Bertha Sander, interior designer : papers

This material is held atV&A Archive of Art and Design

  • Reference
    • GB 73 AAD/1986/10 : AAD/1988/3
  • Dates of Creation
    • 1917 - ca. 1963
  • Name of Creator
  • Language of Material
    • English
  • Physical Description
    • 100 files

Scope and Content

Apprenticeship papers (1917 - 1924); photographs of costumes (ca. 1918); correspondence (ca. 1922 - 1933); journals including articles and covers by Bertha Sander (1924 - 1927); photographs of interior designs (ca. 1930s); working designs (1932 - 1933); oil paintings (ca. 1963); artwork (undated); designs for furniture (undated); designs for hats (undated); designs for interiors (undated); designs for stage sets (undated); drawings of costumes (undated); illustrations for children's books (undated); invoices (undated); lecture paper (undated); photographs of handbags (undated); photographs of knitted dolls (undated); poems (undated); sketchbooks (undated); textile designs (undated); textile samples (undated); wallpaper designs (undated); wallpaper samples (undated); woodcuts (undated).

Administrative / Biographical History

Bertha Sander (1901 - 1990) studied at the School of Arts and Crafts in Cologne where she was taught by Philipp Hũsler, a former student of Josef Hoffmann. In 1923 Sander spent a year at the Wiener Werkstt̃te in Vienna, working mainly on textile patterns. In 1924 she returned to Cologne where she set up independently as an interior designer, concentrating on wallpaper and furniture design. She employed four joiners and produced children's furniture and completed interior schemes for libraries, nurseries and single person dwellings. In 1936 she emigrated to England where she was denied a work permit and was therefore unable to continue with her career.

Access Information

This archive collection is available for consultation in the V&A Study Rooms by appointment only. Full details of access arrangements may be found here: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/a/archives/.

Access to some of the material may be restricted. These restrictions are noted in the catalogue where relevant.

Acquisition Information

Given by Bertha Sander, 1985 (V&A), 1986 (AAD).

Cataloguing supported by the American Friends of the V&A through the generosity of The David Berg Foundation, New York.

Other Finding Aids

Full list available at AAD and NAL.

Conditions Governing Use

Information on copying and commercial reproduction may be found here: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/a/archives/.