ARTICLE - WMF
When German miller Daniel Straub established a small metal workshop more than one hundred and fifty years ago, he could never have guessed the influences he would set in motion. Tracy Martin traces the history of WMF – the manufacturing giant that grew from Straub’s humble shop. From the late nineteenth century through to the First World War, the German factory Wurttembergische Mettallwarenfabrik (more commonly known as WMF) was one of the most prolific producers of stylish, evocative and elegant designs in commercial continental pewter and silver plate metalware. The origins of this metalware manufacturer rest with Daniel Straub, Pair of WMF Art Nouveau bowls in green glass with pierced and footed stands, c.1890. Valued at $1300 to $1600 and shown courtesy Paddington Antique Centre, Brisbane, Queensland. In 1862 the company exhibited at the Great London Exposition, which was sponsored by the Royal Society of Arts, Manufacture and Trade and featured more than 28,000 exhibitors from 36 countries. Metallwarenfabrik Straub & Schweizer was awarded the prestigious Gold Medal for its display of silver plated serving trays, wine coolers and candle holders. However, despite this success, in 1866 the two brothers Frederick and Louis Schweizer decided to leave the business. Undeterred, Straub bought them out and was soon able to open his first showroom in Berlin under the new company name Straub and Son. Straub’s son and co-owner Heinrich helped his father oversee a silver plating business that had grown to employ 200 people and was producing 960 different products. Sadly, in 1876 Heinrich died after contracting a cold that turned into tuberculosis. This tragic event devastated Straub, and resulted in a complete loss of business drive. He also lost a lot of money that had been badly invested into a local ore mine, and it soon became evident that Straub was now in a position where he needed to merge his company with another silver plate organisation, A. Ritter & Co., in order to continue. Originally founded by Alfred Ritter and chemist Carl Haegele, Ritter & Co. was the main competitor to Straub & Son, in fact in the past they had even managed to poach some of Straub’s skilled employees. Ritter produced high-end luxury items and the company was slightly ahead of its time in technique. Instead of using the method of heat and mechanical pressure employed by Straub & Sons to plate their wares, Ritter dipped the item into a bath of silver which together with an electric current produced pieces that were finely and evenly covered in a lovely layer of silver. This method of plating was entitled ‘galvanisation’, and was not just extremely economical, but also allowed more intricate and complex vessels to be plated. Straub & Son had remained more of a workshop in which craftsmen Large WMF Art Nouveau jewellery casket with organic decoration, c.1880. Value $1200 to $1500, shown courtesy Paddington Antique Centre, Brisbane, Queensland. From the inception of WMF as one company, the growth was tremendous. The factory output included everything from vases to claret jugs, card trays to candlesticks and cutlery to kitchen utensils, ensuring that the company very quickly became the leader in the manufacture of domestic metalware. Another smart move included the acquisition of a glassworks and the employment of skilled glassmakers from Bohemia. WMF continued to grow and acquire even more factories. In 1886 they took over the Polish metalware company Plewkiewicz, which in 1900 became a subsidiary of WMF. They also acquired the Austrian company AK & CIE, who then produced and distributed WMF pieces to the Austrian and Hungarian market until around 1914. By 1910, sales catalogues were being printed in twelve languages (the catalogue issued in 1906 contained more than 3000 domestic pieces) and WMF had established subsidiary companies in London, Warsaw and Vienna. Much of this success was driven by the 1905 takeover of Orivit AG, an outfit renowned for its production of pewter ware, and the purchase of Orion Kunstgewerbliche Metallwarenfabrik. Orivit was well-known for producing pewter in the Jugendstil style, and this was to become the most distinctive period for the WMF factory as it began to produce much of its wares in this artistic genre. Albert Mayer, a skilled sculptor and designer, was also employed at this time to head up the art studio, and together with many skilled designers he produced some of the most stunning sculptural works in silver plated pewter, on occasion combining the use of glass to enhance a piece. Although many other styles had been adopted by the WMF factory over the years, including rococo, neo-classical, gothic and the geometric designs from the Art Deco period, it is still the Jugendstil pieces that most interest collectors and items found with this influence can demand a premium, although prices vary depending on design and shape. If a piece is evocative of the period and is lavishly decorated with flowing-haired maidens, sinuous stems and flowers, it can sell into the thousands of dollars, whilst more simplistically decorated items can be obtained for significantly less. Today the WMF factory is still going strong, having celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2003. Its output includes thousands of different designs of domestic metalware, distributed around the globe. A household name, there is no disputing that this German metalware manufacturer has made its mark when it comes to artistry, craftsmanship and quality, especially when considering those evocative designs from the Jugendstil period, which can only be described as exquisite works of art in metal. This information first appeared in Issue 35 of Antiques and Collectables for Pleasure & Profit.
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a miller from Geislingen
in southern Germany. Having been brought up during the dawn of industrialisation, Straub had entrepreneurial ideas and in 1850 he established a small metal repair workshop called Maschinenfabrik Geislingen, which predominantly
manufactured mill turbines as well as being involved with the construction of Geislingen’s railway. In 1853 Straub decided to join forces with the Schweizer brothers Louis and Friedrich, and together they set up the company
Metallwarenfabrik Straub & Schweizer where they experimented with the production of a variety of silver plated products.
were employed, whilst
Ritter & Co. had embraced modern industrial production. However, both companies found themselves facing financial difficulties and in 1880 the two manufacturers were offered yet another merger opportunity with the Wurttemberg
Union Bank. Unhappy with this new arrangement, Straub decided to take a step back. He founded another holding company and concentrated on the other side of his business with machine works. As a result, WMF came under the
management of former employees of Ritter & Co., all of whom now held managerial positions.
