In order to celebrate the rich history of JCK and the people, places, and events that have helped keep it thriving through decades, we’re resurrecting some of our favorite moments from a past issue every other Friday, starting with April 1955.
Today, we dig deep into our archives to give you five jewels of an April past, including jewelers using lawn mowers, buried cars in snow drifts, and the reveal of 1955’s oldest subscriber.
She’s at Home with Watches and Mowers
From watches to power-mowers might be too great a contrast for most women, but Ann Maron, owner of Time Mart, River Edge N.J., is equally at home with both.
At her shop, which specializes in watch and clock repairing, Ann works at her bench on the tiniest watch movements. When the grass at home gets too high, she dons a pair of workman’s gloves and uses the five horsepower mower shown in the accompanying photo.
Who said a woman’s place is in the kitchen?
Sales and Office Staff Win Goldsmith Trophy
In the annual bowling tournament conducted by personnel at the Goldsmith Bro. Smelting & Refining Co., the office and sales bowling teams outclassed the plan teams by a safe margin of 262 pins. Members of the winning teams (shown above) are now the proud possessors of the Goldsmith Bros. bowling trophy for the 1954 season.
Snowed In
Phil Weber of Mahar & Engstrom, Jewelers Building, reports that while in Houlton, Maine, on Feb. 24, 102 inches of snow completely buried his car just outside the hotel. Fortunately he had a shovel along, and was able to dig out of the drift.
JCK‘s Oldest Subscriber
Are you our oldest subscriber? Leading candidate for this honor is John G. Johnson, Puyallup, Washington, jeweler. He has subscribed to both the Jeweler’s Circular and the Keystone (combined as JC-K in the 1930’s) for over 50 years.
Mr. Johnson is unusually suited to be our oldest subscriber. With four sons associated with the industry, he has a “jewelry family.” His oldest son, is in the jewelry business in Montana, another is with Hamilton Watch Co., a third is with him in the Puyallup store and the fourth is also connected with the jewelry industry.
Perhaps one of our readers can top this subscriber’s record. Let us know with a few words about yourself and your connection with the industry.
Construction Started on New GIA Headquarters
Construction is under way on new quarters for the Gemological Institute of America in Los Angeles. The GIA has been serving jewelers throughout the United States, Canada, and many other nations for nearly 25 years. Although it maintains the Gem Trade Laboratory in New York City and gives classes in Chicago and other cities, the Institute’s headquarters has been in Los Angeles since its inception in 1931.
Ceremonies marking the beginning of construction were attended by a number of the faculty, administrative staff, and members of the Board of Governors Finance Committee.
GIA outgrew its present quarters several years ago and the new structure has been in planning stages since then.
The new building will have approximately twice as much space for the Institute with room for construction of additional space as required. The site chosen for new Institute is considerably farther from the center of the city than the other locations in the Wilshire district. The building is being constructed on San Vincete Blvd. which is parallel to and between Sunset and Wilshire Blvds. The location is between Westwood Village and Santa Monica.
Construction plans call for completion of the new structure sometime in July with assurance that the summer classes starting July 18 will be able to utilize the classrooms in the new building.
Want to see more JCK history? Check out JCK‘s Facebook timeline for more links to the jewelry industry’s past.
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