Joseph Urban
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Joseph Urban (May 26, 1872 – July 10, 1933) was an Austrian-American architect, illustrator, and
scenic designer Scenic may refer to: * Scenic design * Scenic painting * Scenic overlook * Scenic railroad (disambiguation) * Scenic route * Scenic, South Dakota, United States * Scenic (horse), a Thoroughbred racehorse Aviation *Airwave Scenic, an Austrian pa ...
.


Life and career

Joseph Urban was born on May 26, 1872, in
Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...
. He received his first architectural commission at age 19 when he was selected to design the new wing of the
Abdin Palace Abdeen Palace ( ar, قصر عابدين) is a historic Cairo palace built as one of the official residences for the former ruling monarchy and royal family of Egypt. It is now one of the official residences and the principal workplace of the ...
in
Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
by
Tewfik Pasha Mohamed Tewfik Pasha ( ar, محمد توفيق باشا ''Muḥammad Tawfīq Bāshā''; April 30 or 15 November 1852 – 7 January 1892), also known as Tawfiq of Egypt, was khedive of Egypt and the Sudan between 1879 and 1892 and the sixth rule ...
. He became known around the world for his innovative use of color, his pointillist technique, and his decorative use of line. He designed buildings throughout the world from Esterhazy Castle in
Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
to the Ziegfeld Theatre in
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
. Urban studied architecture at the
Academy of Fine Arts Vienna The Academy of Fine Arts Vienna (german: link=no, Akademie der bildenden Künste Wien) is a public art school in Vienna, Austria. History The Academy of Fine Arts Vienna was founded in 1692 as a private academy modelled on the Accademia di Sa ...
under
Karl von Hasenauer Baron Karl von Hasenauer (german: Karl Freiherr von Hasenauer ) (20 July 1833 – 4 January 1894) was an important Austrian architect and key representative of the Historismus school. He created several Neo-Baroque monuments, many around near ...
. In 1890, he and his brother-in-law,
Heinrich Lefler Heinrich Lefler (7 November 1863, in Vienna – 14 March 1919, in Vienna) was an Austrian painter, graphic artist and stage designer. His father was the painter Franz Lefler. Life and work From 1880 to 1884, he studied at the Academy of Fine A ...
, were among the founders of the
Hagenbund The Hagenbund or Künstlerbund Hagen was a group of Austrian artists that formed in 1899. The group's name derived from the name Herr Hagen, the proprietor of an inn in Vienna which they frequented. Early history The group's most prominent member ...
. Urban's early work with illustrated books was inspired by Lefler and, together, they created what are considered seminal examples of children's book illustration. Urban immigrated to the United States in 1911 to become the art director of the
Boston Opera Company The Boston Opera Company (BOC) was an American opera company located in Boston, Massachusetts, that was active from 1909 to 1915. History The company was founded in 1908 by Bostonian millionaire Eben Dyer Jordan, Jr. and impresario Henry Russel ...
. He was already an accomplished international architect, illustrator and theatre set designer with over 50 productions from his home
Vienna Royal Opera en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...
, the Champs Elysée Opera, and
Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist si ...
. By applying points of primary colors side by side on the canvas backdrops he was able to create and light theatre sets of vivid color reminiscent of the works by Monet or Seurat. In 1914 he moved to New York City, where he designed productions for the
Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is operat ...
and the
Ziegfeld Follies The ''Ziegfeld Follies'' was a series of elaborate theatrical revue productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 to 1931, with renewals in 1934 and 1936. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as ''The Ziegfeld Follies of the Air ...
; he continued to design for
Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. Florenz Edward Ziegfeld Jr. (; March 21, 1867 – July 22, 1932) was an American Broadway impresario, notable for his series of theatrical revues, the ''Ziegfeld Follies'' (1907–1931), inspired by the ''Folies Bergère'' of Paris. He also p ...
until 1931.
William Randolph Hearst William Randolph Hearst Sr. (; April 29, 1863 – August 14, 1951) was an American businessman, newspaper publisher, and politician known for developing the nation's largest newspaper chain and media company, Hearst Communications. His flamboya ...
was an important client and supporter. He also co-produced with Richard Ordynski
Percy MacKaye Percy MacKaye (1875–1956) was an American dramatist and poet. Biography MacKaye was born in New York City into a theatrical family. His father, Steele MacKaye, was a popular actor, playwright, and producer, while his mother, Mary, wrote a dr ...
's "Community Masque" '' Caliban by the Yellow Sands''. Beginning in 1917, he was frequently engaged as stage designer by the
Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is operat ...
of New York City. In all he created set designs for 47 new productions at the house through 1933. His many designs provided the opera company with a cohesive production style throughout the tenure of General Manager
Giulio Gatti-Casazza Giulio Gatti-Casazza (3 February 1869 – 2 September 1940) was an Italian opera manager. He was general manager of La Scala in Milan, Italy, from 1898 to 1908 and later the Metropolitan Opera in New York City from 1908 to 1935. Biography ...
. Many of Urban's settings remained in the company's repertoire into the 1950s. Soon his sets and innovative lighting caught the eye of Florenz Ziegfeld Jr., who hired him to design the ''Follies'' in the 1920s. Urban went to work creating a stunning night-club with glass balconies, a moving stage, and rainbow lighting effects. This Danse de Follies soon became a blend of ideas and talent before serving in the Follies theatre. Urban had success after success in his creating of the Follies' sets, and
William Randolph Hearst William Randolph Hearst Sr. (; April 29, 1863 – August 14, 1951) was an American businessman, newspaper publisher, and politician known for developing the nation's largest newspaper chain and media company, Hearst Communications. His flamboya ...
, a media tycoon, took notice and wanted to hire Urban to work on his films starring Marion Davies, his mistress, and previous Follies starlet. Hearst came to an understanding with his friend Ziegfeld that Urban's work for him would not interfere with any of the Follies productions. Urban worked on 25 films over the years. Urban died July 10, 1933, of a heart attack at his apartment at the St. Regis Hotel in Manhattan, where he had been convalescing following surgery in May.


Legacy

Urban was one of the originators of the American
Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...
style. Most of his architectural work in the United States has been demolished. Extant buildings include the
Mar-a-Lago Mar-a-Lago ( from the Spanish for ''sea to lake'') is a resort and national historic landmark in Palm Beach, Florida, owned by former U.S. president Donald Trump. Trump acquired Mar-a-Lago in 1985 and referred to it as his "Winter White House" ...
, The Bath and Tennis Club and The Paramount Theater all in
Palm Beach, Florida Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida. Located on a barrier island in east-central Palm Beach County, the town is separated from several nearby cities including West Palm Beach and Lake Worth Beach by the Intracoas ...
;
The New School The New School is a private research university in New York City. It was founded in 1919 as The New School for Social Research with an original mission dedicated to academic freedom and intellectual inquiry and a home for progressive thinkers. ...
building in New York City; and the base of the Hearst Tower in New York City. The stage lighting gel Roscolux Urban Blue #81, still used today, is named for him.


Work


Architecture and interior design

This partial list omits unrealized projects. * 1900: Wohn- und Bürohaus Wien 8, Buchfeldgasse 6 (with Hermann Stierlin) * 1902: Villa Goltz, Wien 19, Grinzinger Straße 87 * 1903: Villa Wiener, Wien 13, Veitingergasse 21 * 1904: Exhibition space, Austrian Pavilion,
Louisiana Purchase Exposition The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the St. Louis World's Fair, was an World's fair, international exposition held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, from April 30 to December 1, 1904. Local, state, and federal funds tota ...
, St. Louis, Missouri * 1907: Villa Redlich, Wien 19, Kreindlgasse 11 * 1907: Wohnhaus, Wien 19, Krottenbachstraße 11 * 1907: Villa Max Landau, Semmering, Südbahnstraße 83 * 1910: Villa Dr. Mair, Scheiblingkirchen, Kreuzackergasse 43 * 1920: Sherman Hotel Panther Room, Chicago * 1922:
Wiener Werkstätte The Wiener Werkstätte (engl.: ''Vienna Workshop''), established in 1903 by the graphic designer and painter Koloman Moser, the architect Josef Hoffmann and the patron Fritz Waerndorfer, was a productive association in Vienna, Austria that bro ...
showroom, New York City * 1925: C.C. Lightbown House, 4839 Colorado Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, Permit #7278, March 10, 1925, cost $25,000. * 1926:
Mar-a-Lago Mar-a-Lago ( from the Spanish for ''sea to lake'') is a resort and national historic landmark in Palm Beach, Florida, owned by former U.S. president Donald Trump. Trump acquired Mar-a-Lago in 1985 and referred to it as his "Winter White House" ...
, Palm Beach, Florida * 1926: Demarest Little Castle, Palm Beach, Florida * 1926: Paramount Theatre, Palm Beach, Florida * 1927: Anthony Biddle residence, Palm Beach, Florida * 1927: Bath and Tennis Club, Palm Beach, Florida * 1927: Ziegfeld Theatre, New York City * 1926–27: St. Regis Hotel Roof Garden * 1928: Hotel Gibson Roof Garden, Cincinnati, Ohio * 1928: Bossert Hotel, Grill Room, Brooklyn * 1928: Bedell Store, New York City * 1928–29: William Penn Hotel, Urban Room, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania * 1929: International Magazine Building, New York City * 1929:
Central Park Casino The Central Park Casino, originally the Ladies' Refreshment Salon, was a restaurant in Central Park, near East 72nd Street in Manhattan, New York City. The name of the building came from the Italian for "little house"; the Casino itself was no ...
* 1929: Metropolitan Museum of Art 11th annual exhibition of American Industrial Art * 1929: The Gingerbread Castle, Hamburg, New Jersey * 1930:
The New School for Social Research The New School for Social Research (NSSR) is a graduate-level educational institution that is one of the divisions of The New School in New York City, United States. The university was founded in 1919 as a home for progressive era thinkers. NSSR ...
, New York City * 1929–31: Atlantic Beach Club, Long Island, New York * 1931: Park Avenue Restaurant, 128 E 58th Street * 1932: Congress Hotel, Joseph Urban Room, Chicago, Illinois * 1929: Urban Room,
Omni William Penn Hotel The Omni William Penn Hotel is a 23 floor (3 underground) hotel located at 530 William Penn Place on Mellon Square in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A variety of luminaries have stayed at the hotel, including John F. Kennedy. The hotel staff ...
, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
* 1933: Katherine Brush Apartment * 1933: Color scheme for the Century of Progress International Exposition


Book illustrations

* 1905: ''Grimm's Märchen'' * 1907: ''Kling-Klang Gloria'' * 1911: ''Andersen Kalender'' * 1914: ''Marienkind''


References

* * * *


Further reading

* Curl, Donald W. "Joseph Urban's Palm Beach Architecture". Florida Historical Quarterly 71(April 1993): 436–457. * Berkovich, Gary. Reclaiming a History. Jewish Architects in Imperial Russia and the USSR. Volume 2. Soviet Avant-garde: 1917–1933. Weimar und Rostock: Grunberg Verlag. 2021. P. 155.


External links


Finding aid to the Joseph Urban papers
at th
Joseph Urban's Stage Design Models and Documents Project
Columbia University
Cinema Treasures on Urban
Photographs

*

History, photos, and video of the Gingerbread Castle in Hamburg, New Jersey. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Urban, Joseph 1872 births 1933 deaths American scenic designers Austrian scenic designers Opera designers Artists from Vienna Architecture firms based in New York City Architects from New York City American people of Austrian descent Burials at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery