MIRIAM KELLOGG FREDENTHAL & TZAIMS LUKSUS

 ALL INFORMATION FOUND AT THE BENNINGTON MUSEUM WEB SITE IS FALSE OR UNTRUE CONCERNING TZAIMS LUKSUS AND MIRIAM FREDENTHAL.

THIS IS THE CORRECT STORY.

In 1956 James Henry Luksus, fresh out of the US Navy after four years active duty matriculates first at the University of Pennsylvani in architecture, togetherbwith the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, painting and drawing, and then at the Philadelphia Museum School of Art majoring in Archectural Interior Design.  The program in Interior Design included city planning, urban renewal, structural engineering, architectural restoration, textile weaving and silk sceen printing of fabric.

Miriam Kellogg Fredenthal held a teaching position in textile design technology atbthe PMSA from the Philsdelphia Textile Institute.  Earlier she attended Cranbrook Academy of Art having won a sculpture scholarship at the Boston Museum School to study under Carl Millis, however, Millis left for Sweden on a family crisis and the mother of Erro Saarinin. Teaching wearing there took Miriam in to study weaving rather than be idle.  Erro, her son, was also a student as was David Fredenthal, from a Russian Jewish family.

Mirism was the grand daughter of a very anglo Christian family that Founded Christian Seminary in Illinois. As reported by Miriam, David Fredenthal forced himself on her, whereby she became pregnant, bearing a daughter Ruth Ann, then again a son Robin.  Kept in bondage by Fredenthat she was violently abused, him urinating and dedicating on her. She finally escaped and fled with her two children to Vermont hidden from David Fredenthal, was divorced if ever married, then attended the Philadelphia Textile Instute as recommended by Saarinin's mother.

Miriam was a brilliant textile technician but had no design ability as an artist.  She was a master at portrait sculpture but never practiced it as a profession claimimg it came too easy for her.

James Luksus had only a brief course in her weaving and printing classes not planning to take it up as a professional but it was required in the interior design major under designer George Mason, the instructor professor, where as the textile department was headed by Jack Lenor Larsen in NYC.

After three years study at the top of his class Jamesl married, was forced by his wife to discontinue study and get a full time job so he left for Atlanta, Georgia, working for Lockheed Marrietta. When the contract ended he opened the Golden Horne Continental Coffee House in the Castle in Atlanta. Georgia.  See: The Golden Horne Cafe Atlanta  Wikipedia.

His marriage ended in 1959 in Atlanta when his wife told him their son was not his, and he left the US and lived in Athens, Greece. He became involved with weaving first in the North Georgia Mountains at the Jay Hambidg Art Foundation, then continued in Athens, Greece, and after living in Venice working at Fortuny then going to Oxford University he returned to Philadelphia to get a divorce.

He decided to become a fabric designer in Philadelphia, deciding on this craft he could create and produce a product without a client messing up his design as Erro Saarinin explained to him the woes of an architect that never gets paid.

He contacted Miriam at her residence since she had been fired from the Museum School that now was the Philadelphia College of Art and since she had no degree in teaching could not receive an extended teaching position, tenure.

At James' meeting she was also was soon to be evicted from her apartment for lack of employment, her son, Robin, now about 18 years old  became a burden and womanizer slouch and financial drain on her whilst her daughter Ruth Anne played the field with wealthy Jewish men in NYC for her financial support and living expenses.  Though devoted to them Miriam got no help from them.

James only wanted to ask Miriam if she thought designing fabrics was a good idea.  She said no.  It was the lowest paying job in the arts and crafts. 

Being sympathetic James found a small downtown apartment for her and paid her rent but the landlord was a lecherous old Jewish man and constantly coming to her apartment at night encouraging Miriam to have sex with him.  So she moved in with James one night in despair.  

James had changed the spelling of his name in Athens to Tzaims.  He was 15 years younger then Miriam, Ruth Ann was only six years younger then Tzaims, Robin was 8 years younger.

Despite Miriam's advice Tzaims opened a fabric design studio in Philadelphia and divided it in half so Miriam also had a shop but she decided to be a leather goods designer.

Tzaims became instantly famous in the high fashion fabric design and finding an abandoned wool weavng mill in Bennington, Vermont  moved  to Vermont.  Mirian followed and Tzaims made her Vice President of his company and she became the textile technition but never designed fabrics.  Tzaims also made her personnel manager and manager of his mill.

Miriam was an expert tech, able to take the designs Tzaims created and workout the chain action for the power looms and she managed as supervisor of the weaving staff.  Miriam never designs woven or printed fabrics for TzaimsvLuksus.  Like an engineer that works for an architect she simply took the sesigns and engineered their production.  Miriam didn't have high quality fashion fabric vision.  Her designs, all handwoven by her in her own studio, were, ethnic and country plaids.  However she could engineer the double and triple cloth designs and satin wools that Tzaims designed.

SIDE NOTE:

The Bennington Museum is publishing inacurate information concerning the Tzaim Luksus fabric operation.  This is because the Bennington Museum trustees and members were involved in embezzeling his fabric and fashion corporations.  Jamie Franklin, curator, of the Bennington Museum writes his own version of history and hates Tzaims with a passion.

CONTINUED.

Tzsims continued designing and presenting the finished woven and printed samples to New York's top fashion designers himself becoming the Top weaver and printer of  NYC and Seventh Avenue.

Three years operatinb his mill and fashion house he arrived as the most important fabric house in the US.  Tzaims went on designing for the haute couturer in Paris, Dior, Chanel ,Yves Saint Laurent and others, however. the financial backers that moved into his company decided to take it over.  Tzaims had only one course of action.  Close up. Give the backers the entire operation but having them sign to change the name of the compsny and never to trade under his name and TZ.L logo again.

They grabbed it leaving Tzaims and Miriam without any money.  Tzaims felt it best to  start over rather than have these parasite backers, some of them the wealthiest and most famous men in the country, treating him like their slave.

He went on to resign in Paris after he found a position for Mirism as head of textile design at the Fashion Institute of Technology for now through Tzaims, Miriam had become America's most important fabric technology expert.  She taught beginning wearing for 20 years at FIT.

Tzaims and she became like older sister and younger brother.  She lived nearby his house in Old Bennigton but was drained of her income from her parasite daughter and son.

Robin died of Parkinson's, as his father, David Fredenthal, died of a brain tumor, Robin confined for a few years before in a mental hospital and her daughter later drew her mother's social security checks for a long time or for as long as she could hiding and not reporting her mothers death until neighbors noticed and reported her..

To be continued.