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: Mallory, Robert.
Title: Pewter papers
Dates: ca. 1935-2001, bulk dates 1954-1976.
Call No.: Col. 735
Acc. No.: 02x32
Quantity: 12 boxes (about 2 linear
feet)
Location: 15 J 2-3
BIOGRAPHICAL
STATEMENT
Robert Mallory, III, a gynecologist and obstetrician
from Rye, New York, was known for his collection and extensive knowledge of
early American pewter. He loaned parts
of his collection for exhibits and gave many illustrated lectures, speaking to
audiences at Colonial Williamsburg, the Henry Ford Museum, and the Greenwich
Historical Society, among other places.
As well, he wrote articles for the Pewter Collectors Club of America (of
which he was a member, serving as president for a time) and for the magazine Art in America.
Dr. Mallory graduated from Yale and the Temple
University College of Medicine. He
served in the U.S. Army during World War II.
His wife Phyllis (1929-2001) enthusiastically supported the collecting
of pewter and early American furniture.
The Mallory collection was auctioned after their deaths.
SCOPE AND
CONTENT
The collection includes correspondence, especially
with dealers; articles about pewter; a catalog (undated but from 2001) for the
auction of the Mallory collection; information about loans the Mallorys made to
various exhibits; a volume in which the Mallorys recorded their purchases; and
photographs, negatives, and slides. The
slides are the bulk of the collection, and most of them are of pewter pieces
such as canns, tankards, candlesticks, spoons, plates, porringers, and other
forms. Other slides show marks of pewter
makers. The negatives and photos are
also mostly of pewter pieces. Most of
the pewter articles are from Antiques magazine from 1930s-1950s. Catalogs from and correspondence with various
dealers are also in the collection.
Several original documents are also part of the
collection. These include letters,
receipts, and a bill from pewterers and metalworkers Frederick Bassett, Thomas
Danforth, Benjamin Harbeson, and Josiah Keene.
Also included is part of a ledger book kept by George Hodges; he
purchased items from pewterer Samuel Danforth in 1814. An issue of the Columbian Centinel dated May 22, 1793, is filed with the oversize
magazine articles.
ORGANIZATION
The files kept by the Mallorys is
followed by the original documents, photographs, oversize articles, negatives,
and slides.
LANGUAGE OF
MATERIALS
The materials are in English.
RESTRICTIONS
ON ACCESS
Collection is open to the public. Copyright restrictions may apply.
PROVENANCE
Gift of Susan W. Hanover,
niece of Mrs. Mallory.
ACCESS POINTS
People:
Bassett, Frederick, 1740-1800.
Danforth, Samuel, 1774-1816.
Danforth, Thomas, II.
Harbeson, Benjamin, d.1809.
Keene, Josiah, 1778 or 9-1868.
Hodges, George W.
Topics:
Pewter - Collectors and
collecting.
Pewter - Marks.
Auction catalogs.
Collectors.
Antique
dealers.
DETAILED
DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION
Location: 15 J 2-3
Box 1:
Folder 1: Articles
about pewter
[see also oversize folder]
Folder 2: Clippings
and other information about the Mallorys
Folder 3: Correspondence,
1953-1982
Folder 4: Dealers’
catalogs, correspondence, and bills of sale
Folder 5: Dealers:
Carl and Celia Jacobs
Folder 6: Dealers:
Thomas D. and Constance R. Williams
Folder 7: Lists
of pewter
Folder 8: Loans
to exhibits
Folder 9: Mallory
collection: auction catalog, June 16, [2001]
Folder 10: Pennsbury
Manor American Forum, 1965
Folder 11: Pewter
at Colonial Williamsburg, and Antiques Forum, 1958
Box 2:
Folder 1: Pewter
Collectors Club of America
Folder 2: Pewter
records
Folder 3: Bassett,
Frederick: letters and receipts:
02x32.1:
Bassett to Jona. Humphreys & Son, merch[ants],
Simsbury, no date: encloses bill of pewter [.2 or .3 could be the receipt that
accompanied this note];
02x32.2: New
York, Nov. 16, 1769, Bassett received old pewter from Jonathan Humphreys &
Son, by the hands of Capt. Levy Riley;
02x32.3: New
York, Dec. 22, 1773, Bassett received old pewter from Jonathan Humphreys &
Son, by the hands of Capt. Demming;
02x32.4:
Bassett, New York, Nov. 29, 1787, to Major Jona. Humphreys, Simsbury, Conn.:
shipping the articles left in his care and 2 casks of pewter; please send pork
and give regards to various people
Folder 4: Danforth,
Thomas: letter
02x32.5:
Danforth, Middletown, June 9, 1773, to Peter Vesterle[?
Vestelle?], Boston: gave Samuel Hamlin orders to sell old brass; am sending him
old coper and pewter and some cash
Folder 5: Harbeson, Benjamin: bill
02x32.6:
bill from Harbeson to James Wharton, Sept. 6, 1766, for 1 copper cumpes
[compass?] lamp
Folder 6: Keene, Josiah: bill
02x32.7:
receipted bill: Keene was paid by Robert Kennedy, Aug. 10, 1818, for copper
boiler; Kennedy paid the bill with cash and an old kettle
Folders 7-10: Photographs
of pewter
Box 3: ledger
book (partial)
Acc. 02x32.8 part of a ledger book used by Geo. Hodges
& Co. and Moore, Hodges & Co., 1813-1815, and then used for copies of
letters by George W. Hodges of Charleston [no state] in 1818. The Hodges companies, location unknown, seem
to have operated a general store, as they were purchasing a variety of goods,
chiefly from Boston merchants: shoes, pottery, sugar, reams of paper, textile
fabrics, shawls, etc.
Of interest to
the Mallorys would have been the account of purchases made in Nov. 1814 from
Samuel Danforth of Hartford, including platters, basons, plates, tea pots,
butters, mugs, and porringers.
The letters from
G. W. Hodges of Charleston [no state] were written to other merchants. A large hole is in the middle of most of
these pages.
Box 4:
oversize articles
Mostly articles about pewter, from a variety of
magazines
Also includes
acc. 02x32.9 issue of Columbian Centinel, Extraordinary, May
22, 1793, in which Richard Austin advertises imported Brittania and japanned wares
Boxes 5-6:
negatives
Box 7: slides:
Pewter porringers;
church pewter
Box 8: slides:
Tableware;
Spoons;
Basins
Box 9: slides:
pewter canns (continued in next
box)
Box 10: slides:
pewter cans;
tankards;
beakers;
candlesticks;
lamps;
displays of pewter;
letters and articles about pewter;
furniture marks;
silver marks
Box 11: slides:
Pewter marks;
paintings
Box 12: slides:
Plates;
Mixed
metals;
Odds
and ends