MAGIC AT THE MUSEUM - WALTER LAMPL’S PLACE IN PROVIDENCE JEWELRY HISTORY
Although Walter Lampl ran his eponymous wholesale jewelry business out of his office and showroom in New York City, his relationships in Providence, America’s center of jewelry manufacturing, were an important key to his success.
We traveled to Providence in 2004 to attend a convention of avid vintage jewelry collectors, sellers, and historians. It was an amazing experience for many reasons, but there was one part of it that was sheer magic. Through our encounter with Peter DiCristofaro, the director of the Providence Jewelry Museum, our eyes were opened to the complex partnerships that supported the blossoming of the Golden Age of American costume jewelry. Unbeknownst to us, DiCristofaro made a video about that encounter, and what it meant to his work, that can be viewed on the Providence Jewelry Museum website. The video was posted to YouTube in 2016.
Soon after we returned home from that convention, Cheri wrote about the same experience described by Peter in this video for the Vintage Fashion & Costume Jewelry newsletter. Here is her account of the events of that day and how they deepened her understanding of Walter Lampl’s work.
Sometimes life provides gifts beyond one’s wildest expectations. That was my experience at the recent VFCJ convention in Providence. I expected to see wonderful jewelry and have lots of fun and laughter with new and old jewelry friends. I was excited at the prospect of sharing my knowledge of Walter Lampl and his jewelry with the group. I knew that I would have the opportunity to meet jewelry legends I had previously just read and heard about – Frank DeLizza, Don Hobé, and others. All of those things came true for me, and if that had been all that happened at the convention my trip would have been more than satisfying. But the serendipity of my experiences with Peter DiCristofaro of the Providence Jewelry Museum made this gathering so special that I will never be able to forget the magic and excitement.
Rocky and I arrived in Providence late Thursday evening after a grueling day of travel, exhausted and famished. After a quick meal in the hotel restaurant (great food!) we retired to our room. The next morning, refreshed, we were ready to join the party. My presentation about Walter Lampl jewelry was scheduled for later that afternoon, so our morning was free. A friend convinced us that we really must see the Providence Jewelry Museum, so we hopped in our rental car and followed the directions we’d been given to the museum’s temporary home.
Peter DiCristofaro, the museum director, provided a fascinating private tour. We were entranced by the beautiful old machines and the original molds (more properly known as dies) with which the jewelry was made, and really felt that we were at the heart of the American jewelry experience. When Peter talked about the entrepreneurs who came to Providence with their wagons and/or cars and went from factory to factory ordering parts and finished jewelry which could then be wholesaled to the larger world, I felt a tug of recognition, for I knew that was exactly how Walter Lampl had begun his jewelry career, and I felt for the first time that I was beginning to truly understand the nature of his business.
The next morning I set up in the ballroom sales area to display (and perhaps sell) the pieces of Walter Lampl jewelry I had hauled across the country in my carry-on luggage. Around noon, Peter DiCristofaro came by to see what I had. His eyes lit up, and his excitement was palpable. He told me he had the dies for at least two of my pieces, the exquisitely enameled marcasite brooches with perfume wells on their backs. He asked me to set the pieces aside for him, telling me he had to go back to the museum to get something but would be right back.
Enameled sterling poinsettia brooch hallmarked Walter Lampl, manufactured by Goldstein-Poland.
When Peter returned he was carrying a cardboard box. He set the box on the floor and pulled out two heavy blocks of steel, each with an impressed design. He placed them on the tabletop, then gently turned over the perfume brooches and set them into the dies. They nestled in like puzzle pieces, returned to the source where they had been born. Clichéd as it sounds, chills ran up my spine!
Front and back views of the enameled sterling lily of the valley brooch hallmarked Walter Lampl, manufactured by Goldstein-Poland.
Peter pulled out a third die and matched it to the leaf-shape of yet another very early enameled Lampl brooch. Then he realized that a fourth piece on my table also looked familiar; an Art Deco enameled sterling and marcasite swordfish. The swordfish, marked with the Lampl mark, was in its original leather case bearing the name of the retail jeweler who sold it in his shop to its first owner. I gave Peter the swordfish to take back to the museum to check against his collection of dies. We were overjoyed to discover that it was a match, as well.
Enameled sterling swordfish brooch, set with marcasites, with a semiprecious gemstone eye. Hallmarked Walter Lampl, manufactured by Goldstein-Poland.
All four pieces now reside with Peter at the Providence Jewelry Museum. Because of his wonderful archive of original dies I know that the two perfume brooches are from a series of 14 different flowers. Twelve more are out there waiting to be discovered! The swordfish is from the same maker, Goldstein-Poland. It appears that Walter Lampl worked closely with this highly respected manufacturer during the mid 1930s, the period when all these dies were made. The enameled leaf brooch was an even bigger surprise. It was made for Walter Lampl, and marked with his name, by Whiting & Davis. Although Whiting & Davis did occasionally produce jewelry that did not bear their own mark, this was not commonly done and it indicates a very special relationship between Walter Lampl and the renowned, highly influential early manufacturer.
Enameled base metal brooch marked Walter Lampl, manufactured by Whiting & Davis.
This remarkable experience was the thrill of a lifetime for me. As a researcher there is nothing more exciting than discovering a whole new avenue of exploration, and I’m eager to start down that road with the new clues I’ve been given. As an appreciator of Walter Lampl jewelry, it is a validation of my belief in his work to see evidence of his business and artistic relationships with such skilled craftsmen. And as a lover of costume jewelry history, I find tremendous satisfaction in knowing that those pieces have found their way home and will be on display for the public, helping to demonstrate the beauty and craftsmanship of the marvelous little works of art made by the people of Providence.
I hope many of you will visit the Providence Jewelry Museum the next time you’re in the area and consider supporting its campaign to purchase a permanent home. Tell Peter we sent you.
An earlier version of this article, written by Cheri Van Hoover, first appeared in Vintage Fashion and Costume Jewelry in 2004 and was used with permission on our previous website. It has been updated and adapted for use in this blog.
