Samuel Yellin

At the beginning of the twentieth century, hand-forged ironwork was used as decorative elements both inside and outside buildings. Sam Yellin (1885–1940), one of the top ironsmiths in the United States, was born in Poland, where he learned the blacksmithing trade. He worked in Germany, Belgium, and England before moving to Philadelphia in 1906. In […]

Marie Zimmermann

Marie Zimmermann (1879–1972) may have been the most important metalcraft artist working in the United States in the twentieth century. Zimmermann created Arts and Crafts jewelry of gold set with precious stones and enamels. She also made metalwork of all kinds—silver hollow ware and flatware, jeweled boxes, flower containers, vases, iron gates, furniture, wood carvings, […]

Ironsmiths

Frenchman Edgar Brandt (1880–1960) was a major ironsmith. His first important work in the United States was the ironwork on the Cheney Building in New York City. The building’s iron doors were made with stylized palm fronds and fountains, designs later copied by many working in the art deco style. Other important ironwork names in […]

Lurelle Guild—Industrial Designer

People sometimes are confused when reading the name Lurelle Guild and think it is a group of designers. But Lurelle is the designer’s first name and Guild (rhymes with child) is his last. Lurelle Guild (1898-1985) started as a magazine illustrator of interiors in the 1920s. He noticed that many ideas and designs he included […]

Copper Craftsmen

Craftsmen made Arts and Crafts–style decorative pieces using copper, a metal that had generally been ignored except for utilitarian pieces. Silver was used with copper, gilt, brass, or stones to make hollow ware in a style called Japonisme. The style reflected a romantic view of Japanese art popular in Europe and the United States at […]

Arts & Crafts Coppersmiths

This table lists coppersmiths with their locations and marks. Dates given are approximate working dates. Birth and death dates for individuals are in parentheses. Coppersmith Location Dates Mark Benedict Manufacturing Company East Syracuse, New York c.1900–1930s Carence Crafters Chicago, Illinois 1908–c.1918 Cellini Shop Chicago, Illinois 1914–1969 Harry Dixon San Francisco, California (1890–1967 ) Active c.1908–1967 […]

Chase Brass & Copper Company

It is a long way from plain copper nails and rivets to internationally famous art deco chrome, copper, and brass giftwares by named designers, but that is how Chase Brass & Copper Company of Waterbury, Connecticut, progressed. It also made buttons and industrial products like copper pipe before it realized, in the 1930s, that money […]

Spun Aluminum

Another popular metal used for household goods in the 1940s was spun aluminum. Several housewares companies made bowls, mugs, beer trays, and other pieces, but the most famous and most expensive today are the aluminum serving dishes by Russel Wright, including an ice bucket, relish tray, pitcher, cheese and cracker set, canapé ball tray, and […]

Hammered Aluminum

Aluminum was first used as tableware in 1850, when it was more valuable than gold. But it was not until 1900, when a cheaper method of producing aluminum was discovered, that everyday household items were made of the metal. At first, some thought aluminum was poisonous and would contaminate food, but by 1910 those fears […]

Victorian Silver and Silver Plate Napkin Rings

The first American napkin ring patent was issued in 1867. By 1877 the silver catalog of the Meriden Britannia Company had six pages devoted to the sale of napkin rings. The fad lasted until about 1886, and by 1900 the figural napkin ring was almost completely out of vogue. The elaborate napkin ring is strictly […]