Baltensperger Swiss Silver

[admin]

Know they are a Swiss firm, nothing more. I'd appreciate any info about them.
Thanks, Tom

[2209patrick]

All I know of them is that they were in business at least as early as the 1920's.

Pat.

[Bahner]

Hello, maker from Zuerich, founded in 1878. Around 1928 the owner was Walter Baltensperger, later it was Pierre B., still active after 1945. Best wishes, Bahner

[admin]

Bahner & Patrick, many thanks for your help.
Best, Tom

[destinymet1961]

Jean Pierre Baltensperger was my uncle by marriage. I have one of his first pieces of jewelry if not the first piece he made and gave to my aunt. Here is the family history:

family chronicle

1878 gründete mein Urgrossvater Jean Baltensperger in Bülach die erste Goldschmiedewerkstatt. My great grandfather founded in 1878 in Jean Baltensperger Bülach the first goldsmith workshop. Später siedelte er an das Later he moved to the Limmatquai 76 in Zürich um. 76 in Zurich to Limmatquai. Jeans Frau erkannte aber schon früh, dass der erst vor kurzem zugeschüttete "Fröschengraben" und die in elegantem Glanz erbaute Bahnhofstrasse den geschäftlichen Erfolg bringen würde. Jeans woman recognized early on but that only recently filled-in "ditch frogs" and the elegant Bahnhofstrasse in gloss built the business success would bring. Darum wurde 1896 das Geschäft an den Silberhof in der neuen Bahnhofstrasse verlegt. Therefore Bahnhofstrasse in 1896 the business to the Silberhof in the new relocated.

Nach Jeans Tod übernahmen mein Grossvater Walter Baltensperger und später sein Bruder Ernst, beide gelernte Gold- und Silberschmiede, das Geschäft. After Jeans death took my grandfather Walter Baltensperger, and later his brother Ernst, both skilled gold and silversmiths, the business.

Die Familientradition wurde von Jean Pierre Baltensperger, dem Sohn von Ernst, weitergeführt. The family tradition was Jean Pierre Baltensperger, son of Ernst, continued by. Jean Pierre war auch ein sehr bekannter und anerkannter Kunstmaler und brachte mit seinen oft aussergewöhnlichen und eigenwilligen Kreationen eine völlig neue Ära an die eher konservative Bahnhofstrasse. Jean Pierre was also a well known and respected painter and brought his unique and often idiosyncratic creations a whole new era in the more conservative Bahnhofstrasse.

Seit 1989 führe ich in vierter Generation die Familientradition fort. Since 1989, I lead the fourth generation in the family tradition continues. Ich war vom familiären Betrieb stets unabhängig. I was always independent from the family business.

[dognose]

Hi,

Welcome to the Forum.

Many thanks for sharing your family's history with us on the forum.

Would it be possible for you to post some images of this piece of Jean Pierre Baltensperger's early work? Also, do you have any photos connected with firm that you can show us?

Trev.

[lelscot]

Hi Destinymet1961 - When I was a child in the 1950s in the north of England, we had a Swiss nanny whom we always called Margi (Zender). She was wonderful and we 4 children loved her. My parents thought she was a lot of fun and stayed in touch with her long after she returned to Switzerland.

She was a jewellery designer at Baltensperger and married Pierre. I remember meeting them in Zurich and having a meal with them at the railway station as we were returning from a skiing holiday. We met them again when they visited London.

Sadly all my family that Margi & Pierre would have known have died apart from my brother and me. Every day I wear the wonderful Baltensperger diamond ring that my father bought my mother in the 1960s, my most prized possession.