie Trommer." Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women. 31 December 1999. Jewish Women's Archive. (Viewed on March 15, 2022) https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/trommer-marie.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged by format.

Scope and Contents

This collection consists primarily of the artwork and writing of Marie Trommer (1895-1971). Included are more than 500 pages of Trommer's translations of Russian, Ukrainian, and Yiddish works into English; about 150 poems by Trommer, many of which she also illustrated; some 500 sketches, most done with pen and ink on scrap paper; about 300 watercolor views of New York City, most of which include date, location, and subject on the verso; and over 100 pieces of mixed media textile art that incorporates embroidery, sequins, buttons, beads, metallic thread, and more. These textile art pieces include small chapbooks with embellished covers and handmade bookplates.

The collection also contains a small number of personal papers; some photographic negatives of New York City scenes; and bits of ephemera that Trommer collected. Most of this ephemera is related to New York City and State political candidates and campaigns. However, there are also flyers for demonstrations and public events, advertisements for astrologers and healers, as well as some greeting cards and calendars. Of special interest is a collection of greeting cards for Jewish holidays, many written in Hebrew. These cards were part of an album that Marie Trommer donated to the New-York Historical Society in 1963, which was found with this collection.

Access Restrictions

Materials in this collection are stored offsite. For more information on making arrangements to consult them, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.

Use Restrictions

Taking images of documents from the library collections for reference purposes by using hand-held cameras and in accordance with the library's photography guidelines is encouraged. As an alternative, patrons may request up to 20 images per day from staff. Application to use images from this collection for publication should be made in writing to: Department of Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5194, rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 282.

Copyrights and other proprietary rights may subsist in individuals and entities other than the New-York Historical Society, in which case the patron is responsible for securing permission from those parties. For fuller information about rights and reproductions from N-YHS visit: https://www.nyhistory.org/about/rights-reproductions

Preferred Citation

The collection should be cited as: Marie Trommer collection, PR 437, Department of Prints, Photographs, and Architectural Collections, New-York Historical Society.

Location of Materials

Materials are stored offsite and advance notice is required for use. Please contact reference@nyhistory.org prior to your research visit to coordinate access. Keep in mind that it will take between two (2) and five (5) business days for collections to arrive, and you should plan your research accordingly.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

No information is available at this time.

Collection processed by

Marybeth Kavanagh

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-21 15:48:19 -0400.
Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language: Finding aid written in English.

Processing Information

Processed by Marybeth Kavanagh, 2022.

Repository

New-York Historical Society
New-York Historical Society
170 Central Park West
New York, NY 10024