The Winterthur Library

The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum, Winterthur, DE 19735

302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

Creator: Reed & Barton

Title: Photographs of silver

Dates: ca.1895-ca.1910

Call No.: Col. 870

Acc. No.: 10x39

Quantity: 3 boxes (38 items)

Location: 36 C 2

HISTORICAL STATEMENT

In 1840 Henry Reed and Charles Barton formed the silversmithing company Reed & Barton in Taunton, Massachusetts, although the company has roots dating back to 1824. Charles Barton died on September 13, 1867. Henry Reed formed a new partnership with Henry Fish and George Babrook in 1868. The company was incorporated in 1888. The company continues in existence, still making quality silverware.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

A collection of 38 glass plate positive photographs depicting various silver service pieces, such as tea and coffee pots, trays, sugar bowls, creamers, serving bowls, salt and pepper shakers, and a cake basket. Some of the items are engraved with hotel or restaurant names, and several pieces with the name of a steamboat (City of Pittsburgh). Probably all the pieces are wares intended for commercial, rather than home, use, and possibly most of them were silver-plated goods, rather than sterling silver. A few bear labels stating that the depicted pieces had been made for a particular client. Scans are available of all the plates.

ORGANIZATION

The items are arranged in three groups: pieces engraved with names or initials; pieces with stock numbers; and unmarked pieces.

LANGUAGE OF MATERIALS

The materials are mostly visual, but the few labels are in English.

RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS

Collection is open to the public. Copyright restrictions may apply.

All the images have been scanned, and the scans must be consulted before access will be granted to originals. Almost all the images have been cropped but include all the pieces on a glass plate.

PROVENANCE

Purchased from Goose River Exchange, Rockport, Maine.

ACCESS POINTS

Topics:

Silverware - Photographs.

Silverware - Massachusetts - Taunton - Photographs.

Silver-plated ware - Photographs.

Silver-plated ware - Massachusetts - Taunton - Photographs.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

Location: 36 C 2

Note: all accession numbers begin with 10x39:

Box 1:

Folder: scans of photographs, MUST USE THESE FIRST

Engraved pieces:

.1 domed covers, cruet stand, tea and coffee pots, bowls, creamer, bucket;

Labeled: Nathan Dohrmann & Co., San Francisco, Cal. 2-3-1900. W.M. engraved, A.H. on flag. (most pieces are engraved with flag bearing initials A.H.)

.2 trays with domed lids; covered bowls with trays; creamer, tankard;

Each piece engraved with the initials C and A

.3 covered bowls with tray; other trays; ice bucket; bowl; crumb tray; tea, coffee, and chocolate pots; sugar bowls; creamers; beaker off to one side; holder of some sort;

Pieces are monogrammed with letters C and H(?)

.4-.5 coffee and tea pots, and a sugar bowl;

Each engraved Café Zinkard

.6 4 trays with domed covers;

All engraved The Chantilly (see also .7)

.7 tea and coffee pots; milk jugs/creamers; and sugar bowls

All engraved The Chantilly (see also .6);

with paper label: San Francisco, Cal., [torn]antilly. 11-27-1907

.8 covered bowl on tray; round tray; holders; crumb tray; domed cover; creamer; tumbler; syrup pot; sugar bowl; coffee and tea pots;

Written at bottom of plate: A. B. Hudson;

Tiny bit of a label remains

.9 two creamers; coffee and tea pots;

All engraved Everett;

Detached label: Benj. L. M. Bates. Everett House, N.Y. N. S. Pearl. 3-25-99.

.10 crumb tray; other trays; holders; small goblet; ice bucket; serving dishes; sugar bowl; creamer; tea pot; syrup jug; relish dish; covered bowls on trays;

Most pieces engraved O.R. & N. (see also .11)

.11 1801-S: oval bowl; 1802-S: small goblet; 1803-S: relish server, with fork; (all these also appear in .10)

All pieces engraved O.R. & N. (see also .10)

.12 small round dish, engraved Savoy;

Chafing dish; pan with wooden handle (part of chafing dish?);

Remnant of label: [torn]ork

Box 2:

.13 1790-S: small tankard (mustard pot?); cruet stand; sugar bowl;

Pot and bowl engraved: [illegible] Tavern

.14 two round pieces, perhaps bowls of some sort;

Written on plate: West End Hotel, T. Tran[illegible]

.15 5 coffee, tea, and chocolate pots; syrup jug; sugar bowl; creamer; square tray;

All engraved Victoria, except for pot with wooden handle (see also .16)

.16 trays with domed covers; ice bucket; bowls with lids;

Initials W.M. appear above ice bucket;

All engraved Victoria (see also .15)

.17 2 serving dishes with domed lids; chocolate pot; serving bowls; caster; jar for preserves, condiments, or relishes;

Written on glass plate: Burley & Co., 046-FF;

Detached label: Burley & Co. Chicago, Ill. W. M. Silver finish. 5-8-1900.

(see also .18)

.18 trays with domed lids; tea pot;

3 labels: a. Str. City of Pittsburgh. W.M. Bright. 1-27-99. (see also .19);

b. Burley & Co., Chicago, Ill. N. S. Bright. 3-11-99 (see also .17);

c. Reed & Barton

.19 sugar bowl; creamer; water pitcher; two other pieces, perhaps for condiments or another sugar bowl and creamer;

Label: Reed & Barton, Taunton, Mass.;

All pieces engraved Str. City of Pittsburgh (see also .18)

.20 two square trays and two small tea pots, one of each engraved Old Crow and Hermitage Rye

Pieces with stock numbers:

(note: a few engraved items also had stock numbers, see above)

.21 1815-S: bowl on stand;

1816-S: matchbox holder, with tray

.22 1822-S: creamer or pitcher

.23 1842-S: truncated pyramid shape, unknown item

.24 1866-S: serving dish? vase? (another unknown item)

.25 1867-S: covered serving dish;

1868-S: sugar bowl without a lid

.26 1878-S: one number, but two items: spittoon(?) or vase(?) and tray(?) for this

Box 3:

Other items and sets:

.27 cake basket

.28 3 small pots, each a different pattern;

Label: Reed & Barton, Taunton, Mass.

.29 3 casters; two smaller ones might be salt and pepper shakers; each a different pattern

.30 3 pairs of salt and pepper shakers; one pair engraved Salt and Pepper

.31 glass or crystal water pitcher with silver mounts

.32 two trays, each holding a water pitcher, goblet, and bowl, each a different pattern

.33 tray with tea pot, sugar bowl, creamer

.34 4 tea, coffee, and chocolate pots

.35 trays with domed covers; coffee and tea pots, sugar bowls; bowls with covers

.36 crumb tray; chafing dishes; chocolate or coffee pot; small lidded tankard (or mustard pot); salt and pepper shakers; covered serving bowls; shell-shaped dish; cruet stand; creamer; set of round trays or shallow bowls

.37 ice buckets; funnel(?); cup(?); covered bowls on trays; holders of some sort

.38 crumb tray; preserve jars; ice bucket; pick (cheese pick or corn cob pick); trays; covered serving bowls; tumbler; mug; unknown item; chocolate or coffee pot; syrup jug; sugar bowls; 2 pots; creamer;

Remnant of label, not legible

Folder: Loose labels:

Delaware, Lackawana & Western R.R. Stamped D.L. & W. Bright. N. S. 3-7-1900

Individual butter plate no. 75, $21.00 per doz., gold lined $27.00 ditto

No. 70, $24.00 per doz., ditto, 30.00 ditto