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Photo: John Bigelow Taylor, 2007
Sam Kramer
Photo: John Bigelow Taylor, 2007
Photo: John Bigelow Taylor, 2007

Sam Kramer

United States, 1913–1964
Place of BirthPittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Place of DeathNew York, New York, United States
BiographyKramer took his first jewelry design class in high school, and continued his studies at the University of Pittsburg and the University of Southern California, where he graduated in 1936. Shortly afterwards he moved to Greenwich Village in New York City which was, at the time, the epicenter of bohemian and artistic culture. There, he opened a workshop and gallery with his wife to sell his surrealistic jewelry designs that Kramer advertised as "fantastic jewelry for people who are slightly mad." He was equally known for his eccentric personality as for his innovations in jewelry design and production.
Education: B.A., University of Southern California, 1936