Charlotte von Hardenburgh’s curatorial work and lectures highlight the influential yet underrepresented role of women within design and her research centers these narratives to establish a more expansive and inclusive re-interpretation of American design history.
Spring-wire jewelry made, photographed, and modeled by Fran Hosken, circa 1948; images from the Estate of Fran Hosken, courtesy of Weinberg Modern in New York, NY.
von Hardenburgh is currently working with Weinberg Modern Gallery to highlight the designs and humanitarian work of the industrial designer, Fran Hosken (Austrian, 1919–2006). One of the first women to attend Harvard’s Graduate School of Design, Hosken studied under Walter Gropius and later established her own studio which produced innovative flat-pack furniture and spiral metal jewelry. Hosken also founded the Women’s International Network, published a quarterly journal on women’s health issues, and is often credited for coining the term “Female Genital Mutilation.”
NYCJW Lecture Series & Exhibition: “Fran Hosken—Modern Woman” at Weinberg Modern, Photography by Sooa Lim, November 2024.
In November 2024, von Hardenburgh debuted her research of Hosken’s spring-wire jewelry. The New York Times reported on von Hardenburgh’s display of Hosken, Inc. jewelry which was presented at Salon Art + Design Fair in the Park Avenue Armory. That same month, Metalsmith Magazine—published by the Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG)—featured the article, “Hardwear: The Midcentury Jewelry Designs of Fran Hosken” written by von Hardenburgh.
NYCJW Lecture Series, “Fran Hosken—Modern Woman” at Weinberg Modern, November 2024. Photography by Sooa Lim, November 2024.
Hosken’s archival designs were also featured during NYC Jewelry Week. For the occasion, von Hardenburgh presented an afternoon lecture series, “Fran Hosken—Modern Woman” at Weinberg Modern which allowed visitors to interact with Hosken’s jewelry and to view archival materials within an intimate gallery setting.
Exhibition photo from “MAISON D’HELEN,” Curation by ODA GALERIE, Styling by Charlotte von Hardenburgh & Tim Brown, Photography by Pierre Geffrard, August 2024.
In August 2024, von Hardenburgh opened CvH—a gallery within her private home in Brooklyn, New York. Exhibitions highlight historic objects of decorative arts, design, and a selection of rare books. The gallery also features the work of contemporary artists, designers, and burgeoning curators.
Exhibition photo from CERÁMICA ‘64, Antonio Salvador Orodea, Square Planter, 1964, unglazed stoneware. Photography by Pierre Geffrard, September 2024.
During the summer of 2024, von Hardenburgh curated CERÁMICA ‘64 in collaboration with Weinberg Modern. The exhibition features a collection of unglazed ceramics made by Antonio Salvador Orodea for the Spanish Pavilion of the 1964-1965 World’s Fair in New York City. von Hardenburgh also created a digital companion to the physical exhibition which further contextualizes the ceramics and features archival documentation related to the collection.
Chair upholstered in loop-fringe fabric on a checkerboard carpet, ca. 1936; Upholstery and carpet designed by Dorothy Liebes; image from the Dorothy Liebes Papers held by the Archives of American Art, Washington, DC
Charlotte is a graduate of the History of Design and Curatorial Studies MA program offered jointly by Parsons School of Design and Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. She also holds a graduate certificate in Gender and Sexuality Studies from The New School for Social Research.
As a graduate student, von Hardenburgh worked as a Curatorial Fellow in the Textiles Department of Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. Upon her graduation in 2022, she was awarded the inaugural American Women’s History Initiative Research Fellowship at Cooper Hewitt. Her research contributed to the retrospective exhibition of American textile designer, Dorothy Liebes (1897 – 1972).
Sample Card; Designed by Dorothy Wright Liebes, circa 1953; cotton, nylon, viscose rayon, cellulose acetate-laminated aluminum yarn, cellulose acetate butyrate-laminated aluminum yarn; Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum; 1972-75-91
The accompanying catalogue—published by Yale University Press—is the first-ever monographic publication about Liebes. Additionally, von Hardenburgh managed and contributed writings to Cooper Hewitt’s digital platform. This award-winning website offers more in-depth essays on many of the projects presented in the Liebes exhibition, as well as new stories unique to the platform.
Dorothy Liebes photographed by George Platt Lynes wearing cuffs by Helen Hughes Dulany and necklace by Matilde Poulat, n.d.; Dorothy Liebes Papers, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC
In September 2023, von Hardenburgh presented the lecture: Dorothy Liebes and The Mystery of the Matching Cuffs as part of New York Textile Month. This research focuses on Liebes’s relationship with industrial designer Helen Hughes Dulany (American, 1885–1968). The two female designers were not only pioneers of the modern American interior but also close friends. In this lecture, von Hardenburgh highlights Dulany’s often-overlooked contributions to jewelry design.
Dorothy Liebes with Emma Amos, circa 1963; Dorothy Liebes Papers, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution
While at Cooper Hewitt, von Hardenburgh extensively researched the artist Emma Amos (American, 1937–2020) who worked for Liebes during the 1960s in New York City. This research culminated in a profile published by Cooper Hewitt—highlighting Amos’s time in the studio and her contributions to the Bigelow-Sanford custom carpet commission.
Hands of artist and weaver Emma Amos, circa 1965; image from the Emma Amos Papers held by the Archives of American Art in Washington, DC
A piece of artful correspondence from Emma Amos to Dorothy Liebes, circa 1965. Image from the Dorothy Liebes Papers held by the Archives of American Art, Washington, DC
In addition to her curatorial work, von Hardenburgh teaches undergraduate courses at Parsons School of Design. Since September 2021, she has been teaching “History of Design: 1850–2000” which covers the fields of architecture, industrial design, graphic design, and interior design. The course focuses on the social, political, economic, and cultural implications of design throughout history.
Type Specimen Final Project by student, Wu Tong, for “a History of Typography” taught by Charlotte von Hardenburgh at Parsons School of Design, Spring 2023.
In January 2023, she developed a course for Parsons titled, “a History of Typography” which explores typographic developments through the lens of graphic design history. The class visits museums and archives—such as the New York Public Library and Cooper Hewitt—to interact with historic examples of typography. The course also focuses on craft so that students have an opportunity to learn stone-carving, calligraphy, and typesetting as they relate to historic typographic processes.
Charlotte von Hardenburgh at Weinberg Modern Gallery wearing Fran Hosken jewelry for a collaboration with Emme Parsons, photography by Laura Saur, February 2024.