Another one of my great-aunts was a maker of hand-wrought jewelry. As the title states, she had achieved Master Craftsman status in the famed and historic Society of Arts and Crafts.

Elsie took part in making the tiny pendant shown above which is archived in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Its true size is only 3/4 inch wide x 2 inches tall and is made of gold – with sapphires and pearls, hanging on silk. 

Elsie L. Parsons was born in 1893 and, like her older sister (Ethel Parsons Paullin, the mural artist), she left her family’s farm in Ohio to attend The School of Fine Arts, Crafts & Decorative Design, Boston, Mass, which is part of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Mass.

She graduated with a 4 year degree in 1918 and was asked by one of her instructors, Edward Oakes, to join him, as an associate, in his newly formed workshop –The Edward Oakes Studio - where Elsie stayed working for the next 52 years.

The pendant shown above was purchased by the “Met” in N.Y.C in 1923. Elsie worked on it under Mr. Oakes direction and it is listed under Edward Oakes name in the museum archives. When he died in 1960 it was reported in THE PLYMOUTH RECORD that the pendant… “was considered to be a masterpiece. At that time, Mr. Oakes was the only living American Artist to have a piece of jewelry purchased and exhibited by the museum”. 

 Mr. Oakes granddaughter told me (who has continued in her grandfather’s jewelry trade) that Elsie was appreciated by Mr. Oakes for her ability to do the "very fine detail work" and that “she was very accomplished in her own right”. Besides executing Oakes designs, Elsie became known as a designer as well, even as she stayed loyal to the Oakes signature style.

 Here she is, in the earlier years of the Oakes Studio, working at her jewelry bench.

Another piece that Elsie had a hand in was the decorations on a leather-bound ‘Book of Psalms’ that is archived at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. It a gold cross with sapphires and 4 square corner medallions of the same. In her later years she paid a visit there to see her work again. You can see how lovingly she holds it here.

Elsie continued to work at the Oakes studio, even after Mr. Oakes passed on, with his son and eventually his granddaughter too. She kept making fine jewelry into her 80’s and eventually passed away at the age of 96.  Here she is working in 1971 at the age of 78.

I remember Elsie coming to visit our family in Michigan, along with Ethel and their other sister, Mildred, during their annual summer reunions which they chose to spend with us.

Elsie was always quiet and rather meek; never the slightest bit boastful. But eventually, at some point in the visit, we would all gather round her while she carefully opened a small cloth bag; unwrapping more cloth parcels, in which she had carried some of her precious work from that year.

The exquisitely fine detail of the gold, silver and platinum craftsmanship set with beautiful gems filled me with awe - like this piece shown below. I think of Elsie’s and Ethel’s legacies whenever I try to create fine detail in my own works of art.

Below, I hope you will enjoy seeing Elsie’s own ’CRAFTSMAN’S BIOGRAPHY’ as published in the late 1960’s - retyped out for you. – G.P.L.

CRAFTSMAN'S BIOGRAPHY

ELSIE L. PARSONS
Jeweler - Designer - Maker

THE EDWARD E. OAKES STUDIO
Summer address:
Paradise Road, off Route 3, North Woodstock, N. H. 03262

Winter address:
380 Albion St., Wakefield, Mass. 01880

MASTER CRAFTSMAN MEMBER
of the Society of Arts and Crafts, Boston, Mass.
Member of The League of New Hampshire Craftsmen

ART SCHOOL EDUCATION
Graduated in l9l8 from 4 year course at
The School of Fine Arts, Crafts & Decorative Design, Boston, Mass.

INSTRUCTORS

Design
C. Howard Walker, architect and lecturer on design at
Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Katherine B. Child, graduate of The School of Design,
South Kensington Museum, London, England

Jewelry Craft
Edward E. Oakes, a pupil of Josephine Hartwell Shaw

Miss Parsons was Awarded 1st prize in jewelry, a silver bowl, for 2 consecutive years

PROFESSIONAL WORK
The years from l9l8 to 1960 were spent in Boston and North Woodstock,
N. H. working with the late Edward E. Oakes, Master Craftsman. Mr. Oakes
was awarded the highest honor, Medalist, by The Society of Arts & Crafts,
Boston. During these years of collaboration with Mr. Oakes - beautiful and
unusual jewelry was made which is in private collections and The Metropolitan
Museum of Art, New York.

 From 1960 to the present time silver and gold
jewelry has been produced as previously.

Awarded. The Special Purple Ribbon, pewter bowl, and premiums, 1966,
1967 and 1968 for a collection of jewelry exhibited at The Rochester, N. H. Fair.