As a child, Jebb Anderson had wanted to make armor—as in knights-in-shining. At age 17, he began restoring antique cars and later became an industrial tech teacher. “All the while, my mom and dad had brought me up with turn-of-the-century furniture and lighting and shared their passion for it.”
About 10 years ago Anderson took a replica of a 1908 Art Nouveau copper boudoir light he’d made to Eastwood Gallery in Saint Paul, Minnesota. To assess whether owners Brian Smith and Cameron Quintal knew their stuff, he asked them if they thought it was original or new. He was told it was a student piece and pretty good.
When he confessed that he had made the light fixture himself, Smith was so excited that he invited Anderson to make and repair period lighting and metalwork for them. “My first job was to make a lid for a Gustav Stickley humidor. Never before in my life had I gotten my hands on anything that cool.”
Anderson had learned to work metal from Art Metal with Inexpensive Equipment, by Arthur Payne, published in 1914. Soon he was making his own fixtures and exhibiting them at the annual Twin Cities Arts & Crafts show.
Working primarily in copper, in the basement of his 1892 house, Anderson begins most pieces by machining steel forms, then works the metal until it reaches the desired shape. He then planishes (hand hammers) the metal with a series of specialized hammers.
While forming, shaping, and planishing the metal are equally labor intensive, patination, he says, is the most “hair pulling” part of the process. The chemical mixture, humidity, and temperature all affect the results. “The goal is to do the patina enough to get it as consistent as possible at every step,” Anderson explains. “If the finish is not done right, the piece won’t sell. It’s the most rewarding thing when a piece turns out the way you want it.”
JEBB ANDERSON
Anderson Art Metal
Anoka, Minnesota
(651) 695-1902
eastwoodgallery.com/about-aam
Mary Ellen Polson is a creative content editor and technical writer with over 20 years experience producing heavily illustrated know how and service journalism articles, full-length books, product copy, tips, Q&As, etc., on home renovation, design, and outdoor spaces.
