BRUNO MENZEL AND FAMILY:
An Inventory of Thier Papers at the Minnesota Historical Society
Manuscripts Collection
OVERVIEW
| Creator: | Menzel, B. R. (Bruno Richard), 1867-, creator. | |
| Title: | Bruno Menzel and family papers. | |
| Dates: | 1881-1990. | |
| Abstract: | Autobiographical and genealogical information, family correspondence (1890-1922), photographs (1905-1970s), newspaper clippings (1911-1990), an autograph book, financial journal (1881-1990), and miscellany (1884-1887) of a German immigrant to Minneapolis and his family, as well as bills, receipts, and correspondence relating to the B.R. Menzel Fur Company (1892-1940). | |
| Quantity: | 0.75 cubic feet (1 box, and 5 additional items in oversize box). | |
| Location: | See Detailed Description for shelf locations. |
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Menzel, a furrier, emigrated from Hirschberg, Germany to the United States, arriving in Minneapolis in 1884. He married Flora Lehmann in 1893 and opened his fur store in Minneapolis in 1908. From then until 1965 the store was operated by Menzel and his two sons, Theodore and Walter.
SCOPE AND CONTENTS
Most family correspondence, the autobiography, and the two volumes are in German and have not been translated. The small collection of bills, receipts, and correspondence (1892-1940) document Menzel's business connections with other retail fur companies in the United States, England, and Germany.
Two folders of photographs, both studio portraits and snapshots (some identified), depict Bruno Menzel and members of his family. The earliest dated photograph is a 1902 family portrait and the latest is a group portrait dated 1935. The rest are undated, but date from the 1920s through the 1970s.
ARRANGEMENT
These documents are organized into the following sections:
| Menzel Family Papers | ||
| B.R. Menzel and Company Records | ||
| Oversize Items |
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Availability:
The collection is open for research use.
Preferred Citation:
[Indicate the cited item and/or series here.] B.R. Menzel and Family Papers. Minnesota Historical Society.
See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples
Accession Information:
Accession number: 14,633
Processing Information:
Processed by: Kathryn A. Johnson, September 1992
Catalog ID number: 990017200300104294
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
MENZEL FAMILY PAPERS
| Box | |||||||||||||
| 146.K.14.5B | 1 | Biographical information and genealogical charts. 1 folder. | |||||||||||
| B. R. Menzel's autobiography (in German), [undated]. 400 pp., typed. 4 folders. | |||||||||||||
| Letters (in German) to Bruno Menzel from individuals in Hirschberg, Germany, 1890-1901. | |||||||||||||
| Letters (in English) to Menzel family members from pianist Elsie Wolff, Munich, Germany, 1922. | |||||||||||||
| Miscellaneous family papers, 1884-1987. | |||||||||||||
| Newspaper clippings, 1911-1990. | |||||||||||||
| Bruno Menzel's autograph book (in German), 1881-1888. 1 volume in folder. | |||||||||||||
| Bruno Menzel's financial journal (in German), 1894-1900. 1 volume in folder. | |||||||||||||
| Photographs, [192-]-[197-]. 2 folders, containing 31 images. | |||||||||||||
| Menzel family portraits, snapshots, and photoprints, some of which are identified. | |||||||||||||
| Printed items issued in Germany under the Nazi party. | |||||||||||||
| German newspaper, April 20, 1928, and a songsheet from the steamship Deutschland of the German-American Steamship Line, 1934. | |||||||||||||
B.R. MENZEL AND COMPANY RECORDS
| Box | |||||||||||||
| 146.K.14.5B | 1 | Biils, receipts, and correspondence, 1892-1940. 3 folders. | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||||
| 144.D.5.7B | 2 | Printed materials, [undated]. | |||||||||||
OVERSIZE ITEMS
| Box | |||||||||||||
| 144.D.5.7B | 2 | Photographs. | |||||||||||
| Studio portaits of Flora Menzel[?], 1911, and of Bruno Menzel when 60-70 years old; group photograph from a dinner party of German Americans, St. Paul, 1935. | |||||||||||||
| Pamphlets: | |||||||||||||
| "Fur Fashions Created for B. R. Menzel," 1939. | |||||||||||||
| B.R. Menzel, "The Fashion Doctor," 1939. | |||||||||||||
CATALOG HEADINGS
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.
- Topics:
- National socialism.
- Business enterprises -- Minnesota -- Minneapolis.
- Fur garments -- Minnesota -- Minneapolis.
- Fur trade -- Minnesota -- Minneapolis.
- German Americans -- Minnesota -- Minneapolis.
- Immigrants -- Minnesota -- Minneapolis.
- Organizations:
- B.R. Menzel and Company (Minneapolis, Minn.).
- Menzel Furs (Firm : Minneapolis, Minn.).
- Places:
- Minneapolis (Minn.).
- Document Types:
- Passports.
- Photographs.
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