Rose Olga Tritt - New York - 1913
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Rose Olga Tritt - New York - 1913
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All That Glitters is Gold: An Unostentatious Jewelry Shop
Besides the ability to drive a hard bargain, a knowledge of precious stones, and an ample supply of capital, a jeweler must have a highly developed sense of design. The fact that Olga Tritt is well equipped in all respects may explain why she is one of the few women who have succeeded in breaking into the jewelry business. Only the generations-old establishments of Cartier and Tiffany outrank her relatively small shop in reputation, but as far as chic is concerned she has no peers among the purveyors of the kind of trinkets which are stored in safes rather than dressers.
An accurate measure of her taste may be found in her choice of Tommi Parzinger to re-do her shop. Being unusually versatile, Parzinger has had occasion to practice in fields close to Mrs. Tritt’s own, as well as in interiors; he has done fabrics, wallpaper, lamps, silverware, hardware, glassware, ceramics, liturgical vestments, perfume bottles, cosmetic packages, custom-made furniture, and Charak’s modern furniture (Interiors, December 1942 and February 1949). Technically his work varies with the medium, and he has thorough experience in many. Artistically, however, it is remarkably consistent—suave, elegant, and meticulously pure in style—precisely the effect Mrs. Tritt wanted.
In happy agreement, client and designer realized the wisdom of avoiding the two design cliches which are alternately re-sorted to in most bijouteries. The slightest whiff of Baudy House Baroque—which grows ever more popular for pepping up jewelry shops where all that glitters is not gold—would have struck a false note here. Equally fatal would be the bank-vault decor so becoming to those of Mrs. Tritt’s rivals whose fame does not depend on a flair for chic. Mr. Parzinger’s job was to knock the spectator’s eye out — but gently.
Originality makes this a striking shop, though the over-all design is quite subdued; meticulous detailing and excellent workmanship make it look rich though the earmarks of ostentation are absent.
One looks in vain for the clichés which almost invariably accompany the contemporary shop in general, the jewelry shop in particular; for any of the inherently good but all-too-familiar devices and items found in so many of the commercial interiors being designed today. There are no plywood walls, rubber plants, fluorescent coves, or frosted glass partitions. Even more extraordinary, in a jewelry shop, is the absence of standard equipment such as the velvet-covered window shelf, the shadow-box — woggle-shaped or otherwise, even counters. In place of a window shelf, Parzinger provided standing, obelisk-like forms which make it possible to display the jewelry in uncrowded, readily visible vertical groupings. In place of counters, he provided tables and chairs, implying that Mrs. Tritt does not expect rush crowds, and that every customer will sit, not stand, to be served, whether he is shopping for a diamond tiara or a watch chain. — O.G.
Hans Van Nes
The burglar alarm, for which designer Parzinger cannot be held responsible, is the only loud object in a window as sharply cut as a diamond. Jewelry is displayed in un-crowded vertical arrangements on velvet-covered obelisks resting on 2” board covered with black leather. Window is lined with light oak, curtained with light gray shan-tung, framed successively by a ribbon of aluminum, gray Carrara, then black Carrara glass. Hobeiler made the Parzinger-designed brass doorplate-letter drop on the white enameled door, which is set back.
The night watchman or other employees can check the whole length of the shop for intruders while remaining unseen in the inside workroom; there is no back wall behind the net curtain in the lighted display window between the two rooms.
Outside of two small wall display cases, there isn’t a single piece of conventional store furniture — not even a counter —in the entire shop. We are looking from large inner salesroom to outer room and door. Net curtains, drop in floor, and lighting fixture break the space and lend air of privacy without impeding straight-through view needed for the protection of the shop.
The decor helps the salesmen to inspire an optimistic mood and generous impulses. Warm beige acoustic tile ceiling meets walls covered with rough Fabrikona linen alternately rosy-mauve and beige. Large pattern on the uncrowded floor is carried out in darker rose-mauve and beige linoleum tile. For customers who wish to see which diamonds are most becoming, Parzinger has provided a triplex mirror with built-in lighting behind the white doors.
Detailing of the oak column, neatness of the two-way incandescent lighting strip, and nice proportions of natural oak pole baffle are characteristic of the meticulous care which gives Parzinger’s deceptively simple interiors their characteristic atmosphere of luxury. Parzinger-designed lamp was made by Hobeiler. Furniture is light ash. Black leather with ruddy highlights covers the rectangular table in the rear (right).
Source: Interiors + Industrial Design - November 1949
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Besides the ability to drive a hard bargain, a knowledge of precious stones, and an ample supply of capital, a jeweler must have a highly developed sense of design. The fact that Olga Tritt is well equipped in all respects may explain why she is one of the few women who have succeeded in breaking into the jewelry business. Only the generations-old establishments of Cartier and Tiffany outrank her relatively small shop in reputation, but as far as chic is concerned she has no peers among the purveyors of the kind of trinkets which are stored in safes rather than dressers.
An accurate measure of her taste may be found in her choice of Tommi Parzinger to re-do her shop. Being unusually versatile, Parzinger has had occasion to practice in fields close to Mrs. Tritt’s own, as well as in interiors; he has done fabrics, wallpaper, lamps, silverware, hardware, glassware, ceramics, liturgical vestments, perfume bottles, cosmetic packages, custom-made furniture, and Charak’s modern furniture (Interiors, December 1942 and February 1949). Technically his work varies with the medium, and he has thorough experience in many. Artistically, however, it is remarkably consistent—suave, elegant, and meticulously pure in style—precisely the effect Mrs. Tritt wanted.
In happy agreement, client and designer realized the wisdom of avoiding the two design cliches which are alternately re-sorted to in most bijouteries. The slightest whiff of Baudy House Baroque—which grows ever more popular for pepping up jewelry shops where all that glitters is not gold—would have struck a false note here. Equally fatal would be the bank-vault decor so becoming to those of Mrs. Tritt’s rivals whose fame does not depend on a flair for chic. Mr. Parzinger’s job was to knock the spectator’s eye out — but gently.
Originality makes this a striking shop, though the over-all design is quite subdued; meticulous detailing and excellent workmanship make it look rich though the earmarks of ostentation are absent.
One looks in vain for the clichés which almost invariably accompany the contemporary shop in general, the jewelry shop in particular; for any of the inherently good but all-too-familiar devices and items found in so many of the commercial interiors being designed today. There are no plywood walls, rubber plants, fluorescent coves, or frosted glass partitions. Even more extraordinary, in a jewelry shop, is the absence of standard equipment such as the velvet-covered window shelf, the shadow-box — woggle-shaped or otherwise, even counters. In place of a window shelf, Parzinger provided standing, obelisk-like forms which make it possible to display the jewelry in uncrowded, readily visible vertical groupings. In place of counters, he provided tables and chairs, implying that Mrs. Tritt does not expect rush crowds, and that every customer will sit, not stand, to be served, whether he is shopping for a diamond tiara or a watch chain. — O.G.
Hans Van Nes
The burglar alarm, for which designer Parzinger cannot be held responsible, is the only loud object in a window as sharply cut as a diamond. Jewelry is displayed in un-crowded vertical arrangements on velvet-covered obelisks resting on 2” board covered with black leather. Window is lined with light oak, curtained with light gray shan-tung, framed successively by a ribbon of aluminum, gray Carrara, then black Carrara glass. Hobeiler made the Parzinger-designed brass doorplate-letter drop on the white enameled door, which is set back.
The night watchman or other employees can check the whole length of the shop for intruders while remaining unseen in the inside workroom; there is no back wall behind the net curtain in the lighted display window between the two rooms.
Outside of two small wall display cases, there isn’t a single piece of conventional store furniture — not even a counter —in the entire shop. We are looking from large inner salesroom to outer room and door. Net curtains, drop in floor, and lighting fixture break the space and lend air of privacy without impeding straight-through view needed for the protection of the shop.
The decor helps the salesmen to inspire an optimistic mood and generous impulses. Warm beige acoustic tile ceiling meets walls covered with rough Fabrikona linen alternately rosy-mauve and beige. Large pattern on the uncrowded floor is carried out in darker rose-mauve and beige linoleum tile. For customers who wish to see which diamonds are most becoming, Parzinger has provided a triplex mirror with built-in lighting behind the white doors.
Detailing of the oak column, neatness of the two-way incandescent lighting strip, and nice proportions of natural oak pole baffle are characteristic of the meticulous care which gives Parzinger’s deceptively simple interiors their characteristic atmosphere of luxury. Parzinger-designed lamp was made by Hobeiler. Furniture is light ash. Black leather with ruddy highlights covers the rectangular table in the rear (right).
Source: Interiors + Industrial Design - November 1949
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Olga Tritt - New York - 1924
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A WOMAN WATCHMAKER
Miss Olga Tritt a pretty little Russian girl, now only 25 years old, was apprenticed in her home country 14 years ago to the trade of watch-maker. She found it necessary at 11 to earn her own living, but, to her dismay, when she started out to search for work she learned that there were few avenues of employment open to her. Deep down in her heart she was a craftsman; she had always had a real love for precious metals, and at last, after using all her powers of persuasion, she succeeded in interesting an old watchmaker in her efforts to earn her living in the field she had chosen, and he apprenticed her for seven years, She was first taught to be a watchmaker, and from that advanced to the designing of jewelry, At the end of her apprenticeship she stayed on with the old watchmaker, and by the time she decided to emigrate to this country she was acknowledged to be an expert in fine metal work of all kinds. Incidentally, she might show you a rare and beautiful watch of old Venetian enamel, the works of which are more than 200 years old, which she has repaired. The timepiece is not much larger than a dime; the work had to be done under a powerful magnifying glass and required supreme patience.
Source: Cincinnati Inquirer - June 1912
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Miss Olga Tritt a pretty little Russian girl, now only 25 years old, was apprenticed in her home country 14 years ago to the trade of watch-maker. She found it necessary at 11 to earn her own living, but, to her dismay, when she started out to search for work she learned that there were few avenues of employment open to her. Deep down in her heart she was a craftsman; she had always had a real love for precious metals, and at last, after using all her powers of persuasion, she succeeded in interesting an old watchmaker in her efforts to earn her living in the field she had chosen, and he apprenticed her for seven years, She was first taught to be a watchmaker, and from that advanced to the designing of jewelry, At the end of her apprenticeship she stayed on with the old watchmaker, and by the time she decided to emigrate to this country she was acknowledged to be an expert in fine metal work of all kinds. Incidentally, she might show you a rare and beautiful watch of old Venetian enamel, the works of which are more than 200 years old, which she has repaired. The timepiece is not much larger than a dime; the work had to be done under a powerful magnifying glass and required supreme patience.
Source: Cincinnati Inquirer - June 1912
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THOUGHTS OF THE GEMOLOGISTS
In a series of articles on “New Work Horizons for Women,” which appeared in a recent issue of The Christian Science Monitor, Beatrice Shipley, wife of Robert M. Shipley, director of the American Gem Society, told of the opportunities for women in gemology. Among other things she said:
“The next step above Registered Jeweler, is Certified Gemologist. It takes virtually as long to obtain this degree as it does to win the privilege of pleading at the Bar! But there are already three or four women Certified Gemologists in our country, and the day may dawn when we’ll even have women diamond-cutters here as they have had for years in Holland and Belgium. The Institute, however, lays stress on training the eye to grade gems — that is, to judge their color, sight flaws, recognize proper proportions in cutting, and to know the various shapes and cuts such as the round brilliant, the marquise, and the emerald-cut.”
To this the reporter of the Monitor, who uses the initials D. D., remarked that there are already a few feminine pioneers in the jewelry business, including Mrs. Ritz-Wale, wholesaler, known as the Queen of Aquamarines; Olga Tritt, New York, who is listed in the New York phone directory as a diamond expert; and Marie Zimmerman, New York, who designs exquisite jewelry.
Source: Hobbies - August 1941
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In a series of articles on “New Work Horizons for Women,” which appeared in a recent issue of The Christian Science Monitor, Beatrice Shipley, wife of Robert M. Shipley, director of the American Gem Society, told of the opportunities for women in gemology. Among other things she said:
“The next step above Registered Jeweler, is Certified Gemologist. It takes virtually as long to obtain this degree as it does to win the privilege of pleading at the Bar! But there are already three or four women Certified Gemologists in our country, and the day may dawn when we’ll even have women diamond-cutters here as they have had for years in Holland and Belgium. The Institute, however, lays stress on training the eye to grade gems — that is, to judge their color, sight flaws, recognize proper proportions in cutting, and to know the various shapes and cuts such as the round brilliant, the marquise, and the emerald-cut.”
To this the reporter of the Monitor, who uses the initials D. D., remarked that there are already a few feminine pioneers in the jewelry business, including Mrs. Ritz-Wale, wholesaler, known as the Queen of Aquamarines; Olga Tritt, New York, who is listed in the New York phone directory as a diamond expert; and Marie Zimmerman, New York, who designs exquisite jewelry.
Source: Hobbies - August 1941
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Rose Olga Tritt - New York - 1922
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Olga Tritt - New York - 1945
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Olga Tritt - New York - 1960
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Rose Olga Tritt - New York - 1911
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Olga Tritt - New York - 1945
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Olga Tritt - New York - 1975
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Olga Tritt - New York - 1946
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An image taken from the inside of Olga Tritt's show-window at 589, Madison Avenue in 1947:
Olga Tritt - New York - 1947
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Olga Tritt - New York - 1947
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Olga Tritt - New York - 1973
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Olga Tritt - New York - 1945
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Olga Tritt - New York - 1976
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Olga Tritt - New York - 1947
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Olga Tritt - New York - 1929
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A New Charm
The wife of the President now has another gold charm for her famed charm bracelets. Mrs. Lewis, on behalf of Little Cabinet Wives, presented her with a 14-karat “little cabinet” charm as a memento of the luncheon. Designed by New York jeweler Olga Tritt, the charm is in the shape of an antique cabinet, complete with little gold dishes and glassware, and is engraved: Little Cabinet Wives, March 1, 1955.
Source: The Evening Star - 2nd March 1955
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The wife of the President now has another gold charm for her famed charm bracelets. Mrs. Lewis, on behalf of Little Cabinet Wives, presented her with a 14-karat “little cabinet” charm as a memento of the luncheon. Designed by New York jeweler Olga Tritt, the charm is in the shape of an antique cabinet, complete with little gold dishes and glassware, and is engraved: Little Cabinet Wives, March 1, 1955.
Source: The Evening Star - 2nd March 1955
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Olga Tritt - New York - 1974
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