Christian Dell (24 February 1893 – 18 July 1974) was a German silversmith. [1] [2]
Dell was born in Offenbach am Main in Hesse. From 1907 to 1911 he completed the silver forging studies at the academy. In 1912-13 he studied at the Saxon college of arts and crafts in Weimar. From 1922 to 1925 he worked as a foreman of the metal workshop at the Bauhaus in Weimar. In 1926 he changed to the Frankfurt art school ( Städelschule). The Nazi Party did not allow him to stay there in 1933, but Walter Gropius offered him a job in the United States. However, Dell decided to remain in Germany. [3]
After World War II, Dell manufactured silver goods and opened a jewellery shop in Wiesbaden in 1948, which he operated until 1955. He died in Wiesbaden in 1974.
Beginning in 1926 Dell sketched lights, at first for the New Frankfurt-project. As an early industrial designer and pioneer of plastic design, Dell used bakelite and aminoplastics as materials for his works for Molitor-Zweckleuchten in 1929–30. Well known are the lights for the lamp factory Gebr. Kaiser & Co. in Neheim Hüsten beginning in 1933–34, which were produced in large quantities. [4] The Kaiser Idell brand and production of lamps are owned by the Danish design company Fritz Hansen