[TheForge] Response from Clare Yellin Re: Samuel Yellin's works in
Philadelphia area
Bruce Freeman
[email protected]
Wed Oct 1 13:33:04 2003
Here's Clare's response to my inquire in full.
Bruce
NJ
>>> Clare Yellin <[email protected]> 10/1/2003 12:02:17 PM >>>
Dear Bruce,
I am glad you saw the article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, I hope you
liked it. A semi-retired journalist (50 years + in the business) wrote
it. You might also be interested - in this month's issue of Metalsmith
(SNAG'S periodical) there is an article on Yellin and his iron
sketches. I have not seen the published version yet.
Now for places to see in Philadelphia -
-- Packard Building - 15th and Chestnut, large 33' exterior bi-fold
gate and exterior sconces. Everything is heavily painted. If you can
get inside (it's a construction site now, so it might be off limits)
there is an elevator cage, clock faces, railings, and interior gates.
There were huge window grilles on the outside, but they were thrown
away in the 1960's. In fact the bank had to pay a trash removal
company to take them away. Beautiful triple refined wrought iron and
no one had ever gotten in touch with the forge.
-- Curtis Institute of Music - Rittenhouse Square; wonderful Samuel
Yellin Metalwork inside and out. You can also see the grille that
George Dixon designed for the front door.
-- St. Mark's Church - 16th and Locust; marvelous red door with some
outstanding hardware. The railings are also Yellin. If you can get
inside there is a beautiful early Samuel Yellin gate in the Wanamaker
Chapel (take your flashlights, it's dark in there).
All of the above are within walking distance of each other. Around the
University of Penn Campus (further west) there is a hotel called Hilton
Inn at Penn, 36th and Sansom. They have 8 large framed drawings of
Yellin's work at the Federal Reserve Bank of NY. This display is part
of the 1% for Art. Philadelphia was the first city to develop this.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art has a wonderful iron antiquity
collection that my grandfather purchased for the museum in the 1920's.
PMA also has an outstanding arms and armour collection. It's smaller
than the Metropolitan, but it rivals it in quality. I have several
guest passes that I could send you if you like.
You also mentioned Princeton, NJ. There is a good bit of work in the
town, but if you were to go to the University his work is all over.
Probably the most concentrated work is at the Princeton Chapel that was
designed by Cram and Ferguson. Almost all of the metalwork inside and
out is from Samuel Yellin's forge.
If you want another resource go to my website, www.samuelyellin.com.
There are pictures of new and old work in the section, "The Forge
Today."
New York City and Pittsburgh have a plethora of his work. Several
places in the Big Apple are -
-- Federal Reserve Bank of NY, 33 Liberty Street (Wall Street area) -
400,000 #'s of WI inside and out.
-- Apple Savings Bank (formerly Central Savings Bank) 72nd & 73rd &
Broadway) - great stuff inside and out.
-- Cathedral of St. John the Divine, 1047 Amsterdam Ave.
-- St. Vincent Ferrer, 869 Lexington Ave, interior screens, lights,
hardware, etc.
-- The Cloisters, Fort Tryon Park
-- etc. etc. hundreds of jobs
If I had to choose a favorite it would be The Washington National
Cathedral at Wisconsin and Massachusetts Ave., Washington DC. If you
have not seen this work it is definitely worth a trip! You'll also get
to see work of Nol Putnam, Fred Crist, Tom Bredlow, etc. The Cathedral
is a breathtaking showcase for superb craftsmanship - metal, stone,
glass, textiles, wood. Connie Ewy, a docent, is the metal expert
there.
Hope this information helps. Let me know how things turn out.
Thanks,
Clare Yellin
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