Fleur De Lis by Durgin

There are several sterling patterns with this name. An example is Fleur de Lis by Alvin which posted on earlier. Here is Fleur de Lis by Durgin with the named design on the terminal.

Salad Fork (6 1/4 inches)



Butter Spreader (5 3/8 inches)



Pap/Fruit Spoon (5 3/4 inches)

Pap Spoons 2

Another post on Pap Spoons, a piece found in few patterns.

Lily by Whiting (6 3/8 inches)

Maryland by Alvin (5 3/4 inches)

Louis XV by Durgin (5 7/8 inches)

Hyperion by Whiting (6 inches)

Tea Infuser Part 2

I have posted on the Tea Infuser, also referred to as the "Tea Ball Spoon" in an earlier post. This piece is used as we today use a tea bag. For those who still prefer to use loose tea, this is you utensil for a cup of hot tea.

Chantilly by Gorham

Wave Edge by Tiffany

Wreath by Gorham

Salem Witch by Gorham - Revisited

I first posted on this pattern in 2012. It is such a unique pattern, I am re-posting it.  

The Salem Witch pattern was designed in 1892 by Daniel Low for Gorham on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the Salem Witch trials. This was the second, more detailed "Salem Witch" design he created.

Teaspoon (5 7/8 inches)

Durgin (which later was sold to Gorham) in 1880 introduced the earlier, less intricate Salem Witch pattern also designed by Daniel Low.  

 

Honeysuckle by Durgin

Durgin introduced their Honeysuckle pattern in 1886. 

Sugar Shell (5 7/8 inches)

Large Casserole Spoon (9 1/4 inches)

English Rose by Durgin

Durgin's Enlgish Rose pattern only dates back to 1955. However, it is the same pattern as Alvin's and Gorham's Cambridge pattern that dates back 1899.

Iced Teaspoon (7 5/8 inches)

Pickle Fork (5 5/8 inches)

Sugar Spoon (5 7/8 inches)

Dinner Knife (HH) (9 inches)

Ivy League Patterns

I'm not sure if these patterns were named in honor of the Ivy League schools sharing the same name. In doing some research I was able to find patterns named after 4 of the original 6 colleges. I could not find a pattern for Princeton or Brown, And the Yale pattern is not sterling but silver plate. (Although, in all fairness, the silver plate of 1894 is very heavy and has much more sterling in its mix than plate of later years.)

Durgin introduced their Dartmouth pattern in 1917.




Mount Vernon's Harvard pattern dates back to 1914.




Mount Vernon's Princeton pattern was introduced in 1915.




Yale is a silver plate pattern by International that dates back to 1894.

Pap Spoons

A Pap Spoon is an odd piece found in many sterling patterns. It was designed for feeding invalids pap, a soft food made from ground wheat.  Sometimes it will be referred to as a "Fruit Spoon". 

Roger Williams by Baker Manchester (5 1/2 inches)




Neapolitan-Kings Court by Frank Whiting (5 7/8 inches)


Iris by Durgin  (6 1/4 inches)






St James by Tiffany (6 inches)

Sterling Silver Flatware and the White House

If you ever get invited to dine at the White House you would expect to have sterling flatware at your place - well not so much now. (But I'll get back to that later.) 

In the 1860's Mary Todd Lincoln chose the Josephine pattern by Gorham (1855) to use at the White House for entertaining.  

Mrs. Grover Cleveland (in the the mid to late 1880's) selected the most formal sterling pattern used at the White House. It was a vermeil pattern (I do not have the pattern's name) by Durgin. The pattern was made with gold inlayed on the silver, with the engraved eagle and beaded edge.  The knives had mother of pearl handles.  This pattern continued to be used for State Dinners through the Obama administration. (And I assume for the first State Dinner of the Trump administration.) (I could not find a good example to show here.)

During the Coolidge administration (1926), the White House adopted Minuet (1925) by International Silver. It is a more simple design than both the vermeil or Josephine patterns.

In 1974 Pat Nixon chose the Kings Charles pattern by Gorham. This pattern was based on the original King George pattern that dated back to the 1800's. The pieces for the White House service were cast in the original 1894 casts. King Charles is a rococo design. 

While the Bushes (41) continued to use the King Charles pattern in the White House, they added Gorham's Chantilly pattern to service on Air Force One.

The Obamas tended to use the King Charles pattern for luncheons and more informal dinners. For State Dinners and more formal functions Michelle Obama chose to use the vermeil pattern.

Then we come to the current administration - the Trumps. Apparently, keeping with his "Make America Great Again" slogan, President Trump has recently committed to commissioning a new flatware service for the White House, a Liberty Tabletop Flatware pattern from the Sherrill Company. (The exact pattern has yet to be be chosen.) According to the President, the Sherrill Company manufactures the "last flatware made in the United States". However, they do not manufacturer sterling silver, nor is it silver plate. Sherrill only manufacturers stainless steal. Yes, State dinners at the White House will now feature stainless steel flatware.

Personally, I take issue with this. First, there are already several (American made) sterling silver patterns already commissioned for the White House - since the 1860's. Second, being a southern reared girl, no decent dinner table is set with stainless, much less a state dinner at the White House. But most of all, I'm not sure sure where the President got his information. Anyone can look it up and see that currently eight of the top sterling producers still manufacture all their sterling silver flatware patterns in the ol' US of A. This includes Reed & Barton, Towle, Gorham, Wallace, International, Kirk Stieff, Tuttle, and Lunt. 

Fleur de Lis by Newburyport

 Another Fleur de Lis pattern, this is Newburyport's Fleur de Lis pattern. Like Durgin's pattern of the same name it has the design of the name on the terminal, but with a beaded edge.

Lettuce Serving Fork (7 1/2 inches)






Long Handle Chocolate Muddler Spoon (7 1/8 inches)



Fork (7 3/8 inches)

Essex by Durgin

Essex is a popular sterling pattern name. I posted on Essex by Knowles and Essex by Towle earlier. The following are examples of Essex by Durgin that dates back to 1911.


Bon Bon Tongs (3 3/4 inches)




Pastry Server (8 7/8 inches)




Lemon Fork (5 1/8 inches)

Old Standish by Durgin

 Durgin introduced Old Standish in 1901. It was designed by  William B. Durgin, himself.


Butter Pick (6 3/8 inches)




Fork (7 3/4 inches)



Horseradish Serving Scoop (6 3/8 inches)

Shell by Durgin

Another old pattern by Durgin. Shell, dating back to 1890 is both a familiar name and a popular design among silver patterns.


Strawberry Fork (4 7/8 inches)



Oval Soup Spoon (7 inches)




Asparagus Serving Fork (9 1/8 inches)

Sheath of Wheat by Durgin

An old pattern dating back to 1887, Durgin's Sheaf of Wheat  was formerly known as "Tip of Sheaf".


Cream Soup Spoon (5 7/8 inches)



Individual Fish Knife (8 1/4 inches)



Salad Fork (7 1/4 inches)

Navarre by Durgin

Durgin's Navarre pattern goes back to 1909. This a very popular name among silversmiths. Lunt's Navarre dates back to1893.    Watson's Navarre dates back to 1908. I have also seen reference to a Navarre pattern by Towle, but cannot find anything else about it.

Fork (7 3/4 inches)


Bouillon Soup Spoon (5 3/8 inches)



Oyster Fork (5 1/2 inches)

Fashion Lane by Durgin

Durgin's Fashion Lane was introduced in 1955. The pattern is fairly simple with just a slight design at the edge of the terminal that ends into a lined edge down the stem.

Fork (7 1/4 inches)




Teaspoon (5 7/8 inches)