The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-14
ERNST MELAUN, ARTIST
AN INDIANAPOLIS IRON WORKER
WHO is A MASTER OF HIS CRAFT.
Artistic Possibilities Of Wrought Iron
zse,yiy Recognized-A Recent Re-
yfvaI of the Work.
wilnelmIua seegmiller. in Brush and PEN

wilhelmina seegmilIer. in Brush and Pen
Gil
During the present century, until about
thirty years ago. there was almost no work
in wrought-iron DONE the demand being
almost entirely for cast iron. About thirty
years ago there was something OF a revi-
val. and in the few years since the Column
bian Exhibition there has been much more
demand for wrought iron than there was
in many preceding years. While cast iron
has its place, its use and its beauty, IL
cannot compare with wrought iron Iron
when rolled or beaten has a fibrous tex
ture which it does not possess when cast
into ingots; then its malleability and it's
capacity for welding or uniting at a heat
below melting point gives to wrought iron
great possibilities. In addition, wrought
iron is stamped with the individuality OF
the art craftsman. II is work at first
hand. and portrays clearly the feeling
OF the worker as it does the picture or the
statue. Lovers of art have bemoaned the
extended use of cast iron, claiming that
the smiths have become little more than
adjusters- However. the cunning OF the
smith is not entirely thing of the past.
few FORCES are lighted, the stubborn
iron is pliable as silken thread, and work.
men bend and twist and weld IL as deftly
and skillfully as did the workers OF the
Renaissance
indianapolis may well be proud of claim
ing citizen one OF these few workers,
Mr.. Ernst Melaun, OF the firm Of Melsun
Richards, an art workman unexcelled
in his art.
In 1856 Ernst Melaun was born at Erie
dek In Silesia, Austria. He received his
high-school education in Moravia, at
Observation-Disclosures with its great
castle and the allegiance paid to the lord
o. the castle reminding one of feudal
times. After completing his work at
came a student at craft school
In Vienna, Austria. The Austrian govern
ment provides opportunity for its people
to become proficient in the various trades.
and 1t was at one of the government
schools that Mr.. Melaun received a thor
ough instruction in free-hand drawing and
designing, and learned the art of using
iron 10 produce beauty in ornament
A THOROUGH TRAINING.
When he had acquired the full measure
OF knowledge that could be impaired at
the craft school Mr.. Melaun, according to
the custom of the times. became a Journey
man and took four years tour. working
in all the cities and towns in northern and
southern Germany and Denmark, where
OF iron. A few of the cities visited were
Salisbury, Munich, Carlsruhe, Cologne,
Hanover. Copenhagen, Hamburg. Berlin.
Leipsic, Dresden and Nuremberg. At the
end of the four years Mr.. Melaun had re-
ceived all the training that the country
could offer; he had become a skillful de-
Slgner and master workman" in the
highest and best sense of the term. Then
came what was real trouble TO the young
workman the five years demanded by his
country for service in the army. No more
.r,r%ro r-4w~ n4 l..
through red-hot iron. The required mill
tary service changes the career of many
young men, but Mr.. Melaun's love for his
work was so great that never for a moment
did he think of possibility Of changing his
life work. At the close OF the five years.
thinking of military service that would be
in the future demanded and of a country
that was likely to have a great art devel-
opment, Mr.. Melaun turned his face toward
America and reached Chicago in 1883 He
then went to milwaukee, and became man.
ager of the Reliance iron and wire works.
After another sojourn in Chicago he went
to Indianapolis I'm February of 1883. Mr..
Melaun experienced the difficulty that
comes TO almost all in becoming established
in new land. There was the difficulty of
bringing his work before the public. Then
for some time there was a limited demand
for wrought iron. many who were able to
purchase not approaching it's superiority
over cast iron. and many others desiring
great show for little money. Trade condi-
tons never had any effect upon the quality
always the very best that could be made.
His integrity and artistic spirit finally won
for him renown, his partnership with Mr..
H. X. Richards has broadened his opportu-
mites. and he is known throughout the
country as one Of the strongest workers in
America.
A visit to the workshops on Shelby street
is delight In the exhibition room are
grilles. screens, chandeliers, candlesticks
and numerous other articles. ready to
be shipped to various places. In
ha CHI hlo~ he Aor
mers ring, iron Is being Bonded and twisted
and rolled; great sheets OF manila paper
with designs lie across tables and benches;
beautiful leaf and flower forms cut from
paper hang the walls; the busy master
passes here and there now explaining how
some form might be more beautifully
fashioned, again saying a word Of praise,
or teaching some young craftsman TO work
In the spirit and with the patience of the
artisan of the elder days of art" when
Builders wrought with greatest care
Each minute and unseen part:
For the gods see everywhere"
The specimens show that Mr.. Melaun
thoughtfully considers the adaptation OF
material to purpose; they also show fine
spacing. virility and freedom OF design and
skillful execution.
AMERICA SHOULD EXCEL.
There is surely great future for the de-
velopment of wrought iron in America:
there should be work done which would
far surpass anything attained in the past.
In the middle ages there was but limit
ed use for iron; the greatest opportunity
afforded metal workers was in fashioning
the details of the cathedrals. Now we
have whole city blocks. of iron framework
The decoration of buildings has not kept
pace with the advancement I'm construc-
ton. There is still too great adherence to
the forms OF the past. There are a few
architects, however, who are teaching
great lessons. who recognize that the spirit
of the past belongs to us, while il is not
necessary for us TO use and reuse the
forms In which il found embodiment The
conditions OF our present civilization and
OF our own land demand new architec-
ture- In days of yore ii was not necessary
for accommodation to be provided in a
single building for many hundreds of bust
ness people, and business block certainly
needs 10 be of different style than a tenn
pie Buildings like the Sullivan buildings
In Chicago. splendidly adapted to their
purpose. and showing frank and fine use of
materials. stand as monuments of creative
skill and taste. and give us high hone for
the architecture which is to be-
wrought iron Will develop with archftec-
ture. IL certainly Jars our sense of the
htness OF things TO find that apparently
solid columns are hollow, that n by chance
they are struck they give the sonorous ring
OF metal This false use of iron makes il