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William Demuth Company: Difference between revisions
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'''William Demuth'''. (Wilhelm C. Demuth, 1835-1911), a native of Germany, entered the United States at the age of 16 as a penniless immigrant. After a series of odd jobs he found work as a clerk in the import business of a tobacco tradesman in New York City. In 1862 William established his own company. The '''William Demuth Company''' specialized in pipes, smoker's requisites, cigar-store figures, canes and other carved objects. | '''William Demuth'''. (Wilhelm C. Demuth, 1835-1911), a native of Germany, entered the United States at the age of 16 as a penniless immigrant. After a series of odd jobs he found work as a clerk in the import business of a tobacco tradesman in New York City. In 1862 William established his own company. The '''William Demuth Company''' specialized in pipes, smoker's requisites, cigar-store figures, canes and other carved objects. | ||
[[File:WDC Hesson Guard-1940.jpg|thumb|1940 Hesson Guard Ad, courtesy Doug Valitchka]][[File:WDCBakelite16.jpg|thumb|left|Bakelite Ad, Courtesy Doug Valitchka]][[File:WDCMilano14.jpg|thumb|Hesson Guard Milano Ad, courtesy Doug Valitchka]][[File:WDC Hesson.jpg|thumb|WEDC Hesson 1932 Patent, courtesy Doug Valitchka]][[File:WDC DEMUTH.JPG|thumb]]The Demuth Company is probably well known for the famous trademark, WDC in an inverted equilateral triangle. William commissioned the figurative meerschaum Presidential series, 29 precision-carved likenesses of John Adams, the second president of the United States (1797-1801) to Herbert Hoover, the 30th president (1929-1933), and "Columbus Landing in America," a 32-inch-long centennial meerschaum masterpiece that took two years to complete and was exhibited at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. | [[File:WDC Hesson Guard-1940.jpg|thumb|1940 Hesson Guard Ad, courtesy Doug Valitchka]][[File:WDCBakelite16.jpg|thumb|left|Bakelite Ad, Courtesy Doug Valitchka]][[File:WDCMilano14.jpg|thumb|Hesson Guard Milano Ad, courtesy Doug Valitchka]][[File:WDC Hesson.jpg|thumb|WEDC Hesson 1932 Patent, courtesy Doug Valitchka]][[File:WDC DEMUTH.JPG|thumb]][[File:WDCLaddie08.jpg|thumb|Catalog page, courtesy Doug Vaclitchka]]The Demuth Company is probably well known for the famous trademark, WDC in an inverted equilateral triangle. William commissioned the figurative meerschaum Presidential series, 29 precision-carved likenesses of John Adams, the second president of the United States (1797-1801) to Herbert Hoover, the 30th president (1929-1933), and "Columbus Landing in America," a 32-inch-long centennial meerschaum masterpiece that took two years to complete and was exhibited at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. | ||
[[File:Hesson Jr18.jpg|thumb|Hesson Patent granted Dec. 22, 1925, courtesy Doug Valitchka]][[File:WDC Sterling.jpg|thumb|WDC Sterling Ad, courtesy Doug Valitchka]]The Presidential series was the result of Demuth's friendship with President James A. Garfield, a connoisseur of meerschaum pipes. Demuth presented two pipes to Garfield at his inauguration in 1881, one in his likeness, the other in the likeness of the President's wife. Later, Demuth arranged for another figurative matching the others to be added to the collection as each new president acceded to the White House, terminating with President Hoover. | [[File:Hesson Jr18.jpg|thumb|Hesson Patent granted Dec. 22, 1925, courtesy Doug Valitchka]][[File:WDC Sterling.jpg|thumb|WDC Sterling Ad, courtesy Doug Valitchka]]The Presidential series was the result of Demuth's friendship with President James A. Garfield, a connoisseur of meerschaum pipes. Demuth presented two pipes to Garfield at his inauguration in 1881, one in his likeness, the other in the likeness of the President's wife. Later, Demuth arranged for another figurative matching the others to be added to the collection as each new president acceded to the White House, terminating with President Hoover. | ||
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File:WDC 1925Milano08.jpg | File:WDC 1925Milano08.jpg | ||
File:WDC 1925Milano09.jpg | File:WDC 1925Milano09.jpg | ||
</gallery> | |||
[[File:Stratford16.jpg|thumb|WDC Stratford, Brighton, Wellington Ad, courtesy Doug Valitchka]] | |||
<gallery widths=250px heights=185px caption="WDC Stratford with Patent, courtesy Doug Valitchka"> | |||
File:Stratford01.jpg | |||
File:Stratford05.jpg | |||
File:Stratford07.jpg | |||
File:Stratford08.jpg | |||
File:Stratford10.jpg | |||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
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<gallery caption="Examples and details, courtesy Doug Valitchka"> | <gallery caption="Examples and details, courtesy Doug Valitchka"> | ||
File:WDCLaddie01.jpg|Laddie | |||
File:WDCLaddie07.jpg|Laddie Detail | |||
File:WDC Milano01.jpg|Milano | File:WDC Milano01.jpg|Milano | ||
File:WDC Milano08.jpg|Milan Nomenclature | File:WDC Milano08.jpg|Milan Nomenclature | ||