Rago Auctions

One of the most celebrated figures of the American Arts & Crafts Movement, Frank Gardner Hale was born in Norwich, Connecticut, in 1876. He studied at the Norwich Art School and Boston Museum School, where he developed foundational skills in design. Hale's early career was marked by a focus on graphic arts, designing book and music covers, before finding his true calling in jewelry design. This transition led him across the Atlantic to England, where he immersed himself in the traditions of craftsmanship that would define his life's work.

Hale's time in England was transformative. In 1906, he joined Charles Robert Ashbee's Guild of Handicrafts in Chipping Campden, a hub for the Arts & Crafts ethos. There, he honed his skills in silversmithing and enameling, disciplines that would become central to his jewelry and metalwork designs. After completing his studies, Hale briefly worked with Fred Partridge, an acclaimed jeweler and enameler in London. However, his aspirations soon called him back to the United States, where he sought to blend European techniques with his own artistic vision.

In 1907, Hale returned to Boston and opened his own studio, marking the start of a prolific career in handcrafted jewelry. He became an influential member of the Boston Society of Arts and Crafts, earning the title of Master Craftsman in just one year. Hale's pieces, characterized by their vibrant colored gemstones, intricate enameling, and exquisite craftsmanship, showcased his ability to integrate natural motifs like flowers and scrolls into wearable art. His innovative designs, often blending precious and semi-precious stones, set new standards for American jewelry.

“Never duplicating, [Hale] has rearranged and developed his work so that it has become more highly organized in every respect. This development has come through a careful consideration of the stones employed, their shape, their form and color; whether they should appear in brooch, or pendant or ring; what quality or quantity of metal should surround them to give them their full value.” — Edward Robinson, former Director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The American Magazine of Art, April 1923

Hale's influence extended beyond his own creations. He mentored several notable jewelers, including Edward Everett Oakes, who carried forward the ideals of the Arts & Crafts Movement. Hale also played a pivotal role in defining the “Boston Look,” a style renowned for its bold colors, fine enamels, and delicate settings. His dedication to handcrafted artistry stood in stark contrast to the mass production of the time. He even made his own decorative wires, underscoring his commitment to every aspect of his craft.

Throughout his career, Hale championed the values of the Arts & Crafts Movement, not only with his jewelry itself but also through his advocacy. He lectured widely on the importance of handcrafted over machine-made jewelry, emphasizing the creative freedom and personal touch that distinguished the craftsman's work. In 1930, he founded the Marblehead Arts Association, further cementing his legacy as a leader in American decorative arts. Hale's life and work remain a testament to the timeless appeal of artistry and craftsmanship, even decades after his passing in 1945.

David Jonathan Bromer spent his childhood a block from the ocean in Miami Beach; I grew up 1,500 miles north, also a block from the ocean, in Winthrop, Massachusetts. We met through a mutual friend when David was a junior at M.I.T. and I was a sophomore at Emerson College. At nineteen years old each, we were certain we would be happy together, so we married in 1962. David completed his doctorate degree at M.I.T. in metallurgy and worked in the field of science for ten years. We dabbled in collecting and selling rare books as a hobby until we were able to fulfill our dreams and become full-time antiquarian booksellers. 

In 1980, David and I moved our antiquarian book business, operating under the name of Bromer Booksellers, to Copley Square, Boston. We specialized in “The Book Beautiful,” as coined by T.J. Cobden-Sanderson in his 1900 publication, The Ideal Book. All the elements of creating the ideal book, from text to handmade paper, illustrations, calligraphy, and binding, unified to form a beautiful book. Book design of the Arts & Crafts period, c. 1895-1915, especially captured our interest. In 1993, we were gifted a small estate of gemstone jewelry from David's family, which had us thinking about the link between book designers and well-designed jewelry.

In 1993, we were gifted a small estate of gemstone jewelry from David’s family, which had us thinking about the link between book designers and well-designed jewelry.

British book designers led the way in creating handmade books distinguished by good typography, design, and materials, and several of them were also jewelry designers. Charles Robert Ashbee, printer at the Essex House Press in the Cotswolds, England, was the first book designer to cross over into jewelry. His private press books were exquisite works of art, some printed on natural calfskin called vellum. We were able to purchase one of his rare peacock necklaces executed at the Guild of Handicraft in Chipping Camden and designed by Ashbee. 

Arthur and Georgie Gaskin were known for their illustrations in children’s books as well as Arthur’s beautiful drawings for one book printed by William Morris at the Kelmscott Press. The husband-and-wife team began working together at the turn-of-the-century to create foliate necklaces that are festooned with wire and semi-precious stones. When Arthur died in 1928, Georgie continued making beautiful necklaces on her own.

In June 1997 I wrote “Three British Book Designers and their Arts & Crafts Jewelry” for Antiquarian Book Monthly. By then we were expanding our collecting vision to include representative pieces from designers further afield than the British Isles. We were seeking variety with excellent design and materials and eventually added pieces from France, Germany, Austria, Spain, America, Denmark, and Russia.

Our jewelry has been photographed in major jewelry references and exhibited at the Driehaus Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the Forbes Galleries, New York. 

Our collection largely focused on necklaces, pendants, and brooches, with a bracelet and several rings included. The necklaces are presented in silver and gold; some with enameling and the French examples with plique-à-jour. A variety of precious and semi-precious stones were used as well as crystal and paste. Several are in their original boxes, and most are signed or verified as to the maker. Our jewelry has been photographed in major jewelry references and exhibited at the Driehaus Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the Forbes Galleries, New York. 

Art Nouveau, the new art, was an integral component of modernism. Whether it was labeled Arts & Crafts in Britain, Jugendstil in Germany, Wiener Werkstätte in Austria, it was revolutionary in accenting fine design and the elements of care in producing fine, handmade objects. Nature and female forms are thematic in the jewelry. Flowers, leaves, and insects—all are incorporated in pieces, as is the birth of Venus from a diamond studded starfish and a green enameled mermaid with a golden thread.

Art Nouveau, the new art, was an integral component of modernism. Whether it was labeled Arts & Crafts in Britain, Jugendstil in Germany, Wiener Werkstätte in Austria, it was revolutionary in accenting fine design and the elements of care in producing fine, handmade objects.

When I lost David in 2021, I continued to buy a few pieces, but the partnership for the hunt and then the enjoyment of ownership was no longer possible. It is the season now to bid adieu to these incredible pieces of jewelry, all of which I have loved and most of which I took pleasure in wearing at least once. I am delighted to have the collection offered in an open auction for others to appreciate.