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A topic for recording information regarding the Boston gold and silversmith, George Christian Gebelein (b.1878-d.1945).
If you have any details of the above craftsman, advertisements, examples of his work, etc., anything that you are willing to share, then here's the place to post it.
Miss Sybil Foster, a graduate of the Design Department of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, who won the vocational scholarship of the Woman's Educational and Industrial Union giving a year's tuition at the shop of Mr. George C. Gebelein, has recently held in Boston an exhibition of hand wrought silver and copper. Her designs are elegant and refined and show exquisite technique.
A retrospective exhibition of student work was held in the museum at the time of the opening of the new Evans Galleries of Paintings. The usual exhibition of summer work was held in the Museum; Miss Warren and Miss Walsh winning the prizes offered. A competition for scenery and costumes for a Chinese pantomime, given at the N. E. Conservatory of Music, was won by Miss Allen and Miss White. A scholarship offered by the Women's Educational and Industrial Union—a year's apprenticeship with Mr. Gebelein in silversmithing—was held by Miss Lee.
The charming old 'Basket of Flowers' pattern of silver, favorite of a century or more ago, and at that time made by a score or so of our American silversmiths, has now been revived. Made in the same method as was the old silver, it is most desirable today because of the traditions derived from its early associations and because of the quaintness and beauty of the design itself. Adapted to this child's set of knife, fork and spoon, Figure 13, this pattern is splendidly appropriate and should be fascinating to young owners. It has generous proportions so that they would not soon outgrow it—-in fact an adult could use all three pieces very comfortably. The spoon measures 5¾" long, the fork 6", and the knife 6½". Individually, the knife costs $5.75, the fork $5.50, and the spoon $4.75. The set is $17.00. All prices are postpaid. A very young child could handle these implements nicely, and yet there would never be any difficulty in getting him to change later to full-sized adult equipment. I suggest this as a gift from a grandfather to a grandson which would please the intermediate generation. — GEORGE C. GEBELEIN, 79 Chestnut Street, Boston.
Mr. George C. Gebelein sends our an attractive set of photographs of his silver work, and a folder containing half-tone illustrations and information as to the work which he does. These make interesting advertisements of a silver craftsman.
The Arts and Crafts Society of Detroit announces a series of special exhibitions occupying the season from September to May. The first will consist of work in silver by George Gebelein and James T. Woolley, both silversmiths of Boston; the next will be of jewelry by Miss Elizabeth Copeland, Miss Grace Hazen, Frank Gardner Hale, Miss Ethel Lloyd, and Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Belmont Dixon. Throughout November and December the display will be varied, but in January an exhibition of photography, arranged through the courtesy of Mr. Alfred Steiglitz, President of the Photo Secession, will be held. In February a collection of book plates, ancient and modern, will be shown; in March the reticelli or Italian cut work, basketry, and hooked-rugs produced by the Peterborough Handicraft workers; in April and May country house furnishings, stenciled fabrics, garden pottery and the like. Under the auspices of this Society Mr. Walter Sargent, of the University of Chicago, will give a course of five lectures on art in Detroit, beginning in January.
The Society of Arts and Crafts reported at the annual meeting March 21 that the sales for the year had exceeded $76,000. Even under war conditions the membership has fallen off very little. The Society's bronze medal was awarded to George C. Gebelein, silversmith, Boston, Sister Magdalen, illuminator, Arlington Heights, and Walfred Thulin, woodcraver, Boston.
George Christian Gebelein, Hot-Water Kettle on Stand, ca. 1915. Pencil, ink, transparent watercolor, and gouache on paper; H. 22", w. 15".
Foremost among American silversmiths of the early twentieth century was George Christian Gebelein (1878-1945) who opened his own shop in Boston in 1909. Gebelein is best known for crafting silver in the style of Paul Revere, Jr., and other early American makers, although he also worked silver in the hand-hammered style of the arts and crafts movement. This finished presentation drawing of a hot-water kettle on stand is one of the library's many fine examples of Gebelein's colonial revival work.
Fortunately, the American colonial revival in the early decades of this century brought to early American handcrafted items and the artisans who made them much deserved recognition and appreciation. No doubt, some of the prestige that early American metalcrafts gained during this century was due to the influence of modern artisans such as George Christian Gebelein who brought the work of earlier generations to the attention of a broad modern audience. Gebelein of Boston, among this century's foremost silversmiths, based much of his work on prototypes by colonial silversmiths. The library has recently acquired many of Gebelein's preliminary sketches and presentation drawings for clients, thereby enhancing an already strong collection of manuscripts and photographs documenting early twentieth-century American metalworkers.
Source: American Cornucopia - Treasures of the Winterthur Library - Edited by Katharine Martinez - 1990
