Hans Jørgen Thorvald Christensen (1924–1983) was a Danish-born American master silversmith, metalsmith, jeweler, designer, and educator. In the second half of the 20th century, he was a major contributor to handcrafted silver design in the United States. Christensen taught at

Rochester Institute of Technology The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) is a private university, private research university in Henrietta, New York, a suburb of Rochester, New York, Rochester. It was founded in 1829. It is one of only two institute of technology, institut ...

for many years and held the Charlotte Fredericks Mowris Professorship in Contemporary Crafts. In 1979, he was honored as a Fellow of the

American Craft Council The American Craft Council (ACC) is a national non-profit organization that champions craft based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Founded in 1943 by Aileen Osborn Webb, the council hosts national craft shows and conferences, publishes a quarterly m ...

. He is the namesake of the

Society of American Silversmiths The Society of American Silversmiths (SAS) is an American arts organization, founded in April 1989 and headquartered in Rhode Island. It is the nation's only professional organization devoted solely to the preservation and promotion of contemporary ...

' ''Hans Christensen Sterling Silversmith's Award.''

Early life and education

Hans Jørgen Thorvald Christensen was born on January 21, 1924, in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

, to parents Valborg (née Makkenbol) and Holger Christensen. He attended the Tegne- og Kunstindustriskolen (English: Arts and Crafts School; now known as Danmarks Designskole) in Copenhagen and the National School for Arts and Crafts (Norwegian: Statens håndverks- og kunstindustriskole; now known as

Norwegian National Academy of Craft and Art Industry The National College of Art and Design () was established in 1818. In 1996, the National College of Art and Design became part of Oslo National Academy of the Arts (''Kunsthøgskolen i Oslo'', KHiO), along with the Norwegian National Academy of ...

) in

Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...

Career

Christensen started his career early in 1939, when he worked at Georg Jensen Sølvsmedie (English: Georg Jensen Silversmithy), lasted there for 10 years. In 1944, he completed his basic apprenticeship with a journeyman’s project. Christensen created a notable silver tea pot, which received two silver medallion awards from King Frederik IX of Denmark. In 1954, Christensen immigrated to the United States to teach metalsmithing and jewelry making at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in Rochester, New York.

John Prip John Axel Prip, also known as Jack Prip (1922–2009), was an American master metalsmith, industrial designer, and educator. He was known for setting standards of excellence in American metalsmithing. His works and designs have become famous for ...

had recommended Christensen for the job role. Christensen worked at RIT until his death in 1983. He had many notable students, including silversmith William Nicholas Frederick (1921–2012). He died in a car accident on January 16, 1983, in

Henrietta Henrietta may refer to: * Henrietta (given name), a feminine given name, derived from the male name Henry Places * Henrietta Island in the Arctic Ocean * Henrietta, Mauritius * Henrietta, Tasmania, a locality in Australia United States * Hen ...

, New York. Christensen's work can be found in various collections including the

Vatican Museums The Vatican Museums (; ) are the public museums of the Vatican City. They display works from the immense collection amassed by the Catholic Church and the papacy throughout the centuries, including several of the best-known Roman sculptures and ...

papal art collection, and in multiple collections for European royal families.

Personal life

From 1953 to 1965, Christensen was married to Astrid Elizabeth "Betten" Sandum. From 1968 until 1983, the time of his death, Christensen was married to Elizabeth "Els" Meijer.

References

External links

Hans Christensen papers, 1924-1989, bulk 1955-1983

Archives of American Art The Archives of American Art is the largest collection of primary resources documenting the history of the visual arts in the United States. More than 20 million items of original material are housed in the Archives' research centers in Washing ...

, Smithsonian Institution {{DEFAULTSORT:Christensen, Hans 1924 births 1983 deaths Road incident deaths in New York (state) Danish emigrants to the United States American metalsmiths American silversmiths Danish silversmiths 20th-century Danish metalsmiths Rochester Institute of Technology faculty Danmarks Designskole Artists from Rochester, New York Artists from Copenhagen