Walter Lampl (1895-1945) founded the company of the same name in 1921 in New York City at 20 W. 47th St with his brother Joseph. Noteworthy, Walter was no newcomer to the jewelry business and knew the entire process from production to management and sales.

Thus, up until the opening of his company, he worked as a sales representative at the jewelry company The Deman Chain Mfg. Co., 16 W. 34th St. He also periodically served as president in the office and at the factory, during Deman’s travels or absences.

Interestingly, some of Walter’s jewelry was created and designed by his wife Sylvia Lichtenberg-Lampl. For example, heart charms with birthstones and enamel-painted flowers. In the late 1930s and 1940s, his factory employed Jewish families who had managed to leave Germany and escape the Holocaust thanks to Walter.

A year before his passing, Walter founded the Walburt brand, which he named after his two sons Walter Jr. and Burt. There is a separate article on the site dedicated to this brand.

They say that all the newspaper boys in New York loved Walter, because in the cold weather he bought up all the newspapers. In fact, he remembered his own childhood, when he himself froze, selling newspapers on the street. Unfortunately, Walter lived only 50 years. He died suddenly December 24th at the Hotel Shelton, New York, where he was host at a Christmas party for his employees.

Walter Lampl Jewelry Company History

Although the son of Walter Lampl and Sylvia, Walter Lampl Jr studied in the Manlius Military Academy, his father taught him all the ins and outs of the company. He also accompanied his father on trips abroad to purchase stones.

During World War II he joined the US Army. It is important to note that Lieutenant Lampl, as a member of the army’s judicial panel, was present at the Nuremberg Trials in Germany. Honorably discharged from the US Army in 1945, he joined the company, immediately taking over after the death of his father.

Walter loved mechanisms and created unique tiny charms in the form of various devices, from a film projector and barrel organs to miniature of the Bible and a country church. Thus, Walter introduced the trend for mechanics in articulated jewelry. These exquisite examples of jewelers’ craftsmanship, containing varied views of microscopic size, clear in every detail.

In the 1930s, Walter Lampl, Jr introduced a line of colorful scarab jewelry in 1/20th to 12th karat gold, which was a big hit. The scarab jewelry was cut from clear crystal, green onyx, lapis lazuli, red carnelian, and yellow tiger’s eye and set in gold.

In June 1959 Walter Lampl, Jr founded a new firm – General Charms, Inc., at the 48 W. 48th St. building. According to his announcement, he dissolved his partnership in Walter Lampl, New York charms maker. General Charms, of which Lampl was president, manufactured 14 K gold and sterling silver charms and bracelets from new plant facilities in Attleboro, Mass.

Walter Lampl jewelry and ads