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The great, unknown C.H. Didrich

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Author	Topic: The great, unknown C.H. Didrich
Brent Posts: 1507 Registered: May 99	posted 04-07-2000 10:22 PM [17-0026] This is the mark of a great Chicago A&C siversmith who slipped though the cracks, C.H. Didrich (We don't even know his full name or the exact spelling of his last name). According to Sharon Darling, who wrote "Chicago Metalsmiths", Didrich was brought to her attention after the exhibit and book were already complete. As a result, he is not mentioned anywhere, outside of the catalogs of ARK Antiques and a few other, more obscure places. Ms. Darling stated that Didrich was an employee of the Kalo shop at one time, and that he either did his own work on the side or set up shop after leaving Kalo. Either way, not much of his silver is extant. The bar spoon illustrated here is by far the best example I have ever seen, regardless of manufacturer. A full 12 3/4 inches long, it is almost 3/16" thick in the handle and beautifully balanced. Design-wise, I especially like the fig-shaped bowl (which is ideal for a stirring implement) and the whiplash handle. It also has a warm butler finish and just a hint of hammer marks in the bowl. It is a beautiful thing, and I think that anyone who could do such work deserves to be more widely recognized. Keep an eye out! IP: Logged
Scott Martin Forum Master Posts: 11520 Registered: Apr 93	posted 08-28-2000 10:46 PM We recently came across a very attractive hammered Arts and Crafts cocktail fork with a maker's mark that seemed familiar. Aha! It is the mark of C.H. Didrich which you so generously shared with us a few months ago. The fork has very good weight and feel. We heartily concur with your favorable review of the not so well known Didrich. Hopefully this thread will encourage anyone who knows more about this silversmith to share. IP: Logged
Scott Martin Forum Master Posts: 11520 Registered: Apr 93	posted 12-13-2009 12:46 PM 10 1/4 inches IP: Logged
Brent Posts: 1507 Registered: May 99	posted 12-13-2009 01:10 PM Antoher beautiful example! He just seemed to have a design flair that is missing in so many other pieces of Arts & Crafts flatware. I would be interesting to know more about him, and whether he had any art training in addition to training as a silversmith. Thanks for sharing, Brent IP: Logged
middletom Posts: 467 Registered: May 2004	posted 12-16-2009 08:21 PM I agree with you, Brent, his designs are beautifully graceful. So often A&C silver is clunky and lacking in flare. I,too, feel Didrich should be better known. middletom IP: Logged
FredZ Posts: 1070 Registered: Jun 99	posted 02-02-2010 02:27 PM Here is an example of Didrich's work in copper and poor image of a secondary mark of his surname. IP: Logged
chicagosilver Posts: 227 Registered: Aug 2005	posted 03-19-2011 12:16 PM Didrich definitely worked for the Kalo Shop. Here's a copy of the Kalo ledger listing craftsmen on the payroll in August, 1920. One is C. H. Didricksen: As reported by silverly on the 925-1000 forum: "Carl Henry Didricksen was born in Norway on 7 May 1878." "The jeweler Henry Didriksen immigrated from Christiana (Oslo), Norway to Quebec, Canada enroute to New York, New York on 3 September 1904." "Carl Henry Didricksen's wife reported in 1913 that her husband was a silversmith and that he was working for Reed & Barton Taunton, Massachusetts. At the same time she also noted that the family had lived in Brooklyn, New York and New Jersey over the past seven years." "In 1917 Carl H. Didricksen was working as a Coppersmith at Union Iron Works in San Francisco, California." "In 1920 Henry C. Didrichsen was working as a silversmith in his own shop in Oakland, California." "In 1930 Carl H. Didrich was working as a silversmith in his own shop in Chicago, Illinois." The most common mark is his intertwined CHD: but as Fred showed above, there's also a rarer mark: This particular C.H. DIDRICH mark is on this Kalo-like Didrich salad set: IP: Logged
bascall Posts: 1629 Registered: Nov 99	posted 03-19-2011 04:48 PM Just a bit on one of the other gentlemen in the ledger. Ole Horway was born in Norway in 1884. He immigrated to the U S in 1912. He lists his occupation as silversmith at Kalo Shop 32 Michigan Ave, Chicago in his 1917 World War I draft registration, and at that time he was living with his Uncle Bernard Bolstad. In the 1920 Census he is listed as a silversmith at a retail jewelry company and still living with his uncle. IP: Logged
chicagosilver Posts: 227 Registered: Aug 2005	posted 03-20-2011 10:53 AM Bascall -- Thanks for this! We're familiar with a lot of Kalo silversmiths, but didn't know a thing about Horway from Norway. IP: Logged
doc Posts: 728 Registered: Jul 2003	posted 08-26-2011 02:13 PM Found these Didrich napkin rings this week, and would only have known of their origin due to this wonderful site. IP: Logged
bascall Posts: 1629 Registered: Nov 99	posted 08-26-2011 06:45 PM A couple additional pieces of information about Carl H Didrich that may have already been mentioned elsewhere are his naturalization which occurred on 7 July 1922 with Peter L Berg and Bjarne O Axness as witnesses and the death of Carl Henry Didrich which is recorded by the Cook County as 25 May 1940. IP: Logged
FredZ Posts: 1070 Registered: Jun 99	posted 09-08-2011 01:28 AM Bascall, You continue to amaze me with these tidbits of information you find on these silversmith. It is great to understand that the H may have stood for Henry. Thanks for sharing and the time you spend researching. Fred IP: Logged
bascall Posts: 1629 Registered: Nov 99	posted 09-08-2011 08:19 AM Thanks Fred! I appreciate that. It's been fun. IP: Logged

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