posted 02-08-2006 09:52 PM            

The SSF Library Project is working to renovate and expand the current Silver Library bibliography found here.

As part of this project, we would like to put together a list of books that are ideal for the beginner who is just breaking into the field of silver. We would be glad to have your suggestions for those books which were most valuable to you in your early studies or explorations, those books which you would most strongly recommend to "newbies".

posted 02-09-2006 05:28 PM            

• Rainwater, Dorothy Encyclopedia of American Silver Manufacturers West Chester, PA: Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 1986
  
• Rainwater, Dorothy. American Jewelry Manufacturers West Chester, PA: Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 1988.
  
• Rainwater, Dorothy T. and H. Ivan American Silver Plate West Chester, PA: Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 1988
  
• Tardy International Hallmarks on Silver
  
• Tardy Poincons D'Or: De Platine et de Palladium (International Hallmarks on Gold and Platinum)
  
• Hagan, Tere Silverplated Flatware Paducah, Kentucky: Collector Books, 1990
  
• Hagan, Tere Sterling Flatware Tempe Arizona: TAMM Publishing Co., 1994

posted 02-09-2006 06:21 PM            

This is a good first book because it has representations of silver and marks from The UK, US and Europe easly obtainable and inexpencive

The Antique Hunter's Guide - American Silver and Pewter by Don Fenimore, Well organized / catagorized, great pictures, excellent information and reasonable cost

posted 02-10-2006 03:11 PM            

For this particular project, the idea was to list books specifically recommended for beginners. Ideally these would be either in-print (and preferably not too expensive) or so widely available in libraries as to be easy to find for most anyone. Personally I think that a good survey of silver-working techniques, if such exists, would be a fine addition to this list. Many of the suggested books here are certainly appropriate, but I think some may be more specialized than a beginner needs, and may warrant moving to one of the specific subject lists.

But we need to know what others think -- does a book on American coin silver belong on a beginners' list? Or on a particular maker, even Tiffany or Gorham? Wyler, for all its faults, because of its international sections and widespread availability, or Jackson, for its presumed improvements over Wyler? (I started with Wyler, 'graduated' to Jackson -- a pattern I suspect is common; my gut feeling is Wyler belongs on a beginner list, Jackson on a British list, but that may be just me)

Ths is related to the earlier thread from the General Silver Forum
first books for silver neophyte, which we will also draw upon.

posted 02-10-2006 05:17 PM            

I would like a book that reviews all the styles through the ages in America including engraving styles. I really like coin silver. My library had a couple books, but they were heavy on European silver with just a few American examples with hardly anything of coin. I like lots of pictures.

That Book of Old Silver bty Wylie looks interesting. Maybe something for next month.

Is there a book you would recommend to do that?

I know some of you have said most people aren't interested in the styles of things, but for some reason I think it's really interesting.

And thanks for trying to get a list together! I'm looking forward to recommendations for American coin silver.

posted 02-10-2006 10:49 PM            

As FWG has explained, this initial list is to identify the best books for the beginner, as a general introduction to silver. I apologize if I did not clear that up quite enough.

I like Wyler as a top pick, because it is a broad-ranging work. Although it does have its shortcomings, I think it makes an excellent introductory reference.

I am in support of including Tardy's International Hallmarks on Silver. While it had been suggested that there may be created a separate subcategory for "World silver and markings", I'm not sure that the body of work would warrant its own category (Though certainly subcategories would be created for individual countries which have produced much silver, and about which much has been written). In any event I feel that Tardy makes a great preliminary survey of the subject.

Both agleopar and FWG have mentioned the possible inclusion of a book on silver-working techniques. The one that comes immediately to mind is Silversmithing by Feingold and Seitz, though to me that particular volume seems a little "textbookish" and more appropriate to the actual student of silversmithing than to the beginning explorer of silverwork. I'm sure there is a more proper book which outlines and describes the techniques encountered in silverwork.

Of the dozen or so books so far mentioned, at least six are exclusively about American silver, and much of the rest is about English silver. I wonder if we should be wary of creating a bias in this first general list. Wyler is a great suggestion because it treats American, English, and European examples, and the Tardy books are about as inclusive as possible.

posted 02-11-2006 10:30 AM            

• Margaret Holland, Silver: An Illustrated Guide to Collecting Silver, 1973, 1983, published with slight title variations. Mostly English and American, but with a nice range of dates and styles.
  
• Jessie McNab, Silver (from The Smithsonian Illustrated Library of Antiques), 1981. Less inclusion of flatware than Holland, but adds a short section on antiquity. A bit more international in scope.
  
• Stephen Helliwell, Collecting Small Silverware, (published for Christies), 1988. Well illustrated, includes flatware and a wide range of silver smalls, mostly American and British.
  
• C. Bernard Hughes, Small Antique Silverware, 1957. Mostly British, and with a larger definition of 'small' than Helliwell, this includes some holloware pieces; but the descriptions of the uses of different forms and their periods is rather good.
  
• Jewelry, Ancient to Modern, prepared by/for The Walters Art Gallery, 1979/80. A decent survey from the ancient world to the early 20th century, well illustrated, but weighted more to the earlier stuff -- which is less likely to be collected by beginners, but nonetheless good to know about.
  

posted 02-11-2006 12:46 PM            

For whom is this "Library Project"? The majority of the posts is on silverplate or stolen Hotel silver.

posted 02-11-2006 01:14 PM            

On silverplate, Davis and Diebel produced the better flatware guide. The second edition is particularly good, but also out of print. Hagan is OK but lacks the depth and breadth D & D brought to the subject.

Edmund Hogan, historian of IS, wrote a couple of company histories back in the 60's and 70's. These books were lavishly illustrated but sort of short on text. Ed told me that when he started at IS (in 1918) he would glom onto things being thrown out of the files. Apparently in the early 1920's IS tossed most of their records from before WW1. He packratted them away. In the late 1960's, Ed began to photocopy brochures and catalog pages of various IS patterns and sell them to collectors. These were state of the art 1965 photocopy; not very good. But they were complete descriptions of various patterns. He had assembled them from the long runs of production and could document changes and innovations.

posted 02-11-2006 07:52 PM            

However, two books that I did read when I first began to study silver, were Osterberg's Silver Holloware for Dining Elegance and Sterling Silver Flatware for Dining Elegance. I realize today that these are not the most erudite of books, and much of what is written in them is now common knowledge to me, but they were helpful introductions to me at one time. I also recall that the Holloware volume, if not also the Flatware, did provide rudimentarily informative information on prevalent styles in American silver.

So, outwest, there you go. I'm sure there are many more books that treat numerous styles "through the ages" as well.

posted 02-13-2006 04:53 AM            

1)International Hallmarks on Silver Collected by Tardy

2)English Goldsmiths and Their Marks by Sir Charles J. Jackson

3)Encyclopedia of American Silver Manufacturers by Dorothy T. Rainwater

4)Silver Plated Flatware Patterns by Davis and Deibel

5)Jeweler's Sterling Flatware Pattern Index by JCK

6)Subscription to Silver Magazine 1-866-841-0112

7)American Jewelry Manufacturers by Dorothy T. Rainwater

8)American Silver Flatware 1837-1910 by Noel Turner

9)Kovel's American Silver Marks 1650 to the Present by Ralph and Terry Kovel (although this book has many mistakes in it)

10)Old Silver and Old Sheffield Plate by Howard Pitcher Okie

posted 02-13-2006 05:55 AM            

also like the inclusion of Kovel's..

posted 02-13-2006 11:48 AM            

These books are readily available at very reasonable prices, are fun to read and provide very good foundation to any library.

posted 02-13-2006 02:49 PM            

Tardy is great, but has one very irritating quirck. The translator left the alphabatizing of countries as it would be in French. Hence, Germany appears after Algeria because in French Germany is "Allemagne".

Some of the posts on this thread could be turned into paragraph-length annotations very useful to new comers.

posted 02-13-2006 08:04 PM            

I understand the problem of subjectivity, but I think brief annotations can really help the new collector. A long list of books of varying prices and quality gives the novice no clear guidance on where to begin. Also, those of us who signed up to do this project have talked about having annotations vetted by the group and/or the forum moderators.

posted 02-14-2006 12:31 AM            

Warman's Jewelry by Christie Romero. It's not strictly about silver, but there's more than enough to justify its inclusion here. The first edition of Warman's was the first book I bought as a beginning silver jewelry collector.

Tiffany Silver Flatware by William Hood et al.

Auction Catalogs, like the Wagstaff or Rapaport collections.

For 20th Century silver...
-Modernism in American Silver, Jewel Stern
-Modernist Jewelry, Marbeth Schon
-Jewelry & Metalwork in the Arts & Crafts Tradition, Karlin

I apologize if I've duplicated items that are already on the list.

posted 02-14-2006 10:34 AM            

Also, all of these books I listed are fairly common and inexpensive except the Turner book which usually runs $100+ (which is a great book and worth the money).

posted 02-15-2006 04:33 AM            

Would it be fair to say that a beginners list should lean toward what the beginner might see more of in their local area? For any specific book to be of use, the book would have to address the subject matter in question related to what one might find.

If I lived just out side of Paris France, I wouldn’t expect to find much American Coin, but would expect to see a number of European pieces. If however, I live in the US, then I would expect to find a lot of sterling, some American Coin but not many European pieces.

So I guess what I'm getting at, is that maybe there should be a different top ten depending on where you are, and are most likely to run up on, as I have to assume these are for reference and only of use if they reference what I am looking for.

Top ten for the UK might begin with those books that depict the UK (English, Irish, Scots, and Minor guilds) followed by a French reference, a German reference, an American, and an Australian, "Broad References all" etc.) because that’s what they will most likely see and have need of.

Am American starter set may include a Sterling ID guide (Turner, Hagen), with a Rainwater’s, Kovel’s, Fenimore’s, Fales’s and a Jackson’s, Tardy’s, etc...

Just an opinion…

"Smaug"

posted 02-15-2006 11:50 PM            

For example, I can talk to anyone about American Silver which I have studied on a somewhat intelligent basis, but if you want to talk with me on Russian Silver forget it, about all I know is that their silver is 84% and their most famous Goldsmith was Faberge. I know absolutely nothing about his workmen or any other Russian makers.

This holds true with booksellers as well, they can have a good general knowledge about books but can't possibly know all there is to know about each and every category in the field of books. During this computer age you can now find reference books online thru the book searching sites and get a feel for the retail prices, for the most part these prices are somewhat high but bargains can be found if you can be a little patient.

You would think this 10 book thread for beginners should be something easy to do but it seems to have gotten out of hand.

Maybe someone should put a list of 50 books on North American Silver and 50 Books on Foreign Silver out there and have everyone vote on which ones they think would be best for the beginner.

posted 02-17-2006 11:35 PM            

I would be tickled pink if this thread got "out of hand". We would like as many reasonable suggestions as the forum participants care to give. The SSF Library Project members will be responsible for paring down the body of suggestions, and we will give equal consideration to all of the books cited here.

I like your own list very much, Tad, and I hope other members take the time to create similar lists, or suggestions for single books that they feel should be included. There will naturally be a number of books that most members would agree on, so I understand if new suggestions are beginning to get scarce.

Though off-topic, as to Russian silver, "84" is the standard most frequently seen on such pieces, but unlike much of western Europe, the Russians until 1927 did not use a percentage or per-thousandth system. The 84 designates 84 zolotniki, or 84 parts per 96. The system is based on the old Russian "pound", which is made up of 96 parts each known as a zolotnik. This is why after 1927 the most common standard mark became (.)875, or 84 divided by 96, expressed as thousandth parts per whole.