Pfister and Vogel Busts
Gaetano Trentanove (1858-1937) was a prominent sculptor of his era, depicting in stone and bronze a variety of individuals who shaped Milwaukee history. Having studied in Florence, Trentanove came to Milwaukee in 1894 on the heels of exhibiting his famous work, “The Last of the Spartans”, at the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Quickly, Trentanove established a studio and was commissioned to begin producing busts for some of Milwaukee’s most prominent families. Three of these works were donated to the Society, of men who played pivotal roles in founding Milwaukee’s tanning industry.
Sculpted from hewn white Carraca marble, the busts of Guido Pfister, Frederick Vogel Jr. & Frederick Vogel Sr. (shown above) make a formidable trio when displayed side by side. Having partnered and founded the tannery in 1848, they incorporated under the name Pfister & Vogel officially, in 1872. The innovations of the founders and their successors Charles Pfister and Frederick Vogel Jr. paved the way for the firm to become one of the largest tanning companies in the Midwest. The busts were showcased in the offices of Pfister & Vogel until they were transferred to the Society’s Terrace Avenue museum. Due to the support of the Vogel family, all three busts have undergone conservation cleaning and repair, work of which Gaetano Trentanove would be proud.
