The Altounian-Lorbet study photographs of sculpture and decorative arts document the works of art sold by or offered to the dealership and reflect the firm's specialization in medieval sculpture and minor arts, decorative arts of the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries, and Egyptian and Greek antiquities. The photographs constitute a primary record of works available on the European art market before World War II, particularly in the area of monumental sculpture, and include documentation of pre- and post-restoration states of some works.

Altounian-Lorbet Antiquaires was a dealership originally established in Paris about 1906 by Joseph Altounian. Altounian was joined in the business by his wife, Henriette Lorbet, in 1924, and the shop subsequently relocated to Mâcon. From the early teens through the 1940s, Altounian-Lorbet was a major source of Egyptian and Greek antiquities, medieval sculpture, and decorative arts of the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries for museums and private collectors. Altounian-Lorbet was notable for the high quality and importance of the works it handled. This held especially true for medieval sculpture, for which it was one of the main suppliers to French and American collections. Many pieces now in the United States trace their source to Altounian-Lorbet, through its close relations with the New York dealer, Joseph Brummer. In 1954, the business was passed on to their daughter, Jacqueline Altounian-Lorbet, and her husband, Bernard Rousset, who shifted the firm's emphasis from ancient and medieval art to period furniture.

7.2 linear feet (25 boxes)

Photographs and permissions must be obtained from copyright holder(s). For further information, contact Library Reproductions and Permissions.

Open for use by qualified researchers.