Multnomah County OR Archives Biographies.....Andrae, Oswald ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/or/orfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Ila Wakley iwakley@msn.com January 23, 2011, 3:10 pm Source: History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea, Vol. III, Published 1928, Pages 754 - 757 Author: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company OSWALD ANDRAE is treasurer of the firm of Nitschke & Andrae of Portland, whose business card designates them as "modelers, carvers and plaster decorators." It does not state, however, that the general public knows that this firm occupies a position of leadership in its particular field and that specimens of its superior workmanship are seen in some of the finest structures of the northwest. Mr. Andrae has been a resident of Portland since 1907. He was born at Dresden, Germany, a son of Karl Wilhelm and Amalie Andrae. The father died in Germany in 1908 and the mother's death occurred during the World war period. The son, Oswald Andrae, pursued his education in the schools of his native land and there took up the study of architectural sculpturing, developing a high degree of efficiency in that field. In August, 1899, he crossed the Atlantic with San Francisco as his destination and there worked for a year, after which he returned to Germany for his family, consisting of wife and daughter. He had married in that country Miss Elizabeth Lehmann, a daughter of Traugott and Johanna Lehmann. Her father died in Germany, but her mother passed away in Portland in December, 1927, at the advanced age of eighty-eight years. To Mr. and Mrs. Andrae in Germany was born a daughter, Gertrude, who is now the wife of Eric Hopson, of Portland, and has one son, Clifford. When Mr. Andrae brought his wife and daughter to the new world he again went to San Francisco, where he became associated with the firm of Riley & Company, engaged in the same line of work in which he had formerly been active and doing wood carving as well. He continued with that firm until the earthquake of 1906, at which time the business was discontinued. Mr. Andrae was afterward employed by leading building concerns for about six months, after which he was employed as modeler on the big Casino on the sea at Santa Cruz, California. Later he came to Portland and he has since been actively associated with architectural art work in this city, being now treasurer of the firm of Nitschke & Andrae, which is a corporation of which T. G. Schmidt is now president, although inactive, and Robert Nitschke is secre¬tary. The business was established in 1906, under the firm style of Senn & Nitschke, but in the following year Mr. Senn withdrew and Mr. Nitschke was joined by Mr. Andrae under the present firm style. The business has since been incorporated and is today one of the oldest in this line in the northwest. The company manufactures art stone and plaster of Paris decorations for residences, public buildings, theaters, hotels and other structures. Their business is architectural sculpturing, which they do in plaster of Paris, stone and other materials, and their fine workmanship is seen on the courthouse, the Benson Hotel, the Meier & Frank building, the Lipman, Wolfe & Company building, the library building, part of the United States Bank building, Bidell building, Congress Hotel and other of the most attractive structures of the city. The company has its headquarters at 309 East Eleventh street, in a building forty- five by sixty-eight feet, containing thousands of specimens of their art. Some of their plaster models are of immense proportions and others exceedingly small, and they are prepared to execute any kind of an order in their line. Formerly they made much ornamental garden furniture which was shipped to all parts of Oregon and to adjoining states, but they are now confining their attention to ornamental work for buildings. The company purchased its present place in 1911 and its work is made from designs of their own or from delivered plans. The forms of the models are all made by hand in clay plaster and a mold is then executed, after which the work is cast. Employment is furnished to from four to ten men and the business, steadily growing through all the years, is now one of extensive and gratifying proportions. Mr. Andrae is most skillful in this field, having developed his native powers and talents to a point of efficiency which places him second to none in this line of effort. Photo: http://www.usgwarchives.net/or/multnomah/photos/bios/andrae1400gbs.jpg File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/or/multnomah/bios/andrae1400gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/orfiles/ File size: 4.9 Kb