Hermann Marcus (1828–1899)
William Elder Marcus, Jr. (1883–1970)
Marcus & Co.
Capt. Chapin Marcus (1884–1950)
George Elder Marcus (1859–1917)
Peter Marcus (1889–1934)
The New York firm of Marcus & Co. (1892–1942) created exceptional jewelry for an art-loving, wealthy elite. Lavishly illustrated with jewels and archival design drawings, this volume chronicles their history, from the founder’s apprenticeship in Dresden to the firm’s premises on Fifth Avenue neighboring Tiffany and Cartier.
Back cover image: Moonstone, sapphire, diamond, and aquamarine shell clip/brooch and bracelet, ca. 1939. Courtesy of Macklowe Gallery. Photo credit: Bret Wills (see FIGS. 532 and 534)
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ISBN 978-3-89790-717-1
9 783897 907171
arnoldsche
Front cover image: Plique-à-jour enamel morning glory pendant brooch, ca. 1905–1906. Courtesy of Newark Museum (see FIG. 304)
Three Generations of New York Jewelers
William Elder Marcus (1857–1925)
SHEILA BARRON SMITHIE, FGA, is a specialist in historic and vintage jewelry, researching, cataloguing, and appraising for auction houses and galleries. She is a Fellow of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain, and the recipient of its 2005 Christie’s Prize. As an adjunct faculty member at Sotheby’s Institute of Art in New York, she designed and taught the master’s level course Gems and Jewelry: History and Markets. From 2013, she consulted on jewelry for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, helping to research the institution-wide collection for the 2018 exhibition Jewelry: The Body Transformed. Beginning her early career as a financial analyst at Goldman, Sachs & Co., she worked in investment banking, commodities, and equity research sales and trading in New York, Mexico City, and London. She is a graduate of Harvard University.
SHEIL A BA RRON SMITHIE BETH CA RV ER W EE S
M A R C U S FA M I LY T R E E
SHEIL A BA RRON SMITHIE BETH CA RV ER W EE S
Marcus & Co. Three Generations of New York Jewelers
BETH CARVER WEES is Curator Emerita, The American Wing, at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, where for twenty years she oversaw the collections of American silver, jewelry, and other metalwork. Prior to joining The Met’s staff in 2000 she was Curator of Decorative Arts at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts. She lectures internationally and is the author of numerous articles and books, including English, Irish & Scottish Silver at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute (1997) and Early American Silver in The Metropolitan Museum of Art (2013). Beth holds degrees in art history from Smith College and from the Williams College Graduate Program in the History of Art. An alumna of the Attingham Summer School and Royal Collection Studies, she currently serves as President of the Board of the American Friends of Attingham. She also sits on the advisory boards of the Association for the Study of Jewelry and Related Arts and of The Silver Society in England. Beth was one of six organizing curators for The Met’s 201819 exhibition Jewelry: The Body Transformed as well as a contributor to its catalogue. Her exhibition Jewelry for America was on view at The Met from June 2019 to May 2021.
arnoldsche
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