|
Clare Yellin, granddaughter of famed metal artisan Samuel Yellin, explores the contributions made by her grandfather and other mastersmiths in the incorporation of metal and iron into architectural design.
Most people would balk at paying $57,500 for a second-hand writing table.
But when the table in question is an heirloom – personally crafted by famed mastersmith Samuel Yellin – collectors will go to almost any length to add a piece of history to their possessions.
In fact, the final bid prices at auction for original Yellin pieces typically go for up to three times their appraised value.
“Samuel Yellin was the Tiffany of metalwork in America,” said Detroit collector John Booth in a Maine Antique Digest story about his recent table purchase.
Yellin’s forte was creating works of art that were light and fragile in appearance, yet tempered with the strength that only metal and iron can achieve.
“It is hard to make iron look light, but Yellin did it,” Booth said.
Born in Poland in 1885, Yellin became a mastersmith at 17 then perfected his craft working throughout Russia, Belgium, Germany, Italy, France and England.
In 1906, he emigrated to Philadelphia, where he set up one of the world’s preeminent ironwork businesses, the Industrial Ornamental Forge Co., later to be renamed Samuel Yellin Metalworkers Co.
From Ivy League universities and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in Manhattan, to the tiny Citizens Bank of Weston, W.Va. (pictured), Yellin’s work graces buildings the world over and remains in high demand.
“It’s gratifying to see the work of my grandfather recognized aesthetically and financially,” said Clare Yellin, current owner of the metalwork company.
An RSVP reception at the Gamble House follows the lecture.
The Gamble House, a National Historic Landmark owned by the City of Pasadena and operated by USC, is open for public tours.
More Information:
|
