Wendell August Forge Motifs, #3

      The Forge, as the longest producing maker of aluminum gift wares, has such an extensive list of wares and motifs that the task of cataloging their entirety would be practically impossible for most collectors. We collectors usually consider the wars made between 1930 and 1978 as the "old aluminum" that we love to collect. 

      Bill Knecht, who became the owner of the Forge in 1978, agreed with this limitation, perhaps a little unhappily, but he too, loved the old aluminum, and backed our efforts whole heartily, as we began to record the background of aluminum wares.

     Before long, Bill added the letter "K' and "touch-marks" to the Forge's mark. This has been a boon to collectors, for it helps date the piece and it identifies the craftsmen and the die-maker. This chart  is a guide to some of the pieces in our collections. 

Saguaro cacti––tray motif

          

Sea horses––tray motif

Leaf motif on box lid.

Rhododendron  (?)

Swan motif on a small bowl

Looked in my storage closet this afternoon and thought I was in the midst of a nightmare. Shelves and shelves of aluminum met my eyes. I tried to forget that there are more shelves holding aluminum and also a few boxes stored in my old office building.  Some of my daughters and granddaughters  are fond of aluminum, but they can absorb only a limited amount.  A huge yard sale is planned ,,,probably months from now. Until then....

 Today's sale pieces, prices plus shipping not yet determined

Everlast w/rose motif
$15

Continental w/mum, appl'd leaves
$15

Everlast double tidbit w/pine
motif      $12.

Continental bread.w/mum. appl'd leaves
$12

Lots of projects in store here ...taking photos of aluminum, cataloging it, guests expected, weeds growing like crazy, and all needing attention NOW.

Hope to be more regular with future post.

Dannie

Wendell August Motifs, continued

     As the oldest company producing hammered aluminum, and one of the few that resumed production after the restrictions of WWII, their variety of motif is extensive. It was a relief to learn that after that terrible fire a few years ago, all their dies had been saved.
     We collectors have become very attached to the products of those early years, and the unique time-period they represent.

Bartray in Sail 

Matchbox cover in Sail

    In addition, then, as now, styles and interests changed, and designs and motifs also changed with the times.  At one time, sailing scenes, called simply "Sail," in their catalog listings,were very popular, and were created in a variety of scenes on objects as small as the tiny match folder holders, to

 large trays that did double duty as table tops.  A murch larger tray in the Sail motif, is shown with it table stand, turned on it's side to show its pattern. The 'fish hook' handles have made it a favorite style.




The preceding Aluminist showed a ship's wheel, a motif used on a variety of
trays, and could be considered a member of the Sails group, or at least, part of the sporting motifs.

On a matchbox cover

Other sporting scenes were popular: Polo, fishing, and huntingwere a few. This polo scene was used on both a bar tray and a larger serving tray, and a small portion of it on a matchbox cover.

Trout on a line

Hunter

           

       









There's many, many more, and some of you collectors may have a few
photos to share.

Please share pictures or information for this pioneering effort to record the
motifs of all the companies.

Dannie

Motifs of Wendell August

       This month's picture taking turned out rather poorly, but I remain enarmoured by these old motifs.Some of the older ones are going to be a real problem, as they are on large trays that were also used for table tops

.

Elephant

                                              Until then, here are more examples:

American Quarter Horse

Cherry

The Elephant, right is especially impressive on a bar tray, showing a herd of five, moving in line,    
                                                         across the plain

Apple is the name used in old catalogues.
Not apple blossem, just apple.

Daisies

Ship's wheel. Probably a
part of their Sails group

The daisies here are in a natralistic design. In another motif, they are used as a scattering of flowers across  small plate.


There was a period when all sports such as sailing or polo, were a popular theme for many companies.







                                         



                       
                                                                     
Time to quit while all pictures are in in place, It takes so little to scatter pics and captions helter skelter across the page. More later.

      

                                                                                              Dannie

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.

Wendell August motifs

Catching up:
     Numerous emails came in concerning Continental. Judging by the number of comments and questions that are received, the popularity of this company's Mum  motif seems to surpass all other aluminum gift wares. What is your favorite motif? Your favorite piece?


       Questions concerning prices arrive often.  This Cellini vase below is going on eBay and the seller was curious about its value. What would your estimate be? It is gorgeous but has darkened interior and inside pitting.

Cellini vase with black
bakelite and alum. base.

Double stamped

Flaw on one side

OLD WENDELL AUGUST MOTIFS:

  

Apple blossom,

Pine

Fleur de lis motif (listed as Grecian in
Conestoga auction catalog

Grape

Coffee Bean 

Dogwood

Patterns listed as available on select pieces in the 1948 catalog include Apple (commonly spoken of as Apple Blossom),  Pine, Bittersweet, Dogwood, Cactus, Ducks, Sail, Bird Dog, Trout, Horse Head, Sailboat, Educational, Daisy, Grape, Turkey, Tropical Fish, Iris, and Water Lily.