Archives Directory for the History of Collecting in America
Archives related to: Ginsburg & Levy, Inc. (New York, N.Y.)
| title | Ginsburg & Levy, Inc. Papers, 1911-1982. | repository | The Winterthur Library |
| description | The collection includes sales books, stock books, and export shipping records of purchases which had been made in France and England. The bulk of the collection consists of magazine articles, ads, parts of auction catalogs, and photographs of antiques - particularly porcelain, pottery, and furniture. A number of the photos are of items offered for sale by the firm Ginsburg & Levy. Some ads from the company also appear in the files. There is one folder of photos of Ginsburg & Levy showrooms, and photos of their store window decorated for Christmas in 1965. As well, a few 18th and 19th century manuscripts are found in the collection. Most are letters addressed to Mary Anne Jelf in the 1780s; Miss Jelf resided in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Also found is condolence letter from the Society of the Cincinnati of New Jersey to the family of General Lafayette. The four volumes of sales books cover 1911-1919. The entries are in chronological order, and include the name of the customer, what was sold, and its price. The stock books, numbering six volumes, cover 1918-1982. Although the information recorded changed slightly over time, each entry includes the stock number, a description of the item, the price paid for the item, and from whom purchased. The export shipping records list purchases made in France and England in 1969-1970, and include a brief description of each item, the price paid, and from whom purchased. Biography or history Ginsburg & Levy, Inc., was a noted antiques shop in New York City. Brothers-in-law John Ginsburg and Isaac Levy opened a curio shop in 1901 (Bernard Levy jestingly called it a junk shop), but quickly moved into the antiques trade. The firm also operated under the name The Colony Shops. The company sold high quality American and English antique furniture, porcelain, pottery, silver, brass, and other decorative art objects. After the original owners retired, their sons Benjamin Ginsburg and Bernard Levy continued the business. Over the years, Ginsburg & Levy sold furnishings to many noted museums and collectors, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Henry Ford, Henry Francis du Pont, John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Electra Havemeyer Webb, Ima Hogg, and Henry Flynt. Between 1973 and 1976, partners Benjamin Ginsburg and Bernard Levy dissolved their firm. However, both men continued in the antique business, Ginsburg as Benjamin Ginsburg Antiquary, and Levy (with his son) as Bernard & S. Dean Levy. Location The Winterthur Library: Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera, Winterthur, DE 19735. |
| extent | 5 cu. ft. : ill. ; 37 cm. or smaller. |
| formats | Financial Records Stock Books Business Papers |
| access | The volumes are in fair condition. Contact repository for restrictions and policies. |
| record link | http://findingaid.winterthur.org/html/HTML_Finding_Aids/COL0706.htm |
| record source | http://library.winterthur.org:8000/cgi-bin/webgw |
| finding aid | A finding aid to this collection is available at this repository. |
| updated | 02/14/2025 10:07:39 |
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