Caricature byRudolf Swoboda (c. 1900)Joseph Urban set design drawing forZiegfeld Follies of 1919
Joseph Urban was born on May 26, 1872, inVienna. He received his first architectural commission at age 19 when he was selected to design the new wing of theAbdin Palace inCairo byTewfik Pasha. He became known around the world for his innovative use of color, hispointillist technique, and his decorative use of line. He designed buildings throughout the world fromEsterhazy Castle inHungary to theZiegfeld Theatre inNew York.
Urban studied architecture at theAcademy of Fine Arts Vienna underKarl von Hasenauer. In 1890, he and his brother-in-law,Heinrich Lefler, were among the founders of theHagenbund. 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.
Beginning in 1917, he was frequently engaged as stage designer by theMetropolitan Opera 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 ManagerGiulio Gatti-Casazza. 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 theFollies 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, andWilliam Randolph Hearst, 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 theSt. Regis Hotel in Manhattan, where he had been convalescing following surgery in May.[1]
Urban was one of the originators of the AmericanArt Deco style. Extant buildings include theMar-a-Lago, The Bath and Tennis Club, and The Paramount Theater all inPalm Beach, Florida;The New School building in New York City;[4] and the base of theHearst Tower in New York City. Thestage lighting gel Roscolux Urban Blue #81, still used today, is named for him.[4]
^"Checklist of the Exhibition".Architect of Dreams: The Theatrical Vision of Joseph Urban. Columbia University Libraries. 2000. RetrievedFebruary 14, 2016.
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.ISBN978-3-933713-63-6
_002.jpg)
