May Bourne Strassburger and her husband Ralph Beaver Strassburger were avid antique collectors. Mrs. Strassburger was a Singer sewing machine heiress. She married Ralph in 1911, and they had one son, Johann Andreas Peter (called Peter). Ralph was born in Norristown, Pennsylvania, on March 26, 1883, the son of Jacob Andrew and Mary Jane Beaver Strassburger. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy, served briefly in the Navy, and then joined the diplomatic corps. He wrote two books: a genealogy of the Strassburger family, and one on German settlers in Pennsylvania. Further information about him can be found in Who Was Who. He died on February 26, 1959.

The Strassburgers owned several homes: Normandy Farm in Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania; a place in Paris; La Ferme du Coteau in Deauville, France; and Villa Pennsylvanie in Chantilly, France. They also spent time in Palm Beach, Florida, and may have owned a home there.

These papers illuminate the acquisition of antiques by the Strassburgers. The single largest component of the collection consists of correspondence with and bills from antique dealers, most of whom were in England or France. Almost all the items mentioned were intended for one of the Strassburgers' French homes. There is some correspondence with American dealers; items mentioned are for their place in Palm Beach or for Normandy Farm. Several letters are with small Pennsylvania dealers. Although the Strassburgers were buying Chippendale furniture and sterling silver in Europe, in Pennsylvania, Mrs. Strassburger was buying homespun textiles. Several letters allude to Mrs. Strassburger being a handspinner.

The second largest component of the collection are letters from Albert Stopford, an elderly English gentleman who assisted the Strassburgers. He acted as an intermediary between the Strassburgers and dealers and helped arrange for shipping their purchases. Some of the letters from dealers were sent directly to Mr. Stopford and are filed with his correspondence.

Also in the collection are catalogs from and notices of exhibitions and sales; photographs of furniture, silver, and rooms (probably one of the Strassburgers' homes, but they are not labeled); a postcard showing the gate to Normandy Farm; a few newspaper clippings; and some inventories, mostly detailing pictures hanging in one of the Strassburgers' homes (which one is not specified). There are a few photographs attached to correspondence from dealers.

The correspondence with and bills from dealers are arranged alphabetically by name of dealer, with the exception of the correspondence and bills from Frank Partridge, Inc. Because they are oversized, that material is located in Box 2. Correspondence from Albert Stopford is also filed separately, and as stated above, correspondence sent from dealers directly to Stopford is filed with letters written by him. There are a few letters which do not seem to relate to collecting antiques; these have been placed in a separate folder marked Correspondence - Miscellaneous.

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Purchased from Carmen D. Valentino.

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION Repository code: DeWint File name: Col583.xml Abstract: May Bourne Strassburger and her husband Ralph Beaver Strassburger were avid antique collectors who lived in France for much of the year. Their papers illuminate their antique collecting between the World Wars. Extent: 1 foot Date range: 1924-1940 Related materials: Language: English Winterthur Museum, Garden, and Library Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera Winterthur, DE 19732 (302) 888-4853 May Bourne Strassburger Papers Col. 583 Creator: May Bourne Strassburger Title: Papers Dates: 1924-1940 Call No.: Col. 583 Acc. No.: 99×123 Quantity: 2 boxes Location: 36 L 1