Alfred Gutmann A.G., First Pour Memento (1913)
| German Inscription | English Translation | |
|---|---|---|
| Gluck aut zum ersten Guss 12.9.13 | Luck for the first pouring September 12, 1913 | |
| DEN MITCLIEDERN DES V.D.E. ZUR FRDL. ERINNERUNG. EISENACH, 12.9.1913 ALFRED GUTMANN A.G. OTTENSEN-HAMBURG |
For the Members of the V.D.E. For a Friendly Memory (Reminder) Eisenach 12 September 1913 (Town in Germany oven was delivered to) Alfred Gutmann A.G. (Name of the designing company and German industrialist) Ottensen-Hamburg (Name of the Suburb in the City of Hamburg) |
Craftsmanship
This 1913 memento given to the members of the “V.D.E.” is an exact replica of an oven produced by Alfred Gutmann. I was lucky enough to find a picture of the oven on the internet, but as with a lot of content, it was taken down But when it was up, I was able to do an amazingly detailed comparison between the memento and the oven pictures and sketching. The attention to details such as the placement of the pour spouts, the cleanout in the back and even the eye brackets that held it in place are EXACT! Wow.
I have to admit I am having a heck of a time finding information on the machine now. If you have any information, please contact me!
History
Pop Quiz: The plaque is from 1913 Germany. What happened in 1914?
Answer: World War I (WW1, First World War, the Great War, etc)
Ripping off Wikipedia: World War I began on July 28, 1914 and lasted until November 11, 1918. “More than 9 million combatants and 7 million civilians died as a result of the war, a casualty rate exacerbated by the belligerents’ technological and industrial sophistication, and tactical stalemate. It was one of the deadliest conflicts in history, paving the way for major political changes, including revolutions in many of the nations involved.”
WOW. I can’t quite piece together what the equipment did, but I am pretty sure they were not making beer steins.
There is quite a bit about Alfred Gutmann out there.
“In 1885 Altona Ottensen (Hamburg), Germany, Alfred Gutmann founded an engineering works company that bore his name, Alfred Gutmann.”
What is it worth?
Ok, fine. I did find one other on German eBay that went for 700 Euro. So for those keeping score, that’s one in the win column :p
