Lorentz Kleiser 1879-1963

Lorentz Kleiser (American 1879-1963) was born in Elgin, Illinois, of Norwegian parents. He moved to Norway at age five when his father returned there to join the family's clock business. Kleiser left school at age 13 and was apprenticed to a prominent Oslo designer when 14 years old. In 1895 he was sent to Munich to study art and design and went on to Paris prior to returning to the United States in 1900 when he was 21. For the next six years he worked for tapestry designers and decorators, first for William Baumgarten & Co. and later for Albert Herter, finally striking out on his own as a designer.

In 1902 Kleiser married Lucie Brandt -- they had one child, Helene, in 1911. In 1913 Kleiser founded Edgewater Tapestry Looms at 1913 Sterling Place, Edgewater, NJ. His studio prospered and in 1922 an Arts & Crafts style buildings were built at 690 Undercliff Ave. Edgewater, NJ, to accommodate the business. [Demolished in December 2007.] The tapestry operation remained at that location until it was closed in 1933 due to the Great Depression. Edgewater Tapestry Looms produced numerous fine tapestries some of which now are part of permanent collections in museums across the country. He was inspired by the techniques and subjects of fine European tapestry and often used classical subjects. Classical subjects gradually gave way to American tapestries for state capitals, museums, hotels, and individual collectors. Several pages of text and photographs of Edgewater Looms were featured in the "Tapestry" entry of the 12th Edition of the Encyclopedia Britannia.