posted 01-27-2005 01:49 AM            

Anyway, Kalo employed large numbers of silversmiths who had trained in Scandinavia. Many worked there briefly before striking out on their own or moving further into the MidWest. It may be that this is someone who came from Sweden, worked for a time at Kalo and then went out to some small town to run a local jewelry store. Out there on the frozen praries, he produced some jewelry to order.

posted 01-27-2005 12:59 PM            

I know of a few who are researching the influence of metalsmithing by immigrants to America. Sharon Darlings book on Chicago metalsmiths documents the European and Russian craftsmen who work and opened businesses in that city during the first part of the last century.

I anxiously await the publication of any literature documenting these influential craftsmen & women.

The recent issue of Metalsmith magazine has a great article on the work and history of Marie Zimmerman. It is well written and has some superb images of her work.

posted 02-03-2005 09:46 PM            

I got some information on Bjarne from a Chicago silver researcher that

"Bjarne was a Chicago Arts and Crafts jeweler from at least 1919 through the 1940s when he moved to the East Coast and died a few years later. He worked for John Petterson and was among the top 5 jewelers in the city with a unique style of his own. I have not uncovered a link to the Kalo Shop yet---his closest relationship was with Petterson and that clan until he opened his open company in Park Ridge---several blocks from Petterson's house."

Here's a photo of a Bjarne ring (not mine):

It is marked: STERLING / HANDWROUGHT / BY BJARNE. I once owned a few pieces by Bjarne - a bracelet with amazonite stones and handwrought sterling links, and a simple ring with an unknown cabochon stone with hammered top and shank. I've always been curious about him. The two pieces I've handled were made of much lighter weight silver than Kalo pieces.