The Companies and Their Motifs

Wendell August Forge 

The plan for future Aluminist postings is to present as many as possible of the old motifs of the various companies. 

The first maker, the Wendell August Forge:

         The Wendell August Forge, the company name that brings aluminum collectors to full alert whenever they hear the name or spy a piece on a shop shelf, was not always a producer of the decorative giftware.

       Wendell August was a businessman, the great grandson of a Russian immigrant, and owned a coal a blacksmith shop and mine.

     Early in the 1920s, August had the shop create door latches for his new home and

launched the shop into a new business of forging ornamental iron, a popular architectural decoration of the time, although cast aluminum was becoming popular.

     Alcoa was planning its new research laboratory and as producer of aluminum, they planned to incorporate its use throughout the building. Wendell August thought that instead of the current method if casting the molten metal, his forge could hand wrought the cold metal and had his workers create several examples. One story credits Natale Rossi, an Italian immigrant worker at the blacksmith shop, as being insistent that he could create such work and did so, impressing Alcoa with the beauty of the work and securing Wendell August the contract for making Alcoa's ornamental gates.

     WAF also secured the contract for making the decorative aluminum panels for the elevator doors. Their striking design, made by the repousse method, so impressed the architect that he suggested that small mementos be made for Alcoa executives, which, in turn, led to Kaufmanns' Pittsburg department store requesting a line of small giftware items to sell in their store.

     Thus a new industry began, spawning numerous other forges and providing employment for many, until the need for aluminum in the WWll defenses closed the forges.

A more complete history can be found in my book, Hammered Aluminum-Hand Wrought Collectibles Book Two.


The motifs to follow, are those developed for items made by the Forge from approximately 1930-1978, and are the ones most favored by collectors. The Forge's long history may make this list a long one.

Pine
Perhaps the most popular of all
the Forge's motif. It was used on
trays, bowls, candleholders,
silent butlers, boxes...the list
is a long one.

Wheat
I believe there are several
versions of this. It appeared
on toasters & other breakfast
type pieces..toast holders, etc.

Poppy
This has not appeared as often
as many of their other motifs. It's a nice
pattern but may not have been as
adaptable as others.

Swan
This swan on a small dish, is the
only one I have seen. I'm sure there
many others.

Thistle
The Thistle seemed to be rather
popular. The detail is great.

Iris
The Iris motif on a Wendell August
vase is often featured in various books
and articles. It's a great piece but I have no
 idea how widespread this motif became.

Waterlily
Another motif not often seen..at least
not in Texas.

Questions

Questions

This post will be devoted to questions from reader. Some may have been posted before but I believe we've been a bit short of receiving helpful answers.

Today's question was a thought provoking one. I'm looking forward to your thoughts on this and all the others.

1. Is there any way of telling whether this Everlast Metal hand forged aluminum bowl, in the shape of a leaf, is part of the Mary Wright Fallen Leaves pattern?

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2 .found a Palmer Smith aluminum bowl in a thrift shop. The # 2301 is stamped on bottom with the Palmer Smith logo. The bowl measures 7 1/2 inches with a trifoil leaf stamped design around inside edge.Can anyone tell me what it might be worth or more about its provenance? 

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3.  My parents have many pieces of Palmer Smith Aluminum as well as embroidered linens.

Could you help me find someone who could place values on individual pieces?

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4.   I currently have several pieces from the Rodney Kent aluminum collection.  One of them is the condiment set you pictured on your website.  However, I am missing one of the dishes and have been searching everywhere for a replacement. 

Do you have any idea which glass manufacturer was used for the collection?  Every time I see one of the condiment sets on Ebay, etc.,  it always has the same dish shown.  However, I find no markings what so ever on the bottom of the one dish I currently have.

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5.  I am so fortunate to find this thread! i went to an estate sale and bought a continental antique beaten copper table crumber 2pc set w/ the chrysanthemum motif. #625

i can not find any information on the price as a set. i found 1 or 2 on ebay that just have the pan for anywhere from $30-80. is there any information on this? or what decade it might be from? or where the continental company was from? thanks! stefanie 

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 6.  I just got a tray from a yard sale that is stamp on the bottom "continental silver co, WILD ROSE, brilliantone, 1023. Could you tell me if it's of any value and where I can sell it if so? I have two others that I got at the same place. One is round, no handles and stamped continental silver co Hand Wrought 580", the other is round and is stamped "Henry and Miller, and what looks to be "kraftware and trademark" below that. Any suggestions? Thanks .

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You can see the value of an item is the most asked question. I expect the pricies will be as varied as they were in the past. 

On this blog, it is easy to post your comments by clicking on "comment"  and writing in the box that appears.Your email address remains private. I'm hoping for answers to these questions in order all of us may learn a little more.

More Lamps

Continuing the posting of the lamp collection........and thanks to Charlie for sharing!

Wendell August lamp,
Pine motif

Detail of top design,
Pine motif

Detail of lamp base 

WAF with Crossed Swords and Crown 

Palmer-Smith

WAF with Angel Fish motif

              

                                                                     

Detail of light section,
Palmer-Smith

Angel Fish motifon lamp base

                                          

I have a project started for future posts to this blog.  My plan is to picture all the known motifs used in the early years of hammered aluminum production. It's an awesome undertaking and although I have an incomplete list of names, clear photos of each motif is a work in progress. 

Today, I couldn't wait to post thes lamp phtoes, part of the fabulous Weissman collection. Each lamp is shown with  a close-up of details.

This is a Wendell August Forge lamp with the thistle motiff. The detail on the base is more of the Palmer-Smith style.

The Greecian motif on another lamp made by the Forge. Below, another Forge lamp with the Greecian motif.

Detail of moti collector titled this
motif Poppy.

Base

A floor lamp by the World 

company. Who would have

dreamed that they made

lamps.

This lamp was another shocker for me. I never dreamed Canterbury Arts made anything as unique as a lamp. This moti is a favorite of mine. Finding the ingraver's name hidden among the detailed floweres and foliage has always been special. Does anyone have information about either C.C. Pflanz or J. Hattrick? One of our collector researchers ran into a suddenly closed door as he pursued details of the lives of these men. It's a puzzle.

 

In the past we have given descriptive names to many patterns that have no official names. Should this be called Floral Wreath? Floral Circle?  Rose and Thistle?

Detail o motif

Another lamp made by World, using a Swan motif.

I am amazed at these finds. Viewing these photos has been a real treasure hunt, and adds so much to our knowledge of the items produced in those long-ago days.



I'm experiencing some technical problems so am publishing this before all everything disappears, as this sentence did, a moment ago!

Dannie

An Experiment

My last post included a few pictures from some of the long-ago shows and a couple of new purchases this collector made. I really, really expected a few comments but there were none. So-o-o, I shrug my shoulder and move on.

Later I posted on Facebook a notice about a garage sale, and was told it didn't appear. Now, I decide to trace the problem and think I have found it. When FB made its change, there was a place to enter a preference. If you did not do so, FB stated they would choose for you.

Today my plan is to attempt to watch every step and try to repost my post to go out to everyone, as it has in the past.

As the title indicates, THIS IS AN EXPERIMENT!

Once a collector, always a collector

     You've all heard it: "I'm through collecting." or "I never find anything any more." I thought both applied to my status. Besides, the shelves are full, the closet is full, and I have loads and loads of aluminum ready to sell.
  All resolutions flew out the windows, when I had an opportunity to buy this Wendell August torchiere. It has been said to be one of only three, and you can be sure it has joined a happy collector, although I did have to think a few weeks before delving deep into my piggy bank.

     Details of the beautiful waterlily motif shown above.
Now I should be perfectly content and go about my business of listing my sale pieces, right?

Floral motif

Well, not exactly! While checking prices from several sources (more about that later), I found this hammered aluminum cake cover and simplyhad to have it. It is a Hand Forged piece and is numbered 5...  Unfortunately the remaining numerals or hidden by the knob's screw.
 The leaves are are edged in an unusual manner.








A BIT OF NOSTALGIA....remembering the Hammered Aluminum Shows.

      Decisions were tough when it came to making one's purchases.
       Not everything was for sale. Some extremely rare pieces were for display only. Our pictures were usually an attempt to capture the overall variety in a booth.

      Most of the photos in my show file are courtesty of Doug and Ann Sutherland.  There is a group of tools and molds used in making the items, several photos of the Sheasley family, decendants of Armour and Rossi, and many who were involved in the manufacturing process.
      When the unusual and most sought after items became too difficult for the vendors to find in great enough numbers to make their set-up profitable,
the shows had to end.   We owe Ed Gangerwere many thanks for the opportunity to attend ten wonderful shows...many with special speakers and programs. He and his cousin, Mary Ann Felegy produced the first and Ed, alone continued until they ended.

PRICES:
      Pricing our sale items is always a problem. Many questions arrive here concerning value of an inherited piece or one that has just been purchased...was it a good deal, or not?
      I got quite a surprise last week when a question led me to my own 1993 book's price guide. The price range was still accurate! Then, as now, there was a wide range in prices. Then they varied shop by shop, location by location and still do. Prices jumped outrageously for a while, and began to drop down to ones more affordable and certainly more in line with the quality of the pieces.  If you have one of the books..Hamered Aluminum, Hand Wrought Collectibles, Book 2, check out some of the prices and tell us how they compare with those in your area.

Looking forward to hearing from you!
Dannie

The Aluminist: Once a collector, always a collector

The Aluminist: Once a collector, always a collector: You've all heard it: "I'm through collecting." or "I never find anything any more." I thought both applied to my status. Besides, the s...

Once a collector, always a collector

     You've all heard it: "I'm through collecting." or "I never find anything any more." I thought both applied to my status. Besides, the shelves are full, the closet is full, and I have loads and loads of aluminum ready to sell.
  All resolutions flew out the windows, when I had an opportunity to buy this Wendell August torchiere. It has been said to be one of only three, and you can be sure it has joined a happy collector, although I did have to think a few weeks before delving deep into my piggy bank.

     Details of the beautiful waterlily motif shown above.
Now I should be perfectly content and go about my business of listing my sale pieces, right?

Floral motif

Well, not exactly! While checking prices from several sources (more about that later), I found this hammered aluminum cake cover and simply had to have it. It is a Hand Forged piece and is numbered 5...  Unfortunately the remaining numerals or hidden by the knob's screw.
 The leaves are are edged in an unusual manner.








A BIT OF NOSTALGIA....remembering the Hammered Aluminum Shows.

      Decisions were tough when it came to making one's purchases.
       Not everything was for sale. Some extremely rare pieces were for display only. Our pictures were usually an attempt to capture the overall variety in a booth.

      Most of the photos in my show file are courtesty of Doug and Ann Sutherland.  There is a group of tools and molds used in making the items, several photos of the Sheasley family, decendants of Armour and Rossi, and many who were involved in the manufacturing process.
      When the unusual and most sought after items became too difficult for the vendors to find in great enough numbers to make their set-up profitable,
the shows had to end.   We owe Ed Gangerwere many thanks for the opportunity to attend ten wonderful shows...many with special speakers and programs. He and his cousin, Mary Ann Felegy produced the first and Ed, alone continued until they ended.

PRICES:
      Pricing our sale items is always a problem. Many questions arrive here concerning value of an inherited piece or one that has just been purchased...was it a good deal, or not?
      I got quite a surprise last week when a question led me to my own 1993 book's price guide. The price range was still accurate! Then, as now, there was a wide range in prices. Then they varied shop by shop, location by location and still do. Prices jumped outrageously for a while, and began to drop down to ones more affordable and certainly more in line with the quality of the pieces.  If you have one of the books..Hamered Aluminum, Hand Wrought Collectibles, Book 2, check out some of the prices and tell us how they compare with those in your area.

Looking forward to hearing from you!
Dannie

Art or Craft

Seaneen, a collector for many years of aluminum items, was fortunate in securing a ticket to the Antique Roadshow when it appeared in Minneapolis. In addition to a few other items, she decided to take a group of aluminum pieces. How many of us have dreamed of having such an opportunity!

There were four jewelry appraisers and none of them knew anything about aluminum jewelry. The appraiser gave an estimate of #1,200 to $1,500, which Seaneen thought was rather high. The appraiser also appeared very impressed with the pieces. Nice aluminum does seem to have that effect on people! I have often wondered if one of those bank lamps or patio tables ever appeared for their appraisal, if they would have a clue concerning their value or history.


Nome of the items were marked although in other collections, there have been tentative identifications according to patterns. In my opinion, many belts and the pins and pendant groups were made by Everlast.  Handbags with a chrysanthemum pattern were sold in the recent auction and indicated that this was the Continental Chrysanthemum  pattern. It was indeed a chrysanthemum but not the one  we normally associate with the Continental Company. Seaneen stated that she had once seen a handbag like hers with a NYC as part of its mark. She also notes that the bag and the belt are matching pieces. That would be an attention getting  wear and carry ensemble!

In the fifties I purchased a gold mesh belt and a belt of aluminum sections embossed with a rose motif, paying $5 each for the belts. My clothing allowance was shot for a month and I knew I should have stayed out of that ritzy department store but I wore the belts for years. I remember a time or two when the aluminum one fell to the floor with a clatter!! I still have the belt as a memento of my first piece of aluminum and of those days so long ago when a 22" waist was more important than breathing.

Before the publication of my first book on hammered aluminum, many antique and collectible dealers confessed they sent all aluminum items straight to the recyclers. Even later, after several shows, numerous articles, and a tremendous rise in prices, there was a surprising lack of interest on the part of sellers, in seeking knowledge. We who appreciate the skill that has produced the decorative aluminum that we love, find it hard to understand this attitude among those who are in a position to have first access to the best and most interesting items.

  
The fact that aluminum is not a precious metal is not acceptable, for there are collectible pottery items, made of the most common of materials.....clay. Then there are carvings of wood, another material that cannot be classified as precious.

 The best reason may lie in the large number of aluminum items made by homemaking clubs, 4Hers and scout groups in the 1950s. Although many of these items were cherished for years, few could match the items made by more skilled craftsmen in facilities better suited for their production. Combined with the  declining quality of aluminum used in many mass produced and imported items that hit the market in the 50s and 60's, aluminum began to get a reputation for trashiness. Still, after ten aluminum shows, several books and hundreds of collectors on the prowl, one would assume that "hammered aluminum" is important.

A conversation yesterday with a person with a long-time museum connection has tweaked my curiosity about this:

When does a craft become an art?.
What exactly determines art, anyway?
What is the category of Arthur Armour's Pioneer  pattern and others like it?
What about some of the old landscapes by the Forge or even the elephants marching across a tray?
Then there are the multitudes of cast figures; are them merely eye pleasing little do-dads, or are they artistic little objects?

I rather doubt there is a definitive answer to my queries. Judging by the extremes I have seen in museums, there's a wide difference in opinions. Perhaps our aluminum items are not wildly extreme enough to be eye catching.

Your opinions, please. The box below is waiting for you!

Dannie

     

What is "Hammered Aluminum?"

What is "hammered aluminum?"
         The short version would be that hammered aluminum is a group of decorative items made by a process of hammering a design into s a sheet of metal of no special rarity or high value, and then shaping this sheet over a wooden mold into the desired shape.

     The long version includes much more.

       The metalworking skills that produced our prized aluminum items had their roots in those of antiquity. Centuries ago highly skilled workers made beautiful items from the metals available at that time; gold band bronze. These items can be seen around the world in wonderful displays of the metalworking art.

Tools displayed at show

Wooden mold and other tools in show display

       In the beginning of the Wendell August Forge's long history of production, it was immigrant workers who passed on these skills which were adapted to use on a metal previously thought unsuitable for this type of work. We, who have been drawn to the soft glow of aluminum, have benefited from their skill in creating detailed motifs and shaping the lamps and vases that have a part of our collections.
      Besides the skills that have gone into our aluminum, think back to the period it was first produced. Generally spoken of as being in 1930, we know this was a time of extreme stress for both businesses and people needing jobs. These were the days of the Great Depression and although not given away as a gift like the Depression Glass often was, aluminum gift ware occupied the same time slot. In addition, unlike Depression Glass, early aluminum gift wares were completely hand crafted.

A hot fire is a necessity.

      There are so many steps in creating each piece of hand made hammered aluminum. First, there must be an artist to create the pattern or motif. Then the pattern is is transferred,,  into a large piece of steel by carefully cutting each tiny detail of the pattern into the steel. The die is carefully examined for flaws before being placed on a work table with a piece of aluminum laid on the engraved die. At this point, the sheet of aluminum is carefully hammered, creating a raised design from the incised design on the die. This technique is called  repousse.
      At this point the piece has become slightly uneven so it is laid on a leather covered table and flattened with a nylon hammer and then edged with a hammer and anvil. It is now ready for the coloring which takes place over a coal fire. The fire remains at the proper temperature only a short time, but cooling racks are soon filled with ugly sooty objects resembling nothing a person would want in their house.
      The next step involves a carefully cleaning of each piece, leaving only enough of the darkening to enhance the pattern. The Forge switched to chemical darkening in recent years and may or may not still be using that process.
      Yet another step awaits the piece of aluminum. This is the molding which may be done with a press or upon a wooden mold. The piece is now is awaiting its final finishing touch...a polishing and waxing that produced the piece that may now be sitting on your shelf.
      It deserves the admiration we collectors give and as either a uniquely crafted item or as mementos from  50-80 years ago, it is a collectible to use and enjoy.


The July 15 Auction

       Years ago I took part as a phone bidder in an auction. It was exciting and produced not near as costly a phone bill as I had expected. I was able to successfully bid on a table lamp and a table, both made by Wendell August. I found out later that for the lamp, I was bidding against Bill Knetch of the Forge. Although I have forgotten what I paid and seem to have conveniently failed to enter the prices on my inventory list, these pieces were nothing like the bargains I watched flash by in yesterday's auction of the Dan Overmeyer collection.

      I watched the bidding progress online and found it almost too fast to keep pace with. As the catalog portrayed, most lots were large...much larger than many of us would have preferred. I have had no report from other online watchers but can tell you that two prospective bidders had either registering glitches or computer problems that prevented any personal participation.

      In reviewing the entire auction from an online viewpoint, I can see that I had not made proper preparation to be a participant. After all, I do have a few pieces of aluminum cluttering up the closets and shelves and have little room for more, so I had not thoroughly investigated this method of auctioning and the options offered in the catalog's information section. Other than my personal problems, I judged the auction to be a well planned, efficiently carried out operation.

      Next, I am wondering about other collectors' reaction to the actual presentation of the collection. In my opinion, the usual lack of knowledge about the features that make an item valuable, hindered their best presentation. The lots were usually large, making the image of each item rather small and easily overlooked in previewing the catalog, and I feel certain that a few rather unique or old motifs slipped by unnoticed. In fact, compared to the lots of glass, which featured only one or two items in each lot, aluminum lots of six, twelve, or even more, appeared as an almost desperate attempt to bring order to a stack of aluminum that must have appeared mind boggling. Under the circumstances,  I can emphasize with that feeling.

COMING NEXT: ONE COLLECTOR'S VISIT TO THE ROAD SHOW!

Dannie