The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-08-30
Growth of a New Art
Washington Clerk Adapts Italian Renaissance Designs
Household Use and characterization.

ever, the original order had used up
the entire piece of picture frame; and
to carve another pair from wood was
out of the question because of the ex-
pense.
The young artist knew of the ex-
istence of a casting material called
carton pierre, which is a sort of pa
pier mache initiating stone or bronze
and out of which statues are some
times made. He used this material,
took the original book-ends for a mod
Ell, and cast several pairs of them.
These the store sold almost as fast
as the embryo factory could finish
them.
About this time Niepold went to
New York, where he visited the Metro
politan Museum of Art, a favorite
haunt of his in the metropolis. There
he saw the magnificent Italian art col
lection of the late Mr.. J. P. Morgan.
That view gave him the definite idea
of reproducing Italian renaissance
decoration in articles designed for
modern use. The Italian artists of the
sixteenth century did not make CT
garette boxes, for instance; but they
did make small ornamental boxes, the
designs of which could be adapted to
boxes shaped to hold cigarettes.
His first step was to design another
pair of book-ends, this time an origi-
nal design in the renaissance manner.
He followed this with other book-ends.
They all sold well, first in the Me
pold's own store, then in various gift,
novelty, and china stores in Washing
ton. Convinced that this might be
the nucleus of a prosperous industry,
the Niepolds tried the experiment of
sending a statesmen out with the slim
line of products; and, although he So
licited only in the eastern cities, he
took orders so rapidly that the man
ufacturers gave up their picture-frame
store and moved into quarters where
there was space for pouring rooms,
baking, storage, and finishing rooms,
and the like. Since then they have
attended to this manufacture exclu-
/ sively.
Frank Niepold began sleeping him.
| self in the art of the Italian renais-
sance period. He took in exhibitions,
! studied books and catalogues, and &C
/ quired rare pictures. Evidently he
visited Italy and there not only saw
| the great museum and private col
! lections, but acquired for himself nu.
merous genuine pieces. And as his
knowledge broadened, he increased
the number of designs in manufac.
ture in his plant, until now they mum.
Der several hundred, the objects in.
Guiding fruit bowls, wall sconces, and
brackets, lamps, mirror frames, book
ends, decorative panels and altar
pieces, candle sticks, jewel boxes
plaques, and medieval busts. The first
book-end designed continues to be Z
steady favorite.
Even as the Niepolds increased
their range of pieces, they improved
the composition in which the objects
are cast. This question of materia
was problem from the outset. The
old Italian artists used wood, which
was carved and then covered will
plaster before being finished. Blu
even with the marvels which moder1
wood-tUrning machinery is able to &C
complish, wood itself was out of thu
question for this work. 1t is impos
sible nowadays to obtain in CONNER
cial quantities wood so long seasoned
that it will not warp or shrink Blu
. any warping or shrinking under tn,
J plaster coat would be fatal to the du
: rability of the ornament.
Plaster, too, could be ruled out
partly because of its fragility an