An interview of Richard Reinhardt conducted 1990 July 5, by Richard Polsky, for the Archives of American Art Philadelphia Project. Reinhardt discusses his childhood in Philadelphia; his earliest art school classes, beginning at the age of ten; his studies at the Philadelphia Museum School of Industrial Art (now The University of the Arts); his military service including his first experience teaching mechanical drawing; returning to PMSIA after the war where he finished his degree while teaching, and his subsequent 41 years on the staff; studying with Virginia Cute, Margret Craver Withers and the Handy & Harman workshops; the curriculum at the PMSIA and the changes it underwent over the years; the development of the jewelry program with teachers Olaf Skoogfors, Robin Quigley and others; his move from jewelry into industrial design, furniture making and ultimately back to jewelry making; and exhibitions.
Biographical / Historical:
Richard Reinhardt (1921-1998) was a jewelry maker, industrial designer, furniture maker, and educator from Philadelphia, Pa.
General:
Originally recorded on 2 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 4 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hr., 41 min.
Provenance:
This interview is a part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
An interview of Richard Reinhardt conducted 1991 Aug. 22, by Marina Pacini, for the Archives of American Art Philadelphia Project.
Reinhardt discusses Virginia Cute and her classes in jewelry making at the Pennsylvania Museum School of Industrial Art in the 1940's; Margret Craver Withers and the late 1940's Handy & Harman workshops where Baron Erik Fleming taught new silversmithing techniques; exhibition of work produced during the 1948 workshop at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in that year; changes in the Pennsylvania Museum School over the years; and crafts in Philadelphia.
Biographical / Historical:
Richard Reinhardt (1921-1998) was a jewelry maker, industrial designer, furniture maker, and educator from Philadelphia, Pa.
General:
Originally recorded on 2 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 3 digital wav files. Duration is 1 hr., 19 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics, and administrators.
Restrictions:
Transcript: Patrons must use microfilm copy.
Occupation:
Jewelers -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia Search this
Silversmiths -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia Search this
Educators -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia Search this
Topic:
Silversmiths -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia -- Interviews Search this
Jewelry makers -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia -- Interviews Search this
An interview with Margret Craver Withers conducted 1983-1985, by Robert F. Brown, for the Archives of American Art.
Withers discusses her childhood in Kansas; early education; and aptitude for drawing.Education in art and design, including studying crafts at the University of Kansas, 1925-29; her position as a grade school teacher in Kansas and as a crafts instructor at Wichita Art Association, 1930s; study with various master metalworkers, including Arthur Nevill Kirk, Arthur J. Stone, Leonard Heinrich and Wilson Weir in the USA, and Baron Erik Fleming in Sweden.Development of Hospital Service Program, with the support of Handy and Harman, precious metal refiners, during World War II, to train army therapists in metalworking for disabled soldiers; supervision in post-War period of Handy and Harman's Craft Service Department, producing films on hand-wrought silver, a traveling exhibition of outstanding contemporary silver, instructional brochures, and a series of workshops for American silversmiths, taught by European masters.Marriage in 1950 to Charles Withers, president of Towle Silver, and that company's policy of employing top designers; Towle's commissioning of works in silver from top modern sculptors; her making of silver holloware and jewelry for private clients; her re-invention of the en resille process for enameling (1959) and in the early 1980s her invention of a process for combining enamel, glass, and silver and gold leaf in jewelry; and her involvement in crafts organizations.She discusses her en resille enameling technique. [The 1985 session is transcribed, and is accompanied by slides of the work discussed].
Biographical / Historical:
Margret Craver Withers (1907-2010) was a silversmith in Boston, Massachusetts.
General:
Originally recorded on 5 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 10 digital wav files. Duration is 6 hr., 58 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.
Silver jewelry made by Walter Reed Army Hospital patients, between 1944 and 1946. Margret Craver Withers papers, 1908-2016. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Richard Reinhardt, 1990 July 5. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Richard Reinhardt, 1991 Aug. 22. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Silversmiths -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia -- Interviews Search this
Jewelry makers -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia -- Interviews Search this
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Margret Craver Withers, 1983-1985. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
