Background
Bluma Trell was born on March 10, 1903, in New York, United States. Bluma Trell grew up in the Bohemian world of Greenwich Village, thanks to the success of her father, who was a founder of the Grand Central Galleries.
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1977
Bluma Trell was born on March 10, 1903, in New York, United States. Bluma Trell grew up in the Bohemian world of Greenwich Village, thanks to the success of her father, who was a founder of the Grand Central Galleries.
Trell studied ancient coins and their depictions of the architecture of ancient Greek civilization. Her studies of the coins led her to write her dissertation, "Architectura Numismatica: The Temples of Asia Minor." Moreover, she received a degree in law.
Bluma's fierce determination to make a career for herself first manifested itself in her taking a degree in law and practicing as an attorney for five years until she became, in her word, "bored" with the law. During her husband's work in Hollywood, she taught at the University in California in Los Angeles and while visiting a movie set supposedly depicting an ancient Greek city, she began to wonder what Greek cities really looked like.
Once back at New York University, her interest in numismatics was primed by the noted Professor at New York University's Institute of Fine Arts, Karl Lehmann, who arrived at New York University the same year as Trell, 1935. Then she took part in the reconstruction of the façade of Temple of Artemis, the first building in Greece known to have been constructed entirely of marble. The temple had been destroyed over the years by Christians, but the coins gave enough evidence for Trell to design a reconstruction, now on permanent display at the British Museum and was painted by Salvador Dali. She also performed a great service to her field in 1973 by successfully protesting New York's Metropolitan Museum attempt to sell 6000 ancient coins that it had lent the American Numismatic Society. No small part of her success in this effort arose from the publicity generated by the appearance in the New York Times and the New York Post of a photograph of Trell playing the cello with the New York University Student Orchestra at the Society during the protest.
Bluma also taught briefly at the University of California, Los Angeles, and at City University of New York before joining the faculty at New York University in 1959. She contributed many articles to journals and wrote for the Dictionary of Arts.
Bluma Trell was a feminist.
Bluma was married to Max Trell.
