Silver Pieces - The Strange and Peculiar: 2015-01-25

The Story Behind this Blog

Being from the South, Silver is a very big part of my life. It doesn't have anything to do with wealth. Although those with more money - old money, tend to have more of it. New money tend not to spend their money on Silver. They do not have the appreciation for the warmth of the metal, the beauty of the patina, the story it tells of the generations past who have used it. A true southern girl comes of age when she chooses her silver pattern, long before she chooses her mate. If she is smart, she chooses that of her mother, grandmother, or favorite great aunt who in their benevolence will pass their silver on to her. It is the pieces in those sets, the pieces on our tables, along with the pieces we find in the corners of the displays in antique stores that prompted me to start this blog. They are beautiful, they are odd, but what are they, and what in the hell do you do with them?

Friday, January 30, 2015

Damascus by Frank Whiting

Like many patterns of the height of the Victorian period, Damascus by Frank Whiting (1894) exhibits a strong design with the curled leaves around the stem and terminal, yet has a few blossoms in the stem to maintain the femininity.

Sugar Spoon (5 5/8 inches)

Olive Fork (6 1/4 inches)

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

The Gorham Corporation, Its Sterling Division and its Markings

What is now The Gorham Corporation dates back to 1831 when Jabez Gorham founded it in Providence, Rhode Island. And in the years following it has been the choice of Mary Todd Lincoln, its pattern Chantilly is used on Air Force One, and it has successfully bought, merged with, or absorbed many of its smaller competitors to become one of the largest sterling silver flatware companies around at one time.

If you ever question whether or not a piece of flatware is a Gorham pattern, look for the markings. Below are the markings they have used over the years. Of course you may have a piece from a company they acquired, years before it was "gobbled by Gorham".

Some of these companies include: Mt. Vernon, Roger Williams Silver, Whiting, William B. Durgin, Alvin (which remained a separate entity), McChesney, Quaker Silver Co., Friedman Silver Co., and Graff, Washbourne, and Dunn. In 2005 The Gorham Company was sold to Lenox. Then 2007 Lifetime Brands acquired Gorham's Sterling Silver division.

And through it all, its most popular pattern has remained Chantilly.

Monday, January 26, 2015

Floral Series #7 by Watson

Watson's Floral Series #7 is yet another open design. This one is unique in that the open design continues as it tapers down the stem. I could only find references to Teaspoons and Fruit/Orange Spoons in this pattern. However, there are an abundance of different flowers represented.

They include:Apple Blossom, Buttercup, Calla Lily, Carnation, Clover, Chrysanthemum, Columbine,Forget Me Not, Fuchsia, Golden Rod, Holly, Hops, Iris, Jessamine, Lily of the Valley, Narcissus, Pansy, Passion Flower, Pond Lily, Poppy, Rose, Snow Drop, Sweet Clover, Sweet Pea, Violet, Wild Rose.

Teaspoon