The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-08-29
washington. D. c.. Aug. Is.

W0SuAu8tVAs ~ ~ @A~0'
few years ago a customer happened
to step into a pfcture-frame store
in this city and ask the young SON
of the proprietor II he could make
a pair of those new-fangied plaster
bcok-ends which were in some OF
the novelty shops then beginning
to spring up in Washington, The
young clerk scratched his head ana
said lie "reckoned" he could. From
that accepted commission has
grown up in half q dozen years on3
of the largest business in the world
which has for its purpose the
bringing of really fine art within
reach of the people.
The clerk did not realize. then.
when the customer made his un-
usual request, that destiny had
| stepped in through the door OF the
| dusky little shop; yet today, six
! years later, Frank Niepold. the
| former clerk, has wide recognition
as an artist with genuine talent
Wealth is coming to him. Such
J critics as John Sargent, the famous
portrait painter, have placed their
approval on his work. And Frank
Niepold is only 30 years old.
The business which he and his
father and two brothers now con-
duct is called the manufacture OF
Borghese reproductions. 1t con-
LISTS of taking the loveliest designs
and art objects of the Italian re-
i Nuisance period and adapting
them, through reproduction, te
household use and ornamentation
today.
A few years ago in this country
objects OF such beauty could be
| seen only in museums or in the
private collections of wealthy men
Today anyone for the expenditure
Aof a few dollars can own one Of
these ornaments, an art object au.
thentt in everything except age
and even that is cleverly initiated
So successful are the Niepold re.
productions that retailers selling
them sometimes advertise them as
imported goods, unaware that the
modern craftsmen of Italy and
France are not producing anything
as fine as these.
When the original customer who
wanted the bOok-endS had left the
shop, young Niepold began casting
around in his mind for something
that would do. He was even Their
from his own study capable of de-
signing a suitable piece, but there
was not need at the time fol
original work. In the stores Their.
happened to be piece of rathel
heavy picture framing OF a design
which Niepold admired. From thi!
he simply sawed out two like sec
tions, painted and finished them
covered the contact sides with felt
and placed them in a showcase t,
await the return of the customer.
Immediate Demands Discovered.
While they were there, anothel
customer noticed them and asked
for a pair just like them. It wa
obvious that here was an Objec
: for which there was a. demand
Meanwhile, however, the origina
: order had used up the entire piec,
of picture frame; and to carve an
other pair from wood was out of tn,
; question because OF the expense.
The young artist knew of tn
, existence of casting materia
called carton pierre, which is
sort of PAPER mache initiating
stone or bronze and out of whicl
,, statues are sometimes made. H
!, used this material, took the origi
, nal book-ends for a model, an
Ii cast several, pairs of them. Thes
!. the store sold almost as fast as tn
, embryo factory could finish then
About this time Niepold went t
New York, where he visited tn
Metropolitan Museum of Art,
favorite haunt of his in the me
: tropolis. There he saw the mag
, nificent Italian art collection of tn
late ]. P Morgan. That vie'
gave him the definite idea of re
, producing Italian renaissance deco
, ration in articles designed for moe
/ ern use. The Italian artists of tn
e 10th century did not make cigare
boxes, for instance; but the
O did make small ornamental boXe
the design Of which could be adap'
ed to boxes shaped to hold cigaret
His first step was to design al
e other pair of book-ends. this tim
an original design in the renal:
: ! sance, manner. He followed tn
g with other book-ends. They a
: sold well, first in the Niepoids' ow
n store, then in various gift, novelt
Il and china stores in Washingto
e Convinced that this might be Ii
S nucleus of prosperous industr
: the Niepolds tried the experimel
/. of sending salesman out with tt
y slim line Of products; and, aithoug
a he solicited only in the easter
: cities, he took orders so rapid
r that the manufacturers gave u
o their picture-frame store and move
5. into quarters where there W;
It space for pouring rooma. bakin
l. storage, and finishing SoomY an
hA ykn IL