Silver Pieces - The Strange and Peculiar: Knowles and Mount Vernon

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?

Showing posts with label Knowles and Mount Vernon. Show all posts

Friday, January 9, 2015

How Gorham Became One of the Motherships

Over the years Gorham managed to adsorb, purchase, or make many of the smaller silver companies part the Gorham Company. Here is a chart of how they managed to get some familiar companies such as Mt. Vernon, Alvin, Durgin, Knowles, Whiting, and Woods and Hughes just to name a few, under their umbrella. Often after several years of having the smaller companies on board, Gorham would break the dies and casts of the smaller company's designs. The idea being that there was not enough demand for production of so many different patterns. The more popular patterns were kept.

I'll offer my caveat - The following is best I could do to chart out the flow. It may not be correct. The information is confusing at best coming from different sources. But it gives you an idea of how all the smaller companies ending up merging.

Monday, December 16, 2013

Angelo by Knowles and Mount Vernon

Angelo by Knowles and Mount Vernon (not to be confused with the Angelo pattern by Woods and Hughes) was introduced in 1910. The pattern has a heavy scroll type embellishment at the top of the terminal with a scroll pattern going down either side of the terminal. there is a suitable space for engraving on the terminal. There is additional scroll motif at the end of the stem.

Ice Cream Spoon (5 5/8 inches)

Large Fish Serving Knife (12 1/2 inches)

Butter Spreader (6 3/4 inches)

Friday, May 25, 2012

Horseradish Spoons (Part 3)

An additional post on Horseradish Spoons (or scoops). As you can see their bowls' vary greatly in shape and size - a neat little piece.

Old Chippendale by Alvin

French Scroll by Alvin (5 3/4 inches)

Waverly by Wallace (6 inches)

Apollo by Knowles and Mount Vernon (6 1/4 inches)

Horseradish Scoop

Friday, October 28, 2011

Pierced Nut Spoon

The regular sized Pierced Nut Spoon can easily by confused with the Pierced Bonbon Scoop. It is smaller than the Master Nut Server, but just as ornate.

Mythologique by Gorham (4 5/8 inches)

Apollo by Knowles and Mount Vernon (4 5/8 inches)

Nut Spoon

Abbottsford by International (5 1/4 inches)

H45 by Gorham (4 3/4 inches)

Hyperion by Whiting