| Adolph Ludwig worked as a designer for Shiebler from c. 1881 to 1890 (and may have been responsible for some of the Shiebler designs seen above). According to Rainwater, in 1890, Ludwig formed a new company with business partner A. Alec Redlich. Many early pieces of Ludwig, Redlich & Co. silver bear a strong resemblance to Shiebler items of the mid- to late 1880s. Pictured here is an example of a Ludwig, Redlich & Co. silver paper clip. It is a naturalistic leaf featuring an applied beetle. This design is extremely similar to many Shiebler bug-on-leaf brooches I have seen. Ludwig apparently left the company in 1895, so presumably this paper clip dates to 1890-1895. Other Ludwig, Redlich & Co. designs such as the "Rusticana" flatware line also resemble some Shiebler work (such as the "Grass" pattern). This paper clip is marked with the company's fleur-de-lys mark, which is frequently misidentified as William Kerr's. |
