Small town, big city

When Susie, a friend who grew up in San Antonio but now lives in Dallas, contacted me to see if Isaac Maxwell Metals was still in business, I contacted another friend, Mary, whose husband had worked with the famed architect O’Neil Ford. Ford hired Maxwell, also an architect, to design light fixtures and other ornamentation to enhance his buildings.

Mary said that local attorney Mike Casey had helped master craftsman Gregorio “Goyo” Rebollar continue his craft after Maxwell’s death in 1998 and that Goyo and his family were still producing the pierced copper pieces that adorn many San Antonio landmarks, like the Tower of the Americas, and private homes.

West Side studio

Susie was interested in commissioning Goyo and his team to create door pulls for her new kitchen cabinets, so we took a field trip to his workshop, now located near St. Mary’s University, to review possibilities. I’ve been a fan of Maxwell’s work since I moved to San Antonio in 1979, so I was delighted to tag along with Susie and her sister.

Goyo’s grandson, Abel, and his daughter, Judith, gave us a tour and showed us a photo album filled with examples of their work: ceiling pendants, wall sconces, candle holders, lamps, mirrors, home address numbers and more!

The stars at night…

The works are beautiful in their own right, but the real magic takes place when a light is placed in their interior. When illuminated, the vessels sparkle and cast shadows that are celestial. Yes, you may have stars inside of your home!

The process to create these works of art is labor intensive. Goyo has been at it since 1978, and his grandson and others are continuing the tradition. Besides all of the piercing, they solder silver onto the copper one drop at a time. Hours and hours go into each piece.

San Antonio at its best

Take a look at this video by Vogt Auction Galleries to learn even more about the works of Isaac Maxwell and his team. To schedule your own visit to their workshop, call Judith at (210) 724-9403.

Denise Barkis Richter, Ph.D., author of “San Antonio’s Passport to Fun,” has been blogging about San Antonio since June of 2010. Follow her at facebook.com/SanAntonioTourist so that you’ll never miss a post. Her love affair with the Alamo City began at Hemisfair in 1968. She moved to San Antonio in 1979 as an 18-year-old college student, and San Antonio has been her home ever since. Denise completed certification to become a professional tour guide in 2019. Please contact her at sanantoniotourist at gmail dot com if you’d like for her to curate a fabulous San Antonio experience for you!