Ruhlmann by his fellow workers is based on Maxime Old archives.
Fifty years after the association, we wish to give you the opportunity of using Maxime Old archives to present Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann by his fellow workers.
Remember E.J. Ruhlmann’s success, his sudden death on November 15, 1933 and his wish that his firm would not go on without him. His former fellow workers leave to begin other lives.
On the hundredth anniversary of the master’s birth they decide to constitute an association in order to testify about the man and his work. (cf. Statutes below)
Maxime Old, who already had a privileged position in the design office, is the association secretary, which explains his rich archives.
The association sets a memorial plaque on the building located in Paris, 27 Rue de Lisbonne, neuralgic centre of Ruhlmann’s universe, where the imposing fronton has disappeared. The Monnaie de Paris (French Mint Office) mints a medal with the head of E.J. Ruhlmann engraved by André Léon Galtié.
The association writes a biographic synthesis. Cf. Complete text below.
Most of all, with fifty years of hindsight, the former fellow workers choose and comment freely the best documents showing the work. A selection of these documents was exhibited in 1927 in the Main Hall of the Paris Commerce and Industry Chamber, located 27 Avenue de Friedland. The Forney Library holds a collection of 114 commented slides. Several museums exhibit authenticated E.J. Ruhlmann pieces and documents, in particular the Musée des Arts Décoratifs (Decorative Arts Museum) in Paris and the Musée des Années Trente (Art of the Thirties Museum) in Boulogne Billancourt.
Documents selected by the association, exhibited or photographed, taken from Maxime Old collection, with the comments from fellow workers are grouped below. Other Ruhlmann documents, unknown in some way, found in Maxime Old archives, are added. While preparing this article the archive study is done by a researcher working on E.J. Ruhlmann. We hope this research will be published.
Pictures selected by the Association
Ruhlmann’s « Originals » from Maxime Old Archives
More pictures related to E.J. Ruhlmann on the English commercial site Ruhlmann.info. We must say that we have no control on those sites and that some of the pictures of the second one come from publications about E.J. Ruhlmann works done by Pollaro in the USA.
We must remind the special place occupied by two artists in E.J. Ruhlmann career: his friend the architect Pierre Patout (collection on line on the site of the Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine) and his other friend the sculptor Alfred-Auguste Janniot. They will remain associated even while carrying out his funerary monument.
If you want the complete versions of the documents produced by the Association “Ruhlmann by his fellow workers”:
The booklet written by his fellow workers (in french)
The Biographic Synthesis written by them (in french)
The Statutes of the Association (in french)
We hope you enjoyed Ruhlmann by his fellow workers.
Back to Maxime Old Biography.
