The Winterthur Library

 The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum

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