04 Finding aid prepared by Celia Caust-Ellenbogen and Michael Gubicza through the Historical Society of Pennsylvania's Hidden Collections Initiative for Pennsylvania Small Archival Repositories. Last updated on November 09, 2012. Wissahickon Valley Historical Society
Table of Contents Summary Information...3 Biography/History...4 Scope and Contents... 4 Administrative Information... 4 Related Materials... 5 Controlled Access Headings...5 - Page 2 -
Summary Information Repository Wissahickon Valley Historical Society Creator Strassburger family Title Strassburger family photographs Call number 04 Date [bulk] 1880-1940 Date [inclusive] 1863-1994 Extent 0.75 linear feet General Physical Description note 2 oversize boxes Language English Abstract Ralph Beaver Strassburger (1883-1959) was a prominent businessman, newspaper owner, diplomat, and Thoroughbred racehorse breeder. His wife, May Bourne, was heiress to the Singer Sewing Machine Company. Strassburger was born in Norristown, Pennsylvania, and bought the Normandy Farm property in nearby Gwynedd Valley in 1913. This bulk of this collection is photographs of the Strassburger family and Normandy Farm estate (interior and exterior), circa 1880-1940. It also contains one letter from 1863, one postcard from 1932, and an auction catalog and history of Normandy Farm from 1994. - Page 3 -
Biography/History Ralph Beaver Strassburger (1883-1959) was a prominent businessman born in Norristown, Pennsylvania. A graduate of the United States Naval Academy, he entered the Navy as a young man, and later entered the diplomatic service during World War I. He married May Bourne, daughter of the president of the Singer Sewing Machine Company, in 1911. He likely used his father-in-law's wedding gift to purchase the property Normandy Farm in Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania, which he named after his French honeymoon destination. In 1921 Strassburger entered the newspaper business, combining two local papers into the Norristown Time Herald. An avid historian and genealogist, he published his family history in 1922, and a book on Pennsylvania German Pioneers in 1934. Strassburger was also well known as a Thoroughbred racehorse owner and breeder. After his death in 1959, Normandy Farm remained in his family until 1994. Bibliography: Normandy Farm Hotel and Conference Center. "History." Accessed December 12, 2011. http:// www.normandyfarm.com/history.asp Strassburger, Ralph Beaver. The Strassburger Family and Allied Families of Pennsylvania. Gwynedd Valley, Pa.: Private publication, 1922. Accessed December 12, 2011. http://www.archive.org/details/ strassburgerfami00instra Scope and Contents The bulk of this collection is photographs of the Strassburger family and Normandy Farm estate (interior and exterior), circa 1880-1940. It also contains one letter from 1863, one postcard from 1932, and an auction catalog and history of Normandy Farm from 1994. Administrative Information Wissahickon Valley Historical Society Finding aid prepared by Celia Caust-Ellenbogen and Michael Gubicza through the Historical Society of Pennsylvania's Hidden Collections Initiative for Pennsylvania Small Archival Repositories. - Page 4 -
Sponsor Strassburger family photographs This preliminary finding aid was created as part of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania's Hidden Collections Initiative for Pennsylvania Small Archival Repositories. The HCI-PSAR project was made possible by a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Access Restrictions Contact Wissahickon Valley Historical Society for information about accessing this collection. Immediate Source of Acquisition Note Gift from Old York Road Historical Society, September 1996. Related Materials Related Archival Materials Note Winterthur Library: May Bourne Strassburger papers, Col. 583. Historical Society of Whitpain: Historical Society of Whitpain local history collection. Controlled Access Headings Geographic Name(s) Gwynedd Valley (Pa.) Montgomery County (Pa.) Personal Name(s) Strassburger, Ralph Beaver, 1883-1959 - Page 5 -
Subject(s) Auctions Mansions Normandy Farm (Whitpain, Pa.) - Page 6 -