Fantastic Fixtures: A Visit to P.E. Guerin

This past January, the WPAMC Class of 2018 took our last trip together as a graduate class. We spent the week in New York City for Americana week visiting Christie’s, Sotheby’s, the Winter Antiques Show, and many of the city’s wonderful museums. However, a standout experience was our time at P.E. Guerin in Greenwich Village.

In continuous operation since 1857, P.E. Guerin is the oldest decorative hardware firm in America and the only metal foundry located in New York City. Still a thriving family-owned business, our class was able to peek behind the scenes to learn more about both the historic and modern hardware manufacturing processes.

Stepping into the foundry. Image courtesy peguerin.com [P.E. Guerin’s imposing front door – paneled wood, metal script letters, and a decorative door handle]

Our tour began in their current showroom, where our guide, manager Martin Grubman, gave us an overview of the business’s history and the types of products they make. From hinges and keyplates to drawer pulls and bathroom fixtures, we were surrounded by a treasure trove of metal manufacturing – more designs and pieces than we ever could have imagined. Martin even encouraged us to open the drawers and take out the samples of their work for a closer look.

Look at all the options! Photo by the author [P.E. Guerin’s display case crammed full with examples of their bathroom and furniture fixtures; two drawers pulled out revealing even more items]

Only a fraction of their door knobs! Photo by the author [A glass display case shows about thirty door knobs in all different gothic inspired designs]

From there we took a step back in time and explored their pattern archives. A room filled with an almost overwhelming amount of boxes, their impressive collection houses over one hundred and fifty years of history. Martin explained the mold making process and the ways they design their custom pieces, while we dug into even more drawers and boxes to discover our favorite fixtures and hardware designs. Decorative to functional and everything in between, it was an amazing chance to see the detail of their craftsmanship first hand.

An incredible archives experience. Photo by the author [Two walls of the room are filled floor to ceiling with shelves that hold small labeled boxes of molds and patterns]

Sara exploring the pattern and mold drawers. Photo by the author [Sara stands in P.E. Guerin’s archive room and holds up an eagle fixture with spread wings]

And things only got better as we travelled upstairs and were able to watch the firm’s weekly bronze pouring. We constantly examine objects in their finished form, but it is a rare occurrence to get to see them in the process of being manufactured. Their staff walked us through the pouring process, from making the molds with packed sand to the need to carve channels to help the flow of the molten metal – this was also a great refresher to last year’s metals connoisseurship block!

Martin points out the channels cut into the mold. Photo by the author [One side of a mold sits on a wooden workbench; an arm points at the deep groves cut into the mold that connects the depression of each object waiting to be cast]

The main event! Photo by author [Three of P.E. Guerin’s metalworkers use long metal poles to pour molten bronze into a series of molds laid on the floor in front of them]

We tore ourselves away to visit the rest of the factory and see more phases of the hardware manufactory in action. P.E. Guerin also houses sections for burnishing, plating, detailed carving and engraving, polishing and more. All of this is vertically integrated into a single factory building, connected by a set of stairs that have born the weight of countless steps over their long history.

The burnishing station. Photo by the author [A man holds a large blow torch over a workbench; other tools and torches hang nearby]

Three different stages of finish. Photo by the author [Closeup of three hardware pieces on a table showing three different levels of finish – unfiled, polished, and detailed]

It was surreal to know that the bustling New York streets were only just beyond the outer walls, when inside seemed a world all of its own. This visit left us with questions of how we interpret “making” in the present day and reflections on how the craftsmen at P.E. Guerin represent both a history of traditional metalcraft, but also a modern business that adapted and thrived under continually changing material and economic conditions. And I think we all left with a few more ideas about decorating our future homes as well!

The company’s name on the back of a fixture. Photo by the author [A flat bronze fixture lays face down on a table with the name P.E. Guerin impressed in the middle]

 

 

By Rachel Asbury, WPAMC Class of 2018