S Blanckensee & Sons Ltd

[rblanck]

Hi all,

I'm looking for information on Solomon Blanckensee and Sons Ltd that were silversmiths in Birmingham from the mid 1800s.

Solomon was my great great great grandfather, and so I'm very interested in his trade. I am going into my final year of university and I plan to write my thesis on Blanckensee silver.

I am particularly interested in the design aspects of Blanckensee silver. For instance, the inspiration behind their pieces, why they went with particular designs for each piece. I know that they created a lot of art deco pieces, and I am very interested in why that decision was made.

Any information would be much appreciated, especially if anybody knows of any books, journals, leaflets, any written material on S Blanckensee and Sons silver. That would be extremely helpful as the information is for an academic essay and will need to be cited.

Thank you,
Rachel

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Hi Rachel,

Welcome to the Forum.

Just to get the ball rolling, see this topic for details of Solomon Blanckensee and Sons's Madrid operation:

viewtopic.php?f=61&t=25406&p=73558

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S. Blanckensee & Son Ltd. - Birmingham - 1893

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Exhibits at the International Health Exhibition, London, 1884:

762. Spade, silver and ivory, enamelled and parcel-gilt. Presented by the ladies of Leicester to H.R.H. the Princess of Wales, on planting a tree in the Abbey Park. 20 May, 1882.

Designed by J. W. Tonks, Birmingham.
Manufactured by S. Blanckensee & Son, Birmingham
(Lent by H.R.H. the Princess of Wales.)

763. Gold Key, Gothic style, presented to H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, on the occasion of his opening the Abbey Park, Leicester, with enamelled Arms of Prince and of Borough, oak device, King Charles' Day, 1882.

Designed by J. W. Tonks, Birmingham.
Manufactured by S. Blanckensee and Son, Birmingham.
(Lent by H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, K.G.)

Source: The Health Exhibition Literature - Vol. XVII - 1884

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S. Blanckensee & Son Limited - Birmingham - 1887

DIRECTORS:

David Benjamin, Esq., 86, Westbourne-terrace, Hyde-park, W.
Charles Brook Dobson, Esq., 72, West Cromwell-road, S.W.
*Ernest Charles Keay, Esq. (Messrs. E. C. and J. Keay), Birmingham and West Bromwich.
*Edwin Y. Pearson, Esq., 6, Victoria-buildings, Corporation-street, Birmingham.
Aaron Blanckensee, Esq., 15, Frederick-street, Birmingham, Managing Director.

* Will join the Board after Allotment.

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An example of the work and mark of S. Blanckensee & Son Ltd.:








1937


S.B&S.Ld - Birmingham - 1937

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DARING RAILWAY ROBBERY

A daring robbery from a London railway station of £6,000 worth of jewels is reported. It was made at King's Cross Station of the Great Northern Railway. The victim is Mr. Blanckensee, of Messrs. S. Blanckensee and Son, Ltd., wholesale manufacturing jewellers, of Frederick-street, Great Hampton-street, Birmingham, manufacturing jewellers, with a London office at Ely-place, Holborn. Mr. Harry Blanckensee is well known on the road as a traveller in high-class goods. He arrived from Hull about 8 o'clock on Friday night and handed in at a temporary cloakroom close by the entrance to the Tube Railway at King's Cross Station a brass-bound leather case containing his samples, valued at £6,000.

Source: Llais Llafur - 28th February 1914

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On Monday a case containing jewellery valued at £1,000 was abstracted from the trap of a Mr. Blankensee, principal of a Birmingham firm of manufacturing jewellers, which was standing outside a shop in Tottenham Court-road, London. The coachman stood at the horse's head, and a policeman was standing within a few yards of the end of the vehicle at the time.

Source: The Pembrokeshire Herald and General Advertiser - 27th January 1882

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LIONEL BLANCKENSEE

18, & 19, Northwood Street, Birmingham



Lionel Blanckensee's trade mark



Lionel Blanckensee - Birmingham - 1893


Lionel Blanckensee - Birmingham - 1893


Lionel Blanckensee - Birmingham - 1893

Lionel Blanckensee was the son of (Abraham) Solomon Blanckensee, and the brother of Aaron and Julius Blanckensee. He started his business, firstly at Buckingham Street, Birmingham, and later at 18, & 19, Northwood Street, Birmingham. He also had London Showrooms, firstly at 118, Holborn by 1893, then 124, Holborn in 1904, and then at 1, Gamage Buildings, Holborn in 1906.

Lionel Blanckensee died in January 1933.

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FATAL ASSAULT IN AN ASYLUM

Mr. Joel Blanckensee, aged fifty-three, formerly a manufacturing jeweller and watch-maker, of Birmingham, died suddenly at St. Andrew's Hospital for Mental Diseases, Northampton. At an inquest an attendant said on January 31st, while on duty in a passage leading to a ward in which the deceased and twenty-one other patients were located, he saw a patient rush savagely at deceased and kick him in the stomach. It was a very severe and deliberate kick. They had not quarrelled. The same patient had kicked witness several times, as well as other patients. The witness added that the assault was not reported because it was not thought at the time to be serious. The jury returned a verdict of "Accidental death," but expressed the opinion I that the kicking should have been reported.

Source: Rhyl Record and Advertiser - 17th February 1900

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An example of the incuse mark of S. Blanckensee and Son, Ltd., noted on a pair of sugar-tongs, assayed at Birmingham in 1931:


S.B&S.Ld - Birmingham - 1931

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Mr. Mayer Blanckensee finds trade certainly better this year than last. He still continues to bring out new specialities in gem jewellery in that class of work for which he has been so long celebrated. As there is a continued demand in the better class London houses for new designs in ladies' rings, we should advise all doing a really first-class trade to see Mr. Blanckensee's latest productions.

Source: The Watchmaker, Jeweller and Silversmith - 1st May 1891

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S. Blanckensee & Son, Limited - Birmingham - 1887

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Another example of the work and marks of S. Blanckensee & Son Ltd.:




S.B&S.Ld - Birmingham - 1938


S.B&S/Ltd - Chester - 1938

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An advertisement from the Albion Chain Co. Ltd., sole distributors for S. Blanckensee & Son (London) Ltd.:


Albion Chain Co. Ltd. - London - 1959

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The popular conception of the wedding ring as a simple band of gold may soon be no more. Automatic machinery using diamond tooling is today making available attractively patterned wedding rings at prices within the reach of all. Many of the patterns are so intricate that it would be virtually impossible to reproduce them by hand, and those that could be hand produced would be uneconomical to manufacture for the mass market, and be of inferior finish.

One firm of manufacturing jewellers contributing to this new trend is S. Blanckensee & Son (London) Ltd, founded in 1826, but today amongst the most progressive firms in the industry. The firm was founded by Solomon Blanckensee, originally a general merchant who set up a specialist service supplying finished jewellery and silver plate to the retail trade. By 1939, the firm had become one of the largest distributors in the country. During the war, the firm turned to production engineering with considerable success and after the war continued to specialize in this field. In 1952 the jewellery manufacturing side of the business, consisting of S. Blanckensee & Son and their associated company the Albion Chain Company, was acquired by Mr E. W. Podolsky. Today, E. Podolsky & Co Ltd is the holding company for the group, whilst the Albion Chain Co Ltd (in the early 1900’s one of the first companies in this country to install machinery for the manufacture of fine gold chain) is the selling agency for the products of S. Blanckensee.

Three years ago, Blanckensee’s decided to experiment with the production of pattern jewellery in quantity ; and a Sixis milling machine, adapted by the makers for diamond cutting, was installed. Although the results were most satisfactory, the Sixis was limited in capability and output, and last September, a more advanced Swiss diamond cutting miller, the Tous Diamant, manufactured by Meyrat and Luisoni to Blanckensee’s exact requirements, was installed. With it, extremely complex highly-finished patterns can be cut at very high speed on a wide range of gold jewellery, ranging from wedding and signet rings and bracelets, to cuff-links, tie-tacks and watch cases. For example, a complex multi-faceted pattern can be cut into a man’s gold ring in a little over two minutes with just one pass of the diamond tool; on a long continuous run, the Tous Diamant will cut over twenty dozen rings in a day. The number of designs that can be produced is virtually unlimited and already several hundred different patterns have been used. (They are worked out on copper blanks before the actual cutting of gold takes place.)

The present managing director of the group is Mr Paul Podolsky, who in addition to his other responsibilities, designs many of the pieces of jewellery that his group manufactures and sells. In the recent De Beers’ diamond engagement ring competition, two of his designs were awarded a first prize and a commended certificate. Mr Podolsky’s progressive attitude to jewellery manufacture has resulted in a considerable increase in the output and size of his companies; so much so that next year the three companies and their staff of fifty will be moving from their present quarters in London’s Clerkenwell Road into a new and considerably larger building in Benjamin Street.

Appropriately, diamonds, both gem and industrial, will have contributed to this success story for Mr Podolsky and his companies.

Source: Industrial Diamond Review - July 1964

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OBITUARY

Mr. E.W. Podolski, chairman of the Albion Chain Co. Ltd., who died on May 2 after a long illness pioneered the manufacture in this country of diamond-set watch cases. He was born in Russia, and received much of his early training in Antwerp, before setting up business in 1914 in Greville Street. In 1938 he turned his business into a limited company, and in 1948 took control of another long-established firm, S. Blanckensee. He had many interests, and from 1958-61 was a member of the B.J.A. Central Council, he was chairman of the London Manufacturing Goldsmiths' Section of the B.J.A. from 1960-61, and was an influential member of the recent B.J.A. committee that investigated tax problems. He was a founder member of the Trades Advisory Council, and was chairman of the jewellery section for 10 years, and a member of the national executive committee. An active worker for Jewish charities and organisations, he was closely associated with the Jewish socialist movement, and treasurer of the International YIVO Research Institute.

Source: Watchmaker, Jeweller & Silversmith - June 1962

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Albion Chain Company Limited - London - 1963

'ALBIONCRAFT'

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For the second time within six weeks the premises in Frederick-street occupied by Messrs. J. Blanckensee and Co., and Messrs. Kirwan and Co., have been broken into during the dinner hour. In the former instance the thieves seem to have been disturbed, and not much damage was done. This time, however, they seem to have got well to work, and ransacked the places pretty thoroughly. Fortunately, however, there were not many valuables lying about, and their utmost find was a few cigars, which doubtless they appreciated. Several oddments of value which were exposed seem to have escaped attention.

Source: The Watchmaker, Jeweller and Silversmith - 1st August 1893

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Another example of the work and mark of S. Blanckensee & Son Ltd.:






S. B & S/Ltd - Birmingham - 1907

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