Hanna Lemberg papers, ca. 1920-1999, together with papers of Rudi Lemberg, 1915-1975

MLMSS 9702
PXA 2126
R 2183
MLOH 779

fonds

1915-1999

Textual Records, Objects, Graphic Materials, Photographs, Nonmusical Sound Recordings

1353575

0.48 metres of textual material (3 boxes)
1 album (86 photographic prints)
1 album (42 photographic prints)
2 tapestries - cotton rope
1 audiocassette (34 min.) - 10 × 7 cm, 4 mm tape

Max Rudolph (Rudi) Lemberg (1896-1975), biochemist, and his wife Hanna Lemberg (1899-1998), textile artist, were both born in Germany. They fled to Cambridge in 1933 and migrated to Australia in 1935 after Rudolph accepted a position as Director of the biochemical laboratories at Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney. In 1954 they became members of the The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) having been helped in their migration to Australia by the Quakers in London.

Rudi was a Foundation Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science. He subsequently served as a member of Council (1956-58) and vice-president (1957-58). The Royal Society of London elected Rudi to its fellowship in 1951. Following his retirement, Rudi became interested in the study of Australian flora and fauna.

Hanna taught woodwork and weaving to children in Germany prior to her immigration to Australia. She wove textiles for Australian interior designer Marion Hall Best (1905-1998) in Sydney and later worked as a textile artist whose works included tapestries, clothing and rugs. She worked mostly in mercerised cotton and wool and her works were greatly influenced by her religious beliefs and appreciation of the environment and aesthetics.

Rudi and Hanna built a home named 'The Sanctuary' on an acre of bushland in Wahroonga, NSW in 1953. The house was designed in the Bauhaus style by architect Hugh Buhrich and became a place of worship, celebration and meeting for the Quaker community in Sydney. Meetings for Worship were initially held at the front of the house until a dedicated Meeting House was built at the property in 1966. The property was bequeathed to the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) following Hanna's death in 1998.

References:
Compiled from the collection
Australian Academy of Science, http://www.sciencearchive.org.au/fellows/memoirs/lemberg.html (accessed 3 August 2015)
Religious Society of Friends in Australia, http://www.quakers.org.au/?194 (accessed 3 August 2015)
Australian Dictionary of Biography, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/lemberg-max-rudolf-rudi-10811 (accessed 3 August 2015)

This collection formed part of the Estate of the late Hanna Lemberg which was left to the Australian Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), 1998

MLMSS 9702

MLMSS 9702/BOX 01:
Folder 01: Visitors book, 1927-1989, in both German and English, with photographs and postcards. Includes inscription at front by Marjorie Bull, 11 April 1982, expressing gratitude for the hospitality extended by the Lembergs to the Quaker community in Sydney.

Folder 02: Diaries and journals (6) by Rudi and Hanna Lemberg, 1916-1932

Folder 03: Diaries and journals (5), 1935-1967, relating to immigration to England and Australia

Folder 04: Diaries and journals (4), 1967-1974, relating to travel to Japan and Canada, with address books (3) and 'Deutsche Volkslieder', being a small book of German folk songs

MLMSS 9702/BOX 02:
Papers relating to Rudi Lemberg, including death certificate, certificate of naturalization, passports, visas, letters, immigration papers and Lemberg's writings on religion and spirituality, 1915-1975.

Works (7) by Rudi Lemberg including 'The Quaker Peace Testimony and our present time'; ‘Religion, Science and the Scientist’, by R. Lemberg, published by Sydney Monthly Meeting of The Society of Friends; ‘The Complementarity of Religion and Science: A Trialogue’, by Max Rudolph Lemberg, Zygon, vol. 14, no. 4 (December 1979); ‘Seeking in an age of imbalance: The 1966 James Backhouse Lecture’, Rudolph Lemberg, January 1966; ‘Chemist, Biochemist, and Seeker in Three Countries’, by Max Rudolph Lemberg, Annual Review of Chemistry, Vol. 34, 1965; and ‘My Last Testament’ by Rudi Lemberg.

Awards given to Max Rudolf Lemberg, including the Doctorate of Science awarded by The University of Sydney, 6 June 1970 and Certificate of Election to The Royal Society, London, 20 March 1952, including Notes for Elected Fellows and Personal Records of Fellows of the Royal Society.

MLMSS 9702/BOX 03:
Papers relating to the will and estate of Hanna Lemberg and ‘The Sanctuary’, 57 Boundary Road, Wahroonga, NSW. Includes inventory of property, minutes of Australian Yearly Meeting Wahroonga Property Committee, 26 June 1975, and minutes of Interim Lemberg Bequest Committee, 1998-1999. Also includes work by Ruth Haig titled 'Some thoughts on Quaker use of The Sanctuary'.

Papers relating to the work of Hanna Lemberg, including exhibition catalogues and correspondence from the National Museum of Australia and the Australian National Gallery, 1974-2007

The Europeans: emigré artists in Australia, 1930-1960 / Roger Butler, editor. Canberra : National Gallery of Australia, 1997. Includes chapter by John McPhee titled 'Sanctuaries: Three textile artists in Australia', relating to the work of Hanna Lemberg, Claudio Alcorso and Marcella Hempel.


PXA 2126:
Album of photographs, clippings and prints (86) relating to Hanna Lemberg's textile work. Includes photographs of embroidery and tapestries by Lemberg, along with photographs, clippings and prints of trees, flowers, coral and rock formations. Some photographs have annotations by Lemberg. Includes handwritten index from original photograph album. Two small tapestries were removed from this album and are located at R 2183.

Colour photographs (42) of Rudi and Hanna Lemberg's property 'The Sanctuary' in Wahroonga, NSW, August 1998. Includes interior and exterior views of the house and views of the garden and surrounding bush. Some photographs are captioned on reverse.


R 2183:
Tapestries (2) by Hanna Lemberg, being a small tapestry of cotton rope depicting a formation of organic matter on sand and a small tapestry of brightly coloured cotton rope depicting animals including camels, donkeys and birds on a yellow and brown background (removed from photographic album located at PXA 2126).


Sound recording (Call No.: MLOH 779):
Series 1: Tales by Hanna Lemberg

German, English

Copyright status:: In copyright
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales