The
The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and
Printed Ephemera
Henry Francis du Pont
5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur,
Delaware 19735
Telephone: 302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883
OVERVIEW OF
THE COLLECTION
Creator: Fronefield, Joseph M.
(Joseph Mellan), 1861-1940
Title: Papers
Dates: 1924-1940, bulk 1924-1930
Call No.: Col. 574
Acc. No.: 99x40
Quantity: 41 items (1 folder)
Location: 34 J 3
BIOGRAPHICAL
STATEMENT
Joseph Mellan Fronefield was a silver collector who lived
in Wayne, Pennsylvania, where he ran a drugstore for a time, and then went into
real estate, specializing in selling Chester County farmland. He was born in 1861, the son of Eliza A.
Rogers and Joseph M. Fronefield (circa 1831-1897). The collector Joseph graduated from the
Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, and the drugstore he opened in Wayne was said
to be the first in that town. According
to family lore, he owned the first automobile in Wayne.
Fronefield married Elizabeth M. Pugh, and they had
several children. Daughter Frances
married Winfield W. Crawford, and they had a son Fronefield (1914-1990). Presumably, Frances is the F.F.C. who
received a sauce ladle in 1940, while her son Fronefield received the tea
caddy/condiment jar. Joseph Fronefield
died in 1940.
SCOPE AND
CONTENT
Papers relate to Joseph M. Fronefield’s purchase of
silver pieces, chiefly from England, although some were purchased in the U.S. Included are letters from London dealers with
whom he did business; forms signed by the American consul in London, testifying
that the listed silver pieces were antiques and could be imported duty free
into the United States; and notes written by Fronefield about the silver he
bought. His notes include a brief
description of the silver piece, who made it, when it was made, when and where
Fronefield purchased it, and the price he paid.
Accompanying some of the dealers’ letters and some of Fronefield’s notes
are sketches or pictures of the silver pieces.
ORGANIZATION
The items came in a three-ring binder, and the order
of materials as found has been maintained.
Often, several documents pertaining to the same order were attached to another
sheet of paper.
LANGUAGE OF
MATERIALS
The materials are in English.
RESTRICTIONS
ON ACCESS
Collection is open to the public. Copyright restrictions may apply.
PROVENANCE
Purchased from Charles Apfelbaum.
ACCESS POINTS
Topics:
Silverware - England.
Silverware - Collectors and collecting.
Silverwork - Collectors and collecting.
Collectors.
DETAILED
DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION
Location: 34 J
3
All accession numbers begin with 99x40.
All letters are addressed to Joseph M. Fronefield;
the notes were written by him.
Folder 1 of 1:
.1 letter and invoice from Burfitt Ltd., London,
Oct. 16, 1928: am sending beaker; invoice enclosed invoice is for a George III
beaker (maker not listed);
Printed billhead:
Antiques, old English silver, old Sheffield plate
.2 notes about a cucumber slicer, bought
from Birch & Gaydon Ltd, 11/13/29
.3 sketch of cucumber slicer;
Letter from Birch & Gaydon Ltd.,
Oct. 10, 1929, about the slicer (made 1806);
Invoice for the slicer, Oct. 30,
1929
.4 note about and sketch of a silver
candlestick, bought from Mrs. Paxson[?] Iredell, 1929
.5 note about a beaker or drinking cup
made by S. Massey in 1795, bought August 1930
.6 front side: note about painting and
mirror loaned to Venice Café;
Back side: note about paintings
belonging to office, both by Geo. W. Nicholson (1795-1839)
.7 note about more paintings which belong
to office, by Volpi, Paul Weber, Alfred Montague, and F. DeBourg Richards
.8 note about a silver beaker or tumbler
made in London in 1780, purchased by Fronefield in 1928
.9 note about salad fork made in 1793, and
a large spoon made in 1806 (both bought in 1928)
.10 note about a cocoa nut drinking cup, made
circa 1800; bought in 1928
.11 note about a marrow scoop made in 1737,
bought in 1928
.12 note about and sketch of one of a pair of
candlesticks, made in 1793, bought from Wanamaker’s in 1926
.13 note about salt and pepper shakers, made
in 1905, bought from someone in Camden; with a comment on how Fronefield was
fooled by the date letter
.14 “Declaration in Connection with Artistic
Antiquities” for goods purchased from Birch & Gaydon; signed by American
consul, Sept. 30, 1927
.15 note about a wine strainer funnel, made
in 1799, bought in Oct. 1927
.16 note about a nutmeg grater made in 1807,
bought Oct. 1927
.17 note about and catalog photo of an ink
stand, made in 1820, bought in Edinburg
.18 note about and sketch of handle of a pair
of sugar nippers, made in 1773, bought 3/1/27
.19 note about a cream pitcher, American
made, 1800-1825; bought in Media
.20 “Declaration in Connection with Artistic
Antiquities” for goods purchased from Birch & Gaydon; signed by American
vice consul, Jan. 20, 1927
.21 note about forks (dinner and tea),
purchased in 1925 from Miss Thea Devereaux
.22 note about a pair of meat platters,
purchased in London in 1925, made in 1789; describes crests on the platters
.23 note about snuffers and tray, Sheffield
silver plate, marked Harwood; bought from Wanamaker’s 1925;
.24 note about and catalog photo of a fish
slice, made in 1796 by Peter & Anne Bateman, purchased 1925
.25 “Declaration in Connection with Artistic
Antiquities” for the above fish slice; signed by American consul, June 18, 1925’
This is attached to a letter from
Spink & Son, Ltd., London, relating to the purchase of the fish slice, June
16, 1925
.26 notes about and catalog photo of one of a
pair of silver candlesticks, made in 1819
.27 notes about and sketch of one of four
candlesticks made in 1787, purchased in 1925
.28 brief note about sugar tongs, 1757
.29 notes about Sheffield plate coffee urn,
purchased 2/7/1926
.30 notes about four silver sauce ladles,
purchased 7/20/1926; with an added note that one was given to F.F.C. in 1940
.31 sketch of a silver sauce boat, made in
1779; on letterhead stationery of Birch & Gaydon, Ltd.
.32 notes about a silver sugar vase made in
1790 by Peter and Jonathan Bateman, purchased 7/20/1926
.33 sketch of the above sugar vase, on
letterhead stationery of Birch & Gaydon, Ltd.
.34 notes about and sketch of a savry [i.e.
savory?] dish, supposed to have been made about 1775; purchased Oct. 22, 1926,
from Louisville dealer
.35 notes about and sketch of helmet-shaped
cream pitcher, made 1797; purchased Jan. 4, 1927
.36 notes about and photograph of a tea caddy
or condiment jar, made in 1766; bought 2/21/27; with added note: given to
Fronefield Crawford, 1940
[Fronefield Crawford
(1914-1990) was a grandson.]
.37 letter (two pages) from Goldsmiths &
Silversmiths Company, London, Jan. 13, 1925: about purchasing dishes with
crests, made by Wakelin and Taylor in 1789
.38 letter (two pages) from Goldsmiths &
Silversmiths Company, London, June 17, 1925: purchased some candlesticks on his
behalf and are shipping them
.39a-b letter (two pages) from Goldsmiths &
Silversmiths Company, London, Sept. 7, 1925: about four candlesticks made by
Wm. Abdy, and the mistake in the date; have not been able to identify the crest
.40 letter (two pages) from Goldsmiths &
Silversmiths Company, London, Dec. 11, 1924: enclosing sketch of meat dishes
[not extant], made by Wakelin & Taylor in 1789; also mentions another set
of meat dishes
.41 letter (first page only) from Goldsmiths
& Silversmiths Company, London, April 17, 1925: am sending the meat dishes