17758. Harry St John Dixon – Dirk van Erp Hammered Copper Marquetry Inlaid Puzzle Box 1932. Signed with open-box, San Francisco mark. Excellent new patina. 12″w x 7.25″d x 5.5″h SOLD
Harry St John Dixon (1890-1967) brother of the famous Western Artist Maynard Dixon was born in Fresno, CA June 22, 1890. Dixon was introduced to Dirk van Erp by his brother Maynard at the Idora Park Arts & Crafts Exhibition in October of 1908. After taking a 90 hour course in metalwork at the California College of Arts & Crafts in the Spring of 1909, Dixon went to work for Dirk van Erp in Oakland. He continued to work for van Erp until May 1911. From 1912 until 1917 Dixon worked for Lillian Palmer in San Francisco.
In 1920 Dixon opened up his own shop in San Francisco off of Union Square on Tillman Alley. In his 1964 interview Harry Dixon commented on the closing of his shop” “Then, as for so many others in 1929, something happened and in 1932 I got chucked out of the shop I had been in for 12 years. But it was all right. I had lots and lots of company. So, in the thirties, I had a few orders left after I had to get out of my shop. I went back to my friends, the van Erps, and worked in their shop, doing my work and paying them a percentage of my take.”
This rare box was made by Dixon while working at the Dirk van Erp Studio in 1932.
