The April issue of the newsletter for the International Society of Genetic Genealogy will report that silversmith Cheryll Greene is a descendent of Hephaestus, proported to be the Greek god of blacksmithing. Part of what convinced them of Greene’s genealogical ties, aside from her talent, is that her favorite musical number from an opera is the Anvil chorus from Giuseppe Verdi’s “Il Trovatore.” After reading an advanced copy of the article, the silversmith commented that she is skeptical of any mythological ties, but has discovered that she comes from a long line of silversmiths and blacksmiths from Germany dating all the way back to 1734. Greene, who now offers her silversmithing services once a month at Novotny’s Antique Gallery in Pasadena, believes it is more than a coincidence that she fell into her career, which she has been practicing since age of 16. She is now 61. With an average minimum for a repair at $50, she sets up at Novotny’s on the first Sunday of each month, the same day as the Pasadena City College Swapmeet. She is on hand to pick up any pieces that need repair from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. She can fix virtually anything, but has recently had a lot of Judaica ceremonial pieces, both personal family pieces and those used in synagogues. Family history ”I come from a family of artists on my mother’s side and mechanical engineers on my father’s side and I thought that was an interesting marriage of families,” she said, adding that she learned the technical aspects of her career from her father, but her creativity came from her mother. She became aware of her artistic side at the age of 5 when won a coloring contest for the local Ohio publication, “The Dayton Daily News” after carefully filling in a image of the Wright Brother’s airplane. Greene also seems to have undeniable ties to aviation. Her father was in the air force; she was born on what her city claims is the birthdate of aviation, December 17th, when Orville and Wilbur took off from Kitty Hawk. She was even raised in the city where the brothers made their triumphant first flight. Following her passion for silverworking, Greene received two degrees in silversmithing
Category Archives: Silver
Parrot handle with Allan Adler style ptcher
It doesn’t look like something that would have caught Off the Wall owner Dennis Boses’ eye. It’s not supersized, wild, or flashy. But there was just something about the parrot pitcher’s sleek lines and bird handle that “talked” him into buying it. Despite several decades of buying and selling experience, sometimes Boses just goes with “what he likes.” He is not an expert on Mexican silver, but he had heard of the maker, Los Castillos. ”You learn by spending money,” explained Boses. If you decide not to buy it because you’re nervous, then you’ll never really know if you were right or wrong.” It was not just the colorful parrot handle that lured him in. He also admired the graceful Allan Adler style hand-hammered pitcher. He hoped it would squawk into a new home at the Palm Springs Modernism Show.
Porter Blanchard's idea of a joke
Although hammering silver into gorgeous vessels and flatware can be a lot of hard work, some of the best silversmiths in the business, knew how to shake things up. After a long day of hammering away, it is rumored that Porter Blanchard, Pacoima-based Arts & Crafts silversmith, would greet some of his customers with more than just a smile and a beautiful piece of silver. ”He wore a leather smock and nothing else,” said Boses. The leather smock is not unusual for silversmiths, since it protects them from the heat they use to soften the silver. “When he would sell something to a 50 or 60-year-old woman, he would turn around and walk away exposing his derriere since he wore only a leather smock. I think he got a big kick out of exposing himself unexpectedly to his clientele. Blanchard left behind a legacy of more than just beautiful pieces that pop up occasionally at auction. He trained his son-in-law, Allan Adler, the art of hand-hammered silver. Adler, is also admired as one of the finest contemporary silversmiths, having worked from 1938 (as an apprentice) to his death in 2002. His company is still producing pieces in the vintage Allan Adler style. ”Allan Adler makes the most beautiful silver with ebonized handles,” said Boses. “A set of his flatware can sell for $12 or $15,000.” Adler was a Los Angeles silversmith who learned his trade from his father-in-law Porter Blanchard, who grew up in Massachussetts, but spent the last 50 years of his life creating silver flatware at his Calabasas shop, and holloware at his Pacoima home. From the time Adler began his career as an apprentice under Blanchard, he designed silverware and holloware in unadorned, geometric shapes inspired by the Modernist art movement of the early 1900s. After his name became associated with Hollywood glamour in the early 1940s, he was commissioned to design mini-Oscars for Academy Award winners and crowns for Miss Universe and Miss U.S.A. as well as silver bowls, candlesticks and goblets for his celebrity clients. In the 1950s, he began to attract political leaders and socialites. One special commission he was especially proud of the came during John F. Kennedy’s presidential campaign. Adler crafted a silver coffee urn to be used at a fund-raising event for Kennedy who was elected in 1960.
Las vegas convention
Sterling, enamel, and gold and silver plated spoons will all be showcased at the Las Vegas Souvenir Spoon Collector Convention slated for September 14th-17th at the newly renovated Palace Station Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The event will include several buy/sell/swap sessions, competitive and non-competitive displays, an auction, workshops, and two group dinners. Convention packets are available for $3 from Dorothy Goldman, 8200 Blvd. East, Box PHT, North Bergen, NJ 07047. For more information on souvenir spoon collecting and activities, contact Erwin Goldman at (201) 662-1342.
visitor's announcement
A 1900s silver filigree calling card holder announced for $225 in the space of Fred Salazar, (209) 605-8867, at the Art Deco and Modernism Show in San Francisco. Although it is likely to find its way into a lady’s purse as a credit card or business card holder today, it once carried cards bearing nothing more than the name of its owner. Calling Card Etiquette of the 17th-19th centuries ”Calling” was the somewhat ritualized version of the fine old custom of “visiting.” There were certain fixed rules laid down by society which might apply to a resident in a small town with the same force as it would one someone in a bustling city. Visiting cards, the “Visite Biletes”, used to be playing card size in the 17th centuries, just a little smaller than the size of a man’s hand. The earliest forms of visiting cards were indeed playing cards. Visitors wrote on the cards their signatures, promissory notes and other messages. As time went by, these visiting cards further developed into greeting and other cards. These first visiting cards appeared in France during the reign of Louis XIV – “Le Roi Soleil”. They were solemnly introducing their owners in all their glory. They did not usually contain anything more than the name of the caller. Anything more had the look of a business card and might have implied that the caller was actually there to collect on a bill. The rules: 1) On making the first call you must have a card for each lady of the household. 2) On making a call, leave your card with the servant. You will be allowed to see the hostess only after she examines the card. 3) When the doorbell rings, the servant on duty should have the card tray ready to present, on the palm of the left hand. 4) A gentleman should carry them loose in a convenient pocket; but a lady may use a card case. 5) If your card receives no acknowledgment, you must conclude that for some reason they do not wish to extend their acquaintance. 6) Do not examine the cards in the card basket. You have no right to investigate as to who calls on a lady. 7) A young lady can have a card of her own after having been in society a year. 8} An American gentleman should never fold the corner of his card, despite the temporary fashion. Some European gentlemen, on the contrary, fold the upper right corner to indicate that they have delivered it themselves (a servant should never hand his master’s card folded). 9) Fold the card in the middle if you wish to indicate that the call is on several, or all members of the family.
