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Gyllenberg & Swanson

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Author	Topic: Gyllenberg & Swanson
asheland Posts: 935 Registered: Nov 2003	posted 10-05-2009 04:24 AM I just bought a small sterling bowl by Gyllenberg & Swanson. I haven't had many pieces by them. Can anyone confirm if this piece would have been raised by hand? I am assuming they did everything by hand like the Stone shop, but I am not totally sure. Does anyone have any comments about them? IP: Logged
asheland Posts: 935 Registered: Nov 2003	posted 10-05-2009 04:42 AM IP: Logged
bascall Posts: 1629 Registered: Nov 99	posted 10-05-2009 06:35 AM In case you haven't already done so, searching the forums for the makers names should be very useful for you. Excellent acquisition. [This message has been edited by bascall (edited 10-05-2009).] IP: Logged
Ulysses Dietz Moderator Posts: 1265 Registered: May 99	posted 10-05-2009 03:40 PM By Hand is a slippery term. I heard (read?) that the Stone shop in fact sometimes spun its bodies on large bowls and the like and then hammered all the details. Spinning is a rather difficult hand process, but much easier and faster than raising an entire piece by hand. [This message has been edited by Ulysses Dietz (edited 10-05-2009).] IP: Logged
FredZ Posts: 1070 Registered: Jun 99	posted 10-05-2009 04:06 PM Check out the Dedham Museum website. There is quite a bit of information about the two silversmiths. The bowl is a modification of a Revere bowl and it was handwrought. Raised from a single piece of silver and the base applied. I believe I see a "kernel" in the center of the bowl. Fred [This message has been edited by FredZ (edited 10-05-2009).] IP: Logged
bascall Posts: 1629 Registered: Nov 99	posted 10-06-2009 12:25 AM Some vital statistics and etc. on these two gentlemen: Frans Julius Reinhold Gyllenberg born 10 June 1883 in Malmo, Sweden; immigrated in 1904 and naturalized in 1908. Alfred Henry Swanson was born 24 May 1899 in Massachusetts. In the 1920 U S Federal Census for Dedham, Massachusetts, Frans was boarding with Alfred's family and Alfred was working as a milk tester. Frans was listed as a silversmith with an art shop. Like Frans, Alfred's parents were Swedish immigrants. By the 1930 U S Federal Census for Dedham, Massachusetts, Alfred is listed as a silversmith with his own shop. [This message has been edited by bascall (edited 10-06-2009).] IP: Logged
asheland Posts: 935 Registered: Nov 2003	posted 10-06-2009 01:16 AM Thanks everyone! Very interesting indeed. I have never heard about the Stone shop spinning vessels, was that just on the large pieces, like punch bowls, etc.? IP: Logged
FredZ Posts: 1070 Registered: Jun 99	posted 10-06-2009 07:37 PM As I recall..... Gyllenberg eventually abandonded silverwork for automotive repair. Information gleaned from the Dedham archives. The Gardner Museum has video and dvd copies of a 1920's silent film made at the Stone shop. I have seen portions of this film and it is excellent. The filn documents the raising of a bowl and the forging of a spoon. Fred [This message has been edited by FredZ (edited 10-06-2009).] IP: Logged
bascall Posts: 1629 Registered: Nov 99	posted 10-06-2009 08:06 PM There's also a video cassette entitled "Silversmith of Williamsburg" that concentrates on a coffee pot being raised if you can get your hands on it, and of course still have access to a VCR. Here's their address if you want to give them a try for a this copyright 1971 tape: The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, PO Box 1776, Williamsburg, VA 23187-1776. I just bought the tape on sale a couple weeks ago and have watched it twice and will no doubt watch it many more times. Then again if it's the Stone shop that interests you most; maybe this tape is not such a good idea. The silent film production does sound good. [This message has been edited by bascall (edited 10-06-2009).] IP: Logged
asheland Posts: 935 Registered: Nov 2003	posted 10-06-2009 11:59 PM Hello, I have the Colonial Williamsburg tape. I absolutely love the video, I just wish they would convert it to DVD. I will check out the Stone DVD for certain! Thanks! IP: Logged
FredZ Posts: 1070 Registered: Jun 99	posted 10-07-2009 09:52 AM There exists a version of the Stone silent movie that has a narration written by Herman Glendenning and spoken by a professional narrator. Fred IP: Logged
bascall Posts: 1629 Registered: Nov 99	posted 10-07-2009 10:25 AM I'm going to convert my copy of the Williamsburg tape to a dvd. If it works out well enough, I'll let you know and maybe if it's permissable, we can discuss doing one at cost for you. Eventually, I'll keep all this sort of thing on thumb drives and after that maybe something even better. IP: Logged
Scott Martin Forum Master Posts: 11520 Registered: Apr 93	posted 10-07-2009 10:46 AM FYI Thumb drives or flash memory is not as stable as most people assume. Depending on the manufacturer's QC and design spec's there is a limited number of reads/writes for thumb drives or flash memory. Also they can be damaged (similarly to a hard drive) by static and magnetic fields. A cd/dvd is more stable but they also degrade. Data professionals that are responsible for long term data storage put on a schedule a dupe/refresh of all magnetic (disk/tape) and optical data storage media. I don't know of any long term data storage being done on thumb drives or flash memory. IP: Logged
bascall Posts: 1629 Registered: Nov 99	posted 10-07-2009 11:07 AM Thanks for the advice Scott. I was leaning toward thumb drives simply because of thier ever inrceasing capacity and portability. Maybe by the time I get around to doing any large scale storage on thumb drives the stability issue will be cured? IP: Logged
Scott Martin Forum Master Posts: 11520 Registered: Apr 93	posted 06-24-2018 01:50 PM Smithsonian - Oral history interview with Herman Glendenning, 1979 Aug. 9-Oct. 31 IP: Logged

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