IT'S A FAMILY TRADITION; OTTO DINGELDEIN'S WORK DISPLAYED IN NEW ORLEANS HISTORICAL MUSEUM

Cape Girardean Otto Dingeldein's family history has been displayed for all the world to see, and that suits him just fine. The 89-year-old Dingeldein comes from a family of silversmiths whose work has been displayed worldwide.

The Dingeldein tradition of silversmithing dates back to the mid-1800s. Most recently, a collection of more than 10,000 pieces of the family's work was acquired by The Historic New Orleans Collection, a museum and research center in New Orleans, La.

Included in the collection are several of Dingeldein's own pieces.

"They acquired all the things we used to use as patterns," Dingeldein said. "My brother lived in New Orleans, and we were both interested in the historical things. The museum thought the collection was noteworthy enough to exhibit."

Susan R. Laudeman of the New Orleans museum said one of the museum's galleries contains a tribute to the Dingeldeins.

"The collection is just mammoth," Laudeman said. "There are boxes and boxes of it, and it all represents some period in history."

Patterns, or molds, for the silver were produced by family members until the 1970s, Laudeman said. She said several pieces made by Dingeldein show a Dutch influence.

Some of the pieces of the collection are on display, while others are being used in the museum's catalogs.

A collection of Dingeldein's works is also on permanent display at the Jefferson Memorial Museum, part of the Missouri Historical Society in Forest Park.

The founder of the family business was Johann Siegmund, who opened his first silversmith shop in Germany in 1847. Siegmund's son, Karl Kurz, later opened his own business, which specialized in the production of antique silver.

Kurz expanded the business by producing master patterns representing several art periods. At one point, he had as many as 120 silversmiths designing and working for him.

Through marriage, the Dingeldein name became associated with the trade, and Gebruder Dingeldein opened his silversmith firm in 1868.

The tradition continued, and the skill was passed down from generation to generation. In 1927, Otto Dingeldein and his family came to America.

After working in New York and St. Louis, Dingeldein moved to Cape Girardeau. His brother, Carl, is a former resident of New Orleans.

The Otto Dingeldein Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts is given yearly to men and women whose artistic achievements have made considerable impact on the cultural enrichment of the community.

The award, given by the Southeast Missouri Council on the Arts, was first given to Dingeldein in 1975.