Collection Overview

Summary
Arrangement
Description
Using the Collection
About the Finding Aid / Processing Information
Subject Headings
History / Biographical Note

Collection Contents

View All

Joseph Urban papers, 1893-1998

After clicking 'Submit Request', users will login with their UNI and password (Columbia affiliates) or their special collections account (external users). Appointments are required and will be arranged according to each individual repository's policy.

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.


Box 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


Box 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