Collection ID: Archives.Bach.1

Collection context

Summary

Creator:
Bach, Richard F., 1888-1968
Abstract:
During his tenure at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Richard F. Bach served as Associate in Industrial Arts (1918-1929), Director of Industrial Relations (1929-1941), Dean of Education and Extension (1941-1949), and Consultant in Industrial Arts (1949-1952). Bach championed the collaboration of museums and the industrial arts, working extensively with manufacturers, industrial designers, and educational institutions. In addition to his work at the Museum, Bach was a member and leader of a number of arts and education organizations as well as a prolific writer and lecturer. The Richard F. Bach Records primarily contain correspondence, meeting minutes, and pamphlets related to Bach’s activities as Director of Industrial Relations, Dean of Education and Extension, and Consultant in Industrial Arts. The majority of the correspondence is professional in nature and concerns Bach’s role as liaison between The Metropolitan Museum of Art and industrial designers, manufacturers, educators, and arts organizations.
Extent:
2.5 Linear feet and (6 boxes)
Language:
Preferred citation:

[Title of item], [date], Box [number], Folder [number], Richard F. Bach Records, 1913-1953, The Metropolitan Museum of Art Archives.

Background

Scope and Content:

The Richard F. Bach Records primarily contain correspondence, meeting minutes, and pamphlets related to Bach’s activities as Director of Industrial Relations, Dean of Education and Extension, and Consultant in Industrial Arts. The material spans the period of 1913-1953, but the bulk dates from 1939-1953 when Bach served as Dean and Consultant. Additional items in the collection include printed material, newspaper articles, radio broadcast transcripts, and photographs. The majority of the correspondence concerns Bach’s role as liaison between The Metropolitan Museum of Art and industrial designers, manufacturers, educators, and arts organizations. There is a significant amount of material related to Bach’s involvement in rehabilitation and occupational therapy, the National Council on Design Protection, the American Federation of Arts, the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, and various exhibitions concerning American industrial art. While there is some correspondence related to personal matters, most of the material is professional in nature. Included in the collection is correspondence between Bach and various Metropolitan Museum of Art secretaries, directors, and presidents, including Henry W. Kent, Francis Henry Taylor, Herbert E. Winlock, William M. Ivins, and William Church Osborn.

Biographical / Historical:

During his tenure at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Richard F. Bach served as Associate in Industrial Arts (1918-1929), Director of Industrial Relations (1929-1941), Dean of Education and Extension (1941-1949), and Consultant in Industrial Arts (1949-1952). Bach championed the collaboration of museums and the industrial arts, working extensively with manufacturers, industrial designers, and educational institutions across the United States. In addition to his work at the Museum, Bach was a member and leader of a number of arts and education organizations including the American Federation of Arts, the Architectural League of New York, and the Advisory Board on Vocational Education of the New York Board of Education. Bach was also a prolific writer and lecturer. He published several articles concerning American industrial art and a book entitledMuseums and the Industrial World(1926).

Richard F. Bach was born in 1888. He graduated from Columbia University in 1908 and during 1909-1919 was an instructor and curator at Columbia’s School of Architecture. In 1918, Bach was appointed Associate in Industrial Arts at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In this position, Bach's main role was to facilitate use of the Museum’s collections as practical resources by manufacturers, designers, artisans, and craftsmen. Bach was also primarily responsible for organizing a series of popular exhibitions devoted to American industrial art.

In 1929, Bach became the Director of Industrial Relations, heading a department created by the Museum’s Secretary, Henry W. Kent. Bach maintained the Museum’s relationships with a variety of arts, education, and industrial manufacturers’ organizations, and also supervised the Museum’s Neighborhood Exhibitions, a series of thematic shows of Museum objects that traveled to various parts of New York City during 1933-1941. In 1941, the Department of Industrial Relations merged with the Department of Educational Work, creating the Department of Education and Extension. Bach became Dean of the newly created department, managing educational loans, extension museums, industrial art exhibitions, and contacts with industrial designers and manufacturers. After World War II, Bach tried unsuccessfully to provide services at the Museum for veterans, attempting to coordinate the efforts of rehabilitation and occupational therapists with the Museum's Education Department. Bach also fostered a working relationship with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization during this period.

Bach resigned as Dean of Education and Extension in 1949, but continued his relationship with the Museum through 1952 as Consultant in Industrial Arts. During the later 1950s the Museum dramatically curtailed its work in the field of industrial relations. Bach continued to serve as an educational adviser to the American Institute of Interior Decorators between 1952 and 1961. Bach died in his home in the Bronx in 1968. He was survived by his widow, Maude Bransford Bach, and his two daughters, Winifred and Eleanor.

Arrangement:

The Richard F. Bach Records consist of a single series arranged alphabetically by corporate name, personal name or subject.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access

RESTRICTIONS:

Collection is open for research.

TERMS OF ACCESS:

Consult Archives staff regarding permission to quote or reproduce.

PREFERRED CITATION:

[Title of item], [date], Box [number], Folder [number], Richard F. Bach Records, 1913-1953, The Metropolitan Museum of Art Archives.

LOCATION OF THIS COLLECTION:
1000 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10028, United States
CONTACT:
212-535-7710