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Making It At The Smithsonian, Walter Angst

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

Once I had a job at the Smithsonian Institution, I had to wait a whole year until my position opened, in January of 1968, and even then my position had first to be approved by Congress as at that time there was a hiring-freeze. I got hired as a "specialist for restoration" with Exhibits. We were a department of two people out of about 800. In order to justify my grade, I passed a mid-level exam, which was rather tough, as it was meant to be administered to generals, admirals, high level administrators, and Ph.Ds. Gordon, my supervisor, had difficulties …

Growing Up

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

I was born in Zlirich, right after the First World War, on October 16, 1919. I basically grew up as an only child, because my sister Irma is six years younger. My early childhood memories are happy ones. I remember all kinds of adventures with a band of other, mostly older children, involving such stunts as illegally riding down the rails into an immense clay pit in open rollingtrucks. It is a wonder we survived unscathed.

Enduring Apprenticeships, Walter Angst

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

Since I was two years older than my school chums and knew that I could not afford to go on to higher education, I quit secondary school after the second year. My dream was to become a graphic artist, devising posters. My father was afraid for me: if I would indulge in an artist's life, I surely would go to pot! He proposed instead that I learn the trade of a barber or, as a concession, a cabinet-maker. Consequently, I was apprenticed to a master cabinetmaker who promptly dismissed me after a few weeks as being too weak. After a …

Gaining A Measure Of Success, Walter Angst

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

In the spring of 1943, I was able to win a job with a large firm at the Zlirich branch of the "Therma" company. The main plant was in Schwanden, Canton Glarus, and produced electrical bakery ovens, household stoves, as well as refrigerators and air conditioning systems. I was hired as a heliographist, for the copying of technical drawings. Very soon I advanced phenomenally within the firm and for eight years I worked in various positions. I served in the office of chief engineer, kept the time-clock records, did the payroll, supervised the travels of the service personnel, and administered …

Moving To The United States, Walter Angst

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

In July of 1951, I emigrated with my family to the United States. Today, I shudder when I think of our daring decision to abandon all familiar life, to bundle up two babies and a few belongings, and to trust our luck in a strange country. After all, I had only a vague promise of a job as cabinet-maker, only rudimentary knowledge of English, no money to speak of, and no prospect of getting help from anyone. Why did I change continent, language, culture, profession, home, and leave friends and relatives? The question has often been asked of me. Usually, …

Getting Re-Established, Walter Angst

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

My very first job was with a cabinet-maker called Marx, who had a tiny shop on 6th and K streets in Washington, D.C. He had three other young fellows working for him, one of whom spoke French. He could explain things to me. But coming from precision-minded Switzerland, I was not used to the sloppy ways these guys were doing cabinet work. And when I witnessed how they felt perfectly at ease banging an actual nail between the fence on a circular saw and the body of its grooved (metal) table, I was horrified. After three days I quit.

New Heraldic Creations And My Fourteen-Point Ethical Code, Walter Angst

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

Most of my contemporaries have many misconceptions about all things heraldic. Most people - if they even know what we are talking about - consider heraldic designs disdainfully as pretentious, superfluous, even silly, or at best arcane frills having to do with royalty. They are wrong. Armorial bearings are an expression of such things as sovereignty, of individuality, of beauty, of sagas, history, past glories and civic achievements. Just fancy our villages and resort places back-home: how poor would they be if they could not display their panoply of colorful community flags fluttering in the alpine breeze. Even here in …

List Of Publications By Walter Angst, Walter Angst

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

1. "Heraldry in a Republic," The Augustan, Book Two (1973): 183-184.

2. "Heraldic Plan for Redesign of the State Flags," Smithsonian 4, No. 4 (1973): 18-25.

3. "Sovereignty, Identity, Morality," The Augustan, Book Five (1974): 638-639.

Samples Of Walter Angst's Heraldic Creations *

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

* These illustrations are inadequate black and white reproductions of some of the splendidly colored pictures that appeared in the Smithsonian 4 (July 1973): 22, 23, 24.