Pabst Mansion

Forged Lighting and Candlesticks by Dan Nauman

Selected forged lighting, designewd and created by Dan Nauman.  However, the Pabst chandelier above, and the two wall sconces below, are reproductions of work originally made for the mansion, but removed by former owners over the years. The originals were made by Austiran born master blacksmith, Cyril Colnik (1871-1958).

Colnik Grille Restoration

In 2008, I had the privilege to restore a very large window grille made by master blacksmith Cyril Colnik. The grille belongs to the “Captain Frederick Pabst Mansion” and is situated on the northern exterior of the building. It measures 66″ x 99″. The approximate age of the grille is

Cyril Colnik Outdoor Ironwork II

Once again we shall visit the ironwork of master blacksmith Cyril Colnik (1871-1958.) Note to my readers: To enlarge an image, simply click on the desired image. The image above is a mailbox made for Maria Pabst, wife of the famed Milwaukee beer baron Captain Frederick Pabst. This piece is

Evolution of a Chandelier

“Reproduction Chandelier” , 2004, mild steel, black Gilders paste finish Two of the installations in this blog have dealt with repoussé elements applied to a reproduction of a Cyril Colnik chandelier, made for the “Captain Frederick Pabst Mansion” back in 2004. (See above image.) In this installment, I would like

Repoussé….The Process of “Sinking”

“Candlestick 2005.” 6 1/2″ x 12″, mild steel, black Gilders Paste finish. Photo by George Lottermoser. There are different processes of repoussé, as explained in an earlier discussion here. Today we will take a closer look at the process of sinking. The below-story board shows the development of a bobeche,

French Repoussé: Leaf Development

French repoussé, also called “hammer and stake raising”, is one of several repoussé processes. This method utilizes several small raising hammers, that lightly strike the sheet metal over various stake forms held in a vise. Another process involves “sinking”, by using various punch-like forms to force the sheet metal into