Search or Print: Miklos Suba collection: NYU Special Collections Finding Aids

Call Number

2009.014

Date

circa 1900-2007, inclusive

Creator

Suba, Miklos

Suba, Susanne (Role: Donor)

Moser, Kenneth (Role: Donor)

Extent

2.5 Linear Feet

in one record carton, one manuscript box, one medium flat box, and one half manuscript box.

Language of Materials

English .

Abstract

The collection consists of items related to artist Miklos Suba. The bulk of the collection relates to work depicting barber shop poles in Brooklyn, including drawings and scale models of barbershop poles. It also includes gallery exhibition catalogs, three photographs, one book, and clippings related to Suba and barber poles.

Biographical note

Miklos Suba was a Hungarian-American artist, born in Szatmar, Hungary, on April 1, 1880. He studied architecture at the Royal Hungarian Technical University of Budapest, graduating in 1902. In 1903, he studied painting at the Vienna Academy, before returning to Budapest to work as an architect. In World War I he served in the Astro-Hungarian army. He married an American woman, May, and in 1913 fathered a daughter, Susanne. The Suba family immigrated to the United States in 1924, settling in Brooklyn, New York. Inspired by his new surroundings, he began painting in what would become known as the Precisionist style. His work has been exhibited in numerous galleries and museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Fine Arts (Boston), the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Brooklyn Museum. He died on July 18, 1944.

Sources:

Miklos Suba obituary. Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 20 July 1944.
Various exhibition catalogs, 1967-2007.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged into three series by type.

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of items related to artist Miklos Suba. The bulk of the of the collection relates to work depicting barber shop poles in Brooklyn, including 12 scale models of barber shop poles and corresponding sketches and working drawings for the models; sketches and renderings without corresponding models; and newspaper clippings about barbershops and barber poles in Brooklyn. All drawings and models were created circa 1940 to 1942.

The collection also contains items relating to gallery exhibitions of Suba's art, including exhibition catalogs, advertisements, and clippings (1967-2007). It also includes one copy of Images of America: Precisionist Painting and Modern Photography, by Karen Tsujimoto (1982).

Finally, the collection contains three photographs: one of Suba with his daughter Susanne, in Budapest, 1915; a portrait of Suba featuring his artwork and his pet cat, 1943; and a photograph of Suba and two women holding a barber pole, circa 1940s.

Inventory of barber pole models and drawings, by street:

44 Ashland Place; model and drawings 2009.014.9, and 2009.014.33-.35

195 Boerum Street (J. Ferrante, Joe's Barber Shop); model and drawings; 2009.014.6, and 2009.014.26-27 and 2009.014.28-29

103 Bridge Street (Thomas Barber Shop); drawings only; 2009.014.41-42, and 2009.014.55

Broadway, at Walker Street (Manhattan); drawings only; 2009.014.49-51

55 Columbia Street (Columbia Barber Shop); drawing only; 2009.014.53

284 Columbia Street (Majestic Barber Shop); model and drawings; 2009.014.3 and 2009.014.16-19

47 Fleet Place; model and drawings; 2009.014.9, and 2009.014.30-32, and 2009.014.34

359 Flushing Avenue (A. Pitti, Sanitary Barber Shop); drawings only; 2009.014.13, 2009.014.54, and 2009.014.61

426 Flushing Avenue; drawings only; 2009.014.13, and 2009.014.54

33 Fulton Street; drawings only; 2009.014.45-.48, and 2009.014.34-.35

1100 Fulton Street; drawings only; 2009.014.35, 2009.014.37, and 2009.014.56-.57

224 Hamilton Avenue; model and drawings; 2009.014.2, 2009.014.15, and 2009.014.18-.19

155 Harrison Avenue (Sanitary Barber Shop); drawings only; 2009.014.23-.24, and 2009.014.43

590 Henry Street (P. Campione and G. Favorito, Sanitary Barber Shop); drawings only; 2009.014.13, and 2009.014.54

62 Hudson Avenue (Louis Barber Shop); drawings only; 2009.014.41-.42, and 2009.014.52

166 Hudson Avenue (F. Limone Barber Shop); drawings only; 2009.014.41-.42, and 2009.014.52

140 Johnson Avenue; model and drawings; 2009.014.8, 2009.014.28-.29, and 2009.014.27

192 Johnson Avenue; model and drawings; 2009.014.4, 2009.014.20; and 2009.014.28-.29

62 Main Street (P. Pennachio, Pete's Barber Shop); drawings only; 2009.014.40, and 2009.014.18-.19

456 Myrtle Avenue; drawings only; 2009.014.37, and 2009.014.58

578 Myrtle Avenue (The Barber Shop); model and drawings; 2009.014.36-.37

906 Myrtle Avenue (F. Medina, La Favrita Barber Shop); drawings only; 2009.014.24; 2009.014.59-.60

Nostrand Avenue; drawing only; 2009.014.55

101 Nostrand Avenue; drawing only; 2009.014.37

23 Putnam Avenue; model and drawings; 2009.014.11, 2009.014.38-.39, and 2009.014.34

106 Skillman Street (Salvatore DiSarra); model and drawings; 2009.014.5, and 2009.014.21-24

67 South 8th Street (Louis Fornace, Eagle Barber Shop); model and drawings; 2009.014.1, 2009.014.13-14, and 2009.014.23-.24

141 Varet Street; drawings only; 2009.014.23-.24, and 2009.014.43

123 Washington Street (Leo Basile, Tonsorial Parlor); drawings only; 2009.014.41-42, and 2009.014.22

York Street; drawing only; 2009.014.44

64 York Street; drawings only; 2009.014.18-.19

Subjects

Organizations

James Graham & Sons

Genres

Books; Drawings (visual works); Renderings (drawings); Clippings (information artifacts); Scale models; Artifacts (object genre); Photographs; Exhibition catalogs

People

Suba, Miklos; Suba, Susanne (Role: Donor); Moser, Kenneth (Role: Donor)

Topics

Artists -- New York (State) -- Kings County; Precisionism; Painters -- New York (State) -- Kings County; Barbershops -- New York (State) -- Kings County; Art -- Exhibitions

Places

Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)

Donors

Moser, Kenneth; Suba, Susanne

Conditions Governing Access

Open to users without restriction.

Conditions Governing Use

See library staff for information regarding rights and reproductions.

Preferred Citation

Identification of item, date (if known); Miklos Suba collection, 2009.014, Box and Folder number; Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Kenneth Moser and Susanne Suba, 2009, 2014.

Related Materials

Center for Brooklyn History holds additional works by Suba: a color pencil drawing of the corner of Classon Avenue and Dean Street, dated 1943 (M1990.37.1), and a large collection of paintings and works on paper (2022.006).

Collection processed by

Nicholas Pavlik

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2024-07-17 14:40:22 +0000.

Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Language: Description is written in: English, Latin script.

Processing Information

Originally minimally processed to the collection level by Nicholas Pavlik in November 2011.

An additional accrual of files (consisting of gallery exhibitions catalogs, three photographs, one book, and clippings) were received in November 2014. These files were added to the collection and the finding aid was subsequently revised by John Zarrillo in January 2015.

The barber pole models were rehoused by Michelle Kennedy in June 2024 and the finding aid was subsequently revised to the series level by Dee Bowers.

Sponsor Note

This collection was originally processed and described as part of the project, "Uncovering the Secrets of Brooklyn's 19th Century Past: Creation to Consolidation," funded by the Council on Library and Information Resources, with additional support from The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation.

Revisions to this Guide

June 2024: Revised by Michelle Kennedy to reflect rehousing of barber poles

July 2024: Revised by Dee Bowers

Repository

Brooklyn Historical Society

Miklos Suba collection