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A new article for ASCAS website
Patricia F. Singer presents:
Alfred G. Kintz, a Prolific US Designer
There's growing interest in the individual designers who worked for the big US silver manufacturers in the last century. As late as 1980, many of their names were not even known. Finally, with the advent of the internet, paper patents were put online and important designers in 20th century American silver were identified.
One of the best was named Alfred G. Kintz (1884-1963), who spent his entire career at the International Silver Company, headquartered in Meriden, Connecticut. He designed both flatware and hollowware, most of it sterling. He received 45 patents for flatware alone, and designed at least as much hollowware.
Kintz could design in any style, and did during his long tenure. In the early 1920s, he produced sterling pieces in some Classical Revival patterns that are still sought after today: Trianon, Pantheon, Theseum. In the Trianon pattern, he designed flatware, tea services, bread and butter plates, and even dresser sets...
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New members
Welcome to new ASCAS members:
Tinus Beukes - South Africa
Steve Cox - USA
Peter Crem - Australia
Pru Fowles - Australia
Isabel Smith - England UK
Members' Window # 116
Maurice Meslans presents:
A very odd set of spoons
I recently purchased 6 gilt spoons from a friend without provenance. They are very unusual for a number of reasons. They seem to have elements from both French and German flatware. The maker's mark a B in a lozenge with a pellet above and two smaller pellets below looks like a typical French mark, used only on first or second standard solid silver. There is a second mark struck above and below the maker's mark. It is not French and there is no counter mark on the other side. It appears to be an animal head looking straight on with floppy ears, or perhaps a mustached man wearing a helmet in a circular cartouche....
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Janet lynne Hoets writes:
...I'd wish to have information about the marks on a silver tray I have.
Thanks in advance and kind regards,
Janet lynne Hoets
Your tray has Austrian hallmarks, see my website at http://www.silvercollection.it/dictionaryetrogbox.html.
The "A" on the Diana mark corresponds to Vienna.
The other mark is the maker's mark of Karl Wurbel (born 1853), active 1890-1913. Mayer is the retailer.
Giorgio Busetto
Judith writes:
...Thank you for making a site that shares so much of information!
The reason that i am writing is that i have a strange object by Gorham - that was meant to be a picture frame but because of the space between the glass and the un steady leg - it has turned into a mystery that I can't seem to solve. And the leg seems not able to support the frame and actually looks as if it would slot into something (it's only 9cm high).
I just wondered if you give me advice where could get more information on the piece, I don't care about the value of the object. It's just not knowing what it is that is driving me crazy.
I thought it could be also a pocket watch holder but there probably wouldn't be room for the watch in it.
I even asked 'valuemystuff.com' but the best they could say that maybe it could be a holder for a two sided mirror, that would come in a man's traveling shaving kit, but as it's so small it seems strange. But i have seen your Gorham traveling set and they have similar marks.
I attach a few photos just in case you have an idea - but if you could send me in the right direction I would be so happy.
As I said it's the mystery that's making me crazy!
Thank you
Best regards
Judith
Charlotte Tymula writes:
...I seek the origin of this punch. I think it's English, but what manufactory??
Charlotte Tymula
Dear Giorgio,
Some years ago I posed the question to you & ASCAS members about the use of what had been sold to me as a double card case but as I pointed out the four slots were much too narrow to hold a conventional visiting card. There was no answer to this query about the case, made by George W White & Co. of London in 1900.
I have just recently found the answer to something that has puzzled me since the purchase in 1987, so it has been a long time coming.
As the photo shows it is a case for holding sovereigns, both half sovereigns and sovereigns, with a capacity of 6 sovereigns and 8 half sovereigns which is a lot more than the usual double sovereign case.
I must point out that the coins shown in the photo are not of the gold variety but are out of circulation Australian one and two cent pieces which are almost identical in size to the real coins.
With kindest regards,
Derek Jones
"A PAGE per MONTH"
In this column we presents a page obtained from makers'
brochures, books, auction catalogs, advertising or whatever
other printed paper, related to silver, that may be of interest
for ASCAS members.
The images will be published at a "low resolution" level and for
private and personal use only.
This column is published under the kind permission of Giorgio
Busetto's website
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This month ASCAS presents a page of an early 1900 catalog of
UNGER BROS.
MANUFACTURING JEWELERS, SILVERSMITHS AND GLASS CUTTERS
NEWARK, N.J.
The firm, active with factory and saleroom at 412-418 Halsey Street and 26-38 Beecher Street, Newark, NJ, was founded in 1878 by five Unger brothers.
Three of them died that year and the remaining two (Herman and Eugene Unger) reorganized the business retaining the name Unger Brothers.
The firm produced at least 19 flatware patterns, desk sets, toilet set, sewing sets and a wide array of sterling silver novelties.
The last of the Unger brothers died in 1909 and the production of silver articles ceased in 1914.
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"A WORD per MONTH"
In this column we
present an abstract from a page of the "What is? Silver Dictionary"
courtesy of
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COCKTAIL SHAKER
Cocktail shaker is a device used to mix beverages (usually alcoholic) by shaking. When ice is put in the shaker this allows for a quicker cooling of the drink before serving.
The cocktail shaker as we now know it was in wide use since the mid-19th century. Several patent improvements occurred during the 1870s and 1880s including the addition of integral strainer mechanisms.
During the 1920s, silver and silverplate cocktail shakers were produced in many different shapes and designs, including items that looked like penguins, zeppelins, lighthouses and airplanes and their use became an important lifestyle ritual.... MORE...
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"A SILVERSMITH per MONTH"
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HOLMES & EDWARDS
The Holmes & Edwards Silver Co began its activity in 1882 succeeding to Rogers & Brittin.
The initial business was the production of low priced plated flatware using its own blanks or simply plating blanks of other manufacturers.
The qualitative leap in Holmes & Edwards production occurred with the acquisition of the invention patents obtained by William A. Warner of Syracuse for a technique of inlaying blocks of sterling silver at the wear points on the back of spoons and forks prior to plating them.
Warner went to work for Holmes & Edwards and his patents (December 9, 1884 and March 2, 1886) brought to the firm a gold medal at the Columbian Exposition in 1893 and a prominent place in silverplate industry.....
more
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"A CREST per MONTH"
BUCHANAN
WHANNELL
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The crest of Scottish families Buchanan and Whannell.
The Latin motto is 'Nuncia pacis oliva' (olive-branch is tidings of peace)
The crest is described as 'a dove and olive-branch'
The crest was found on a sterling silver tea caddy, maker James Mince, London 1798
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"A YEAR per MONTH"
FROM SHEFFIELD ASSAY OFFICE REGISTER
- 1774 -
This table is obtained from
The Book of Entries of the Names, Places of abode and Marks of the several Silversmiths and Plate Workers residing in Sheffield, or within twenty miles thereof, who are required to send their goods to the Assay Office, lately established in the Town of Sheffield by an Act of Parliament lately passed in the Thirteenth Year of the Reign of King George the Third intituled:
YEAR 1774
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Closing our March 2017 edition of ASCAS Newsletter I hope
you have appreciated its content.
Your comments, suggestions and advice will be of great help.
My thanks to Janet lynne Hoets, Derek Jones, Judith, Maurice Meslans, Patricia F. Singer and Charlotte Tymula for their precious contributions.
Giorgio Busetto
Secretary
DISCLAIMER AND PRIVACY POLICY
ASCAS is a community of people having a common
interest in antique silver.
It is a non-profit association without commercial links.
Membership is open to whomever has a true interest in
this subject matter.
ASCAS has no real property and no fees are requested nor
accepted from members.
ASCAS keeps in touch with its members only through
periodical newsletters, e-mails and web-site updating
and ignores and is not responsible for any other
activity pursued by its members.
Likewise, ASCAS is not responsible for opinions,
evaluation and images displayed, and in any form
published or supplied for publication, by its members
who, in any case, maintain the property of their works
and assure the respect of national and international
legislation about Intellectual Property.
ASCAS does not have the full addresses of its members (only
town, country and e-mail address are requested for
membership).
ASCAS handles and protects with care its members' e-mail
addresses, will not disclose the addresses to third
parties, will use this information only to reply to
requests received from members and for communications
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These rules are expressly accepted by submitting the
membership request.
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newsletter
# 154 March 2017
