Tique Talk by Marianne Dow: A Rare Pair: Vintage 1930s Weidlich Bros. Silver Flamingo Double Candle Holders

Hello, Gorgeous!

Wow, I'm seeing double!

Picked up these gorgeous candle holders at the recent Springfield Extravaganza Antique Show [link].

They are wonderfully designed silver-plated birds -- a stylized ibis / flamingo type. The candle holders gracefully curve out in a v-ish shape from the pedestal base, with a stylized floral design between the bird's legs that is obviously influenced by the designs of the famous Danish silversmith Georg Jensen. They're a little art nouveau-y with the soft curves, antique-y with the original crystal chandelier drops, and art deco meets mid century modern with the streamlined birds, and the silver that shines like chrome.

These are circa 1930's, based on the advertisement below.

They are marked W-B MFG CO which is the mark of the WEIDLICH BROS. MFG. CO.

I did a lot of googling, and did not find another one of these gorgeous double candleholders, just a different version of a single bird with one candle holder (below).

So for now, I'm saying my set is scarce-to-rare. I'll be watching for more. I'd love to find those beautiful tall peacocks pictured below. Yummy!

Here's what I did find out about the WB company:

Letterhead shows their mark under the building: W-B MFG CO. in a shield.

"Weidlich Brothers Manufacturing Company operated in Bridgeport, Connecticut from 1901 until the 1950s. The brothers were Louis, Frank, and William. They produced a wide variety of art metal ware much of which was silver-plated.

The two principle designers at Weidlich were Louis Weidlich and Alfred J. Flauder. Between 1907 and 1933, Louis was granted more than a dozen design patents including jewelry cases, cigarette dispensers, an inkwell and pin cushion combination, an incense burner, a salt shaker, a table crumber and an electric perfumer (well ahead of the makers of aromatherapy and plug-in odor eaters!). With Flauder, Louis obtained two patents for manufacturing methods - one for lowering costs of die-making and one for hollow ware.

Flauder was even more inventive with over 60 design patents to his credit from 1913 to 1948 while working with Weidlich. Alfred designed jewelry cases, salt & pepper shakers, crucifix pedestals, candlesticks, a variety of spoons, a cigarette lighter, perfumer and disinfectant units, clock cases, athletic trophies and a corkscrew." [Sources]

Single bird candle holder like my pair.

1933 advertising postcard [Source]

The Weidlich factory is now the Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center of Bridgeport, CT.

Apparently an earlier incarnation of the Weidlich Brothers was Wm. Weidlich & Bro. in St. Louis, MO.

The Weidlich Brothers Manufacturing Company is known for their jewel caskets, trophies, bookends, salt and peppers, vanity items, inkwells, assorted novelties, and other birds...