The Paul Podolsky archive
The Podolsky Archive was donated to the Archive by Paul Podolsky, a liveryman of the Goldsmiths’ Company with a career in jewellery spanning over 70 years. Over the course of his career he worked at the bench, as a designer and as an executive, dedicating himself to the company set up by his father Eyna Podolsky. The Podolsky Archive is an excellent example of a manufacturer’s archive, recording all aspects of jewellery craft and trade; from design, to the promotion and sale of wares. Spanning from 1920-2010, the series also offers insight into the resilience of the trade and the evolution of style across the decades. The majority of its design drawings date from the 1920s and 1930s, making it a rich resource for those researching the Art Deco style.
Eyna Podolsky, a Ukranian immigrant and the son of metalworkers, began his career with an apprenticeship with a jeweller at just 12, eventually becoming a skilled diamond mounter, setter and engraver. He was able to start his own business in London 1920 and was so successful he employed around 40 people. Originally diamond mounters and watchcase makers, the firm was first known as The British National Watch Case Co. Eyna Podolsky was the first man in Britain to go into mass production of platinum and diamond-set wrist watches, which were mainly sold to wholesalers. The company also had also had orders for other pieces of jewellery and commissions from some private clients. In total there are over 130 design drawings in the collection.
Paul Podolsky’s childhood was spent in and out of his father’s workshops, learning techniques from craftsmen long before he officially joined the firm. Despite this upbringing, Paul didn’t initially want to be a jeweller, and left school at 16 to join a commercial art studio in 1939. The outbreak of the Second World War soon closed this down, and Paul joined his father’s studio as an apprentice diamond mounter, by which time the business was thriving on its Hatton Garden premises.
The markets depressed during the war and many young jewellers joined the army, leaving an aging workforce. These gaps were supplemented by an influx of Jewish refugees to Hatton Garden leading up to the war. Like many jewellers E. Podolsky & Co. Ltd. switched to supplying for the war effort – using their small tools to create objects such as fuses.
After his own service in the army Paul Podolsky took control of the business. One of his first actions in charge was to acquire the jewellery subdivisions of Birmingham firms Blanckensee and Albion Chain who had decided to concentrate on engineering work after the war. This new venture had to pivot away from the fine work produced between the wars to produce cheaper items in 9ct gold. Many of the initial designs were drawn by Paul Podolsky himself as he was unable to afford a professional designer. It was a gamble, but his economy paid off, with the company still producing commercial jewellery well into the 1980s.
What to expect when using the Podolsky Collection
The listings for the Podolsky Archive are available on Archives Hub.
When booking your appointment with the Library, please tell us you’re researching the Podolsky Archive and let us know the kind of research you’re doing – for example, whether you are carrying out general research or trying to find the design for a specific object. If you have a specific item you would like to see, please let us know.
The material from the Archive will be brought up to the Library reading room by library staff on request.
Please note, due to the fragile nature of the archive, you will be supervised when accessing the material.
We look forward to your visit!