Descriptive Summary

Administrative Information

Biographical Note

Scope & Content Note

Organization & Arrangement

Index Terms

Related Items

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Series Arrangement & Description

Series 1: Papers

Frederick F. Lenneper Papers, 1946-1980.

Artist Fred Lenneper displaying one of his papier mache sculptures to
Y.W.C.A. Women's Club member, Mrs. Frazer Holzlohner,
The Courier-News, September 19, 1963.

Finding aid written and encoded by Sarah Hull in June 2010;
processed in 2010 by Sarah Hull.

Processing of this collection was made possible through
a grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission.

Descriptive Summary

Access & Restrictions

The Frederick Lenneper Papers are available for research.

Access is restricted to materials prepared by the Local History department staff. All materials must be viewed in the Plainfield Room and may not be removed to another area of the library without permission of the Library Director or designee. Materials must be handled carefully and kept in order. Materials must not be leaned upon, altered, folded, ripped, or traced upon. Marks may not be added or erased from materials. Materials must be returned directly to Local History department staff and inspected before the researcher leaves the Plainfield Room.

One photocopy may be made (by Plainfield Public Library staff) of each document for the purpose of research; official Local History departmental reproduction fees may apply. Permission to publish must be obtained by the Plainfield Public Library Board of Trustees as delegated to the Library Director. Permission to publish does not constitute a copyright clearance. The researcher is responsible for further copyright restrictions. The Plainfield Public Library is not responsible for the misuse of copyrighted material.

Preferred Citation

Identification of item; Date (if noted); "Frederick Lenneper Papers,” Box and Folder Number; Local History Department, Plainfield Public Library, Plainfield, New Jersey.

Acquisition Information

The collection was donated in 2010 by Margaret Poltorack, a former art student of Mr. Lenneper in the 1960s. The papers were given to Ms. Poltorak at the estate sale of Lenneper's former home on Sandford Avenue in Plainfield.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Sarah Hull in June 2010. The finding aid was written and encoded by Sarah Hull in 2010. Finding aid content follows the guidelines suggested by Describing Archives: A Content Standard. The processing of this collection was made possible through a grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission.

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Frederick Lenneper born in New York City in 1909, and lived in the Plainfields for 60 years. He was a local artist who worked mostly in oils, watercolor, drawing, and papier mache. He taught art for many decades from his home studio in Plainfield. He was also an inventor of helpful devices, such a simple contraption to make shoveling snow less strenuous, as well as the process of hair stripping. Frederick served in the Army Air Corps during World War II. His wife, Gertrude Gray Lenneper, passed away in 1980; they had no children.

Mr. Lenneper was a display artist for many years in Tepper's department store, as well as designing windows for other local businesses. Most notably for Tepper's, he designed the large totem pole for their children's department. He created the red lobster that was on the top of the Somerset Fish Market in North Plainfield; the lobster is now on top of the Plainfield Elk's building. He designed the stork for the Watchung Rescue Squad, and his larger-than-life-size Easter bunny bought smiles to the faces of many children who were recuperating at Muhlenberg Hospital during the 1950s, 60s and 70s.

He was a generous and kind man, who donated his time, money, and artwork to many local organizations. He was admired and well-loved by his students, neighbors, and the community at large. He passed away on January 10, 1990 at the Margaret McCutchen Nursing Home in North Plainfield; he was 79 years old.

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The personal papers of Frederick Lenneper include a variety of material dating from 1946 to 1980, with bulk dates of 1952 to 1967.  The collection documents his teaching and artistic work while he resided in the Plainfield area.

Record types include: letters, ephemera, and newspaper clippings. There is also one black & white negative of a plant show, likely to have been given to Mr. Lenneper by a Plainfield club member, such as the Garden Club.

The Frederick Lenneper Papers are arranged into one series with three sub-series. The material was originally kept in a scrapbook. Items were attached to the pages by many metal paper clips, which were removed. All items have been rehoused in archival folders.

Series 1: Papers, 1946-1980 [letters, ephemera, and newspaper clippings]

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Index Terms

People:

Organizations:

Places:

Subjects:

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See Local Organizations collection.

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This collection consists of paper documents that do not require any additional technology for access. There is a single b&w negative that requires a light board to view properly.

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