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Collection Number: 05541

Collection Title: Alice Lurcy and Georges Lurcy Papers, 1937-2011

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held in the Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in our reading room, and not digitally available through the World Wide Web. See the Duplication Policy section for more information.


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Size 2.0 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 200 items)
Abstract Georges Lurcy was born in 1891 in Paris, France, to Charles and Therese Levy. A French Jew, he was originally named Leon Georges Levy and changed his name to Georges Lurcy. He made his fortune investing in and developing an amphibious plane for World War I. He was also an avid art collector. Alice Lurcy was born in High Point, N.C., in 1906 to Bertha Snow and Frederick George Barbee. She and Georges met in New York, N.Y., and were married in France in 1937. In 1940, they moved to the United States where they continued to collect art. In 1943 Georges Lurcy earned his Masters in Economics from the University of North Carolina. The couple had residences in New York City, Chapel Hill, N.C., and High Point, as well as an estate in France. Georges Lurcy died in 1953, and his estate was auctioned in 1957. Alice Lurcy died in 1980. Papers of Georges and Alice Lurcy include records of property, especially artwork; estate records; insurance documents; related financial records; and house plans. There is also correspondence with art galleries, museums, auction houses, and others, a few photographs, and some personal materials, including the Lurcys' marriage contract, notes between them, clippings, and other items.
Creator Lurcy, Alice, 1906-1980.

Lurcy, Georges, 1891-1953.
Curatorial Unit University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.
Language English and French.
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Restrictions to Access
No restrictions. Open for research.
Restrictions to Use
No usage restrictions.
Copyright Notice
Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], in the Alice Lurcy and Georges Lurcy Papers #5541, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Acquisitions Information
Received from Alice A. Nelson in December 2012 (Acc. 101715) and A. Pariente in April 2015 (Acc. 102186).
Sensitive Materials Statement
Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, the North Carolina Public Records Act (N.C.G.S. § 132 1 et seq.), and Article 7 of the North Carolina State Personnel Act (Privacy of State Employee Personnel Records, N.C.G.S. § 126-22 et seq.). Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill assumes no responsibility.
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Processed by: Danielle Fasig, January 2013

Encoded by: Danielle Fasig, January 2013

Updated by: Jodi Berkowitz, October 2015

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Subject Headings

The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.

Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Biographical Information

Georges Lurcy was born in 1891 in Paris, France, to Charles and Therese Levy. A French Jew, he was originally named Leon Georges Levy and changed his name to Georges Lurcy. He made his fortune investing in and developing an amphibious plane for World War I. He was also an avid art collector. Alice Lurcy was born in High Point, N.C., in 1906 to Bertha Snow and Frederick George Barbee. She and Georges met in New York, N.Y., and were married in France in 1937. In 1940, they moved to the United States where they continued to collect art. In 1943 Georges Lurcy earned his Masters in Economics from the University of North Carolina. The couple had residences in New York City, Chapel Hill, N.C., and High Point, as well as an estate in France. Georges Lurcy died in 1953, and his estate was auctioned in 1957. Alice Lurcy died in 1980.

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Scope and Content

Papers of Georges and Alice Lurcy include records of property, especially artwork; estate records; insurance documents; related financial records; and house plans. There is also correspondence with art galleries, museums, auction houses, and others, a few photographs, and some personal materials, including the Lurcys' marriage contract, notes between them, clippings, and other items. The Addition of 2015 consists of a copy of the marriage certificate of Alice Lurcy and Georges Lurcy, accompanied by a letter acknowledging request of the copy, 2011.

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Contents list

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Alice Lurcy and Georges Lurcy Papers, 1937-1981.

About 200 items.

Note that original folder titles have, for the most part, been retained.

Folder 1

813 Fifth Avenue

Correspondence between Alice Lurcy and various lawyers and legal documents concerning the estate of Georges Lurcy.

Folder 2

1942

Photographs of furniture; correspondence between Georges Lurcy and various others, particularly realtors, regarding his Huntington house and other properties, and other related materials.

Folder 3

1970-1981

Includes a 1971 clipping of an article about Americans living in castles.

Folder 4

Art sale, Georges, 1957

Clippings about the sale of Georges art collection; letter between Alice Lurcy and Lee Malone concerning the possible loan of Paul Gauguin's painting Picking Lemons.

Folder 5-6

Folder 5

Folder 6

Death certificate and identification papers

Copy of Georges Lurcy's death certificate, identification papers and passports of Alice Lurcy and Georges Lurcy.

Folder 7

Donations and gifts during my lifetime

Correspondence and related materials concerning gifts and donations made by Alice Lurcy to various individuals and organizations.

Folder 8

"Elegant Auctioneers"

Photocopy of the article.

Folder 9

Faberge material

Inventories of Faberge items owned by Alice Lurcy with information about place of purchase.

Folder 10

Foreign checkbooks

Canadian, Portuguese, Spanish, French, and English checkbooks, mostly unused, of Georges Lurcy.

Folder 11

French estate

Legal documents and correspondence between Alice Lurcy and various lawyers regarding the settlement of Georges Lurcy's estate.

Folder 12

French estate: Dwight Royall, 1953-1960

Correspondence between Alice Lurcy and Royall, Coegel, and Wells law firm regarding the settlement of Georges Lurcy's estate in France.

Folder 13

French estate: Regarding shipments from France

Inventory in French and translated letter from Robert Antonetti to Georges Lurcy.

Folder 14-15

Folder 14

Folder 15

French estate: Loose papers

Insurance papers, legal documents, and correspondence between Alice Lurcy and various lawyers regarding the settlement of Georges Lurcy's estate in France.

Folder 16

Handwritten notes between Alice and Georges

Brief notes and letters between Alice and Georges Lurcy, clippings about their marriage, and other items.

Folder 17

Huntington house: Alice S. Lurcy, personal

Letters to Alice Lurcy from various correspondents about donations, holidays, other topics. Also contains expenditure documents.

Folder 18

Huntington house: Complete 813 inventory, 1947

Inventories of possessions and insurance papers for the Huntington house and a clipping about Elvis Presley.

Folder 19

Huntington house: House plan measurements

House plans, invoices, property inventories, and other materials relating to the residence in New York City.

Folder 20

Hydroplane

Photographs of the hydroplane developed by Georges Lurcy; photocopies of a letter in French.

Folder 21-22

Folder 21

Folder 22

Insurance: Jewelry

Inventories and related materials describing insured pieces of jewelry; contains correspondence between Alice Lurcy and various insurance agencies.

Folder 23

Insurance: Loose papers

Inventories and related papers about insured items, particularly jewelry.

Folder 24

Insurance: Parke Bernet

Inventories and related materials about insured items.

Folder 25

Insurance: Parke Bernet sales, 1968

Inventories, insurance documents, and correspondence between Parke-Bernet Galleries and Alice Lurcy concerning items bought or sold by her.

Folder 26

Inventory

Notebook containing handwritten description of items owned by Alice Lurcy.

Folder 27

Inventory: Alice S. Lurcy, 1960s

Notes, inventories, and a photograph of a piece of art.

Folder 28

Inventory: Auctions sold

Polaroid photographs of pieces of art, pamphlets from various auctions, and inventories of items for auction.

Folder 29

Inventory: Bindings

Inventories and related materials concerning rare books owned by Alice Lurcy.

Folder 30

Inventory: China

Descriptive notes on index cards about pieces of China owned by Alice Lurcy.

Folder 31

Inventory: Cut glass table service

Inventories and related materials of cut glass pieces owned by Alice Lurcy.

Folder 32

Inventory: Decorative objects

Inventories and related materials of decorative objects owned by Alice Lurcy.

Folder 33

Inventory: Furniture photographs

Photographs of furniture owned by Alice Lurcy.

Folder 34

Inventory: Glassware and china

Photographs of furniture, inventories of serving pieces, and letters from attorney Beno Mayr B. Baldegg regarding the recuperation of a painting by Pierre Bonnard.

Folder 35

Inventory: Huntington files, 1966

Notes, clippings, inventories, and a photograph of a piece of furniture.

Folder 36

Inventory: Huntington, 1976

Inventories, bills, and notes regarding the Huntington house.

Folder 37

Inventory: Huntington and High Point

Inventories of linens, statements from importers.

Folder 38

Inventory: Linens

Inventories and related materials of linens owned by Alice Lurcy.

Folder 39

Inventory: Loose papers

Correspondence between Alice Lurcy and various others regarding payment of her taxes and her residence on Fifth Avenue.

Folder 40

Inventory: Recuperation French war losses

Photograph of a piece of art.

Folder 41-42

Folder 41

Folder 42

Inventory: Silver

Descriptive inventories, sale statements, and other related materials concerning silverware owned by Alice Lurcy.

Folder 43

Loose papers

Photocopy of a letter from Edward Bernstein to Isaiah Frank regarding the settlement of Georges Lurcy's estate.

Folder 44

Marriage and other important papers

Marriage contract between Alice Lurcy and Georges Lurcy, family records, and other related documents. Many documents are in French.

Folder 45

North Carolina Museum of Art

Correspondence with and records of loans to the North Carolina Museum of Art, newsletters, clippings, and other related materials.

Folder 46-47

Folder 46

Folder 47

Parke-Bernet: Paintings

Inventories, invoices, photographs of, and other materials relating to pieces of art.

Folder 48

Parke-Bernet Galleries

Invoices and other documents relating to the sale of paintings owned by Alice Lurcy through Parke-Bernet Galleries.

Folder 49

Personal/museum/legal: Souvenirs

Primarily clippings concerning Alice Lurcy's eviction from her Fifth Avenue apartment.

Folder 50

Settlement of Georges' estate

Bills and letters concerning the settlement of Georges Lurcy's estate.

Folder 51

Settlement of Georges' estate: Correspondence

Primarily between Alice Lurcy and various law offices.

Folder 52

Settlement of Georges' estate: Residuary estate correspondence, 1957

Primarily between Alice Lurcy and various law offices.

Folder 53

Addition of 2015

The Addition of 2015 consists of a copy of the marriage certificate of Alice Lurcy and Georges Lurcy, accompanied by a letter acknowledging request of the copy, 2011.

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