Welcome to the Gustav Manz blog. Manz was a European-trained jewelry designer, sculptor, and master goldsmith whose career spanned New York's Gilded Age and Art Deco eras. We invite you to share your thoughts, and will do our best to answer specific questions about the life, work, and clients of this early 20th century artist-craftsman.
I just attended the superb lecture tonight on Gustav Manz given by Courtney Bowers-Marhev. What a fascinating history and beautiful legacy that was unearthed about this brilliant jeweler and designer, who because of this recent scholarly research and website, will hopefully help to unearth even more knowledge and treasures made by this incredible man. Congratulations to Courtney and all the Manz descendants, who have so much to be proud of
Thanks for your lovely comment -- we were delighted to see so many ASJH and FIT students at Courtney's talk on Tuesday. We'll continue to post our discoveries, and please write to us if you spot a piece of pre-1940 jewelry that might be Manz.
Check out Gustav's drawings and a fascinating photo-documentary project called "Show Me Your Rings" (readers submit snapshots of bejewelled hands) over at gemgossip.com.
Around 1912, Manz registered copyright on a few of his animal sculptures, including a group of buffaloes goring a bear, a pair of fighting panthers (currently on display at the Cleveland Museum Library Trustees Room), and three polar bears adrift on an iceberg. In his jewelry, however, the animal motifs weren't all nature tooth and claw--the friendly bears in this particular ring, for example, may have been heading down to the dance hall to hear George Botsford's 1910 hit song "The Grizzly Bear Rag"
Back in Gustav's day, tiara rivalry amongst peeresses and American socialites was elevated to blood sport by the New York Times and other journals. Two tasty dispatches, in honor of Kate and William (or is it William and Kate?)...
November 17, 1901 ("Mrs. Bradley Martin Buys a Costly Tiara: Pays 250,000 pounds for Ornament to Wear at the King's Coronation):
I just attended the superb lecture tonight on Gustav Manz given by Courtney Bowers-Marhev. What a fascinating history and beautiful legacy that was unearthed about this brilliant jeweler and designer, who because of this recent scholarly research and website, will hopefully help to unearth even more knowledge and treasures made by this incredible man. Congratulations to Courtney and all the Manz descendants, who have so much to be proud of
ReplyDeleteThanks for your lovely comment -- we were delighted to see so many ASJH and FIT students at Courtney's talk on Tuesday. We'll continue to post our discoveries, and please write to us if you spot a piece of pre-1940 jewelry that might be Manz.
ReplyDeleteCheck out Gustav's drawings and a fascinating photo-documentary project called "Show Me Your Rings" (readers submit snapshots of bejewelled hands) over at gemgossip.com.
ReplyDeleteA circa 1900's bear ring attributed to Gustav Manz is currently on view at Macklowe Gallery.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.macklowegallery.com/search-antiques.asp/art-nouveau-antique-estate/Gustav%20Manz
Around 1912, Manz registered copyright on a few of his animal sculptures, including a group of buffaloes goring a bear, a pair of fighting panthers (currently on display at the Cleveland Museum Library Trustees Room), and three polar bears adrift on an iceberg. In his jewelry, however, the animal motifs weren't all nature tooth and claw--the friendly bears in this particular ring, for example, may have been heading down to the dance hall to hear George Botsford's 1910 hit song "The Grizzly Bear Rag"
Back in Gustav's day, tiara rivalry amongst peeresses and American socialites was elevated to blood sport by the New York Times and other journals. Two tasty dispatches, in honor of Kate and William (or is it William and Kate?)...
ReplyDeleteNovember 17, 1901 ("Mrs. Bradley Martin Buys a Costly Tiara: Pays 250,000 pounds for Ornament to Wear at the King's Coronation):
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F20916F93A5414728DDDAE0994D9415B818CF1D3
February 9, 1913 ("Wore Tiara Upside Down: American Woman's Originality at Covent Garden..."):
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F00614FD385F13738DDDA00894DA405B838DF1D3