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| Author | Topic: Anyone Recognize This? |
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doc Posts: 728 |
posted 11-01-2009 02:58 PM
  
[01-2764] I recently acquired a Gorham sterling souvenir spoon. It has a great scene of a stone bridge with a village in the background; unfortunately, there's no information on the spoon as to where the scene is located. Anyone have any ideas? IP: Logged |
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agleopar Posts: 850 |
posted 11-02-2009 08:18 AM
Doc I know it probably wont help but can we see the rest of it? Just to get the feel of it... also can you get the village straight on? It is a good mystery and fun to try to puzzle it out. IP: Logged |
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Scott Martin Forum Master Posts: 11520 |
posted 11-02-2009 09:10 AM
It's kind of hard to make out the details... I see the bridge or footbridge but I can't tell if it is over land or a river. I would guess it is a river. The perspective is looking up at the bridge with the village in the distance under the bridge. The details of the village are not clear. A closer view of the village might help. The bridge reminds me (sort of) of the overpasses I have seen when driving on the Merit Parkway in Connecticut. IP: Logged |
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doc Posts: 728 |
posted 11-03-2009 05:33 PM
Here are some additional photos. As you can see, the photo of the whole spoon doesn't help much-no writing whatsoever on the handle. This was the best I could do on the close up of the village; under a loupe it shows that it's a large factory facility with a dam across the river (which means that this is ending up in my husband's collection of hydroelectric related antiques!). IP: Logged |
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agleopar Posts: 850 |
posted 11-03-2009 05:40 PM
The Mills in Waltham, Mass. next to the Charles river?? IP: Logged |
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jersey Posts: 1203 |
posted 11-04-2009 09:25 PM
Hi! Perhaps one of our members has a Gorham catalogue of souvenir spoons. You might also look at Echo Lake bridge in Mass. Jersey IP: Logged |
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Dale Posts: 2132 |
posted 11-04-2009 11:10 PM
The spoon is hand done, showing a good mastery of engraving. Transfering a flat picture to a concave bowl without loosing perspective is also tricky. This was done by a highly skilled worker. Spoons of this type were frequently made by local jewelers, either to order or showing local sites of interest. Which is why there are so many one of a kind spoons available. IP: Logged |
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agleopar Posts: 850 |
posted 11-05-2009 08:00 AM
Dale I wondered if it was engraved? I can not tell from the image perhaps Doc can? It is so detailed that I thought it might be acid etched and so a production spoon not a one off? IP: Logged |
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swarter Moderator Posts: 2920 |
posted 11-05-2009 12:40 PM
If this is a copy of an existing print or etching, rather than someone's original work on the bowl, a search for the image from which it was taken might be the way to go. [This message has been edited by swarter (edited 11-05-2009).] IP: Logged |
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doc Posts: 728 |
posted 11-05-2009 01:29 PM
I am not sure I would be able to tell the difference between hand engraved and acid etching, so if you have any hints, I'll gladly follow up. I have been looking for a photo that might match this scene; it's not an atypical one in New England, except for maybe the bridge. IP: Logged |
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Dale Posts: 2132 |
posted 11-05-2009 07:03 PM
Acid etching does not produce the crisp, sharp, v shaped incisions shown on the building outlines. From the picture, the cuts into the silver show different depths, which is a sign of engraving. Anyone else have ideas on this? IP: Logged |
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agleopar Posts: 850 |
posted 11-05-2009 07:06 PM
Doc acid etching has rough edges that look like they were eaten in layers and hand engraving is tiny V cuts that are in straight lines or curved lines. If you look with a strong loupe you should be able to see which it is. IP: Logged |
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doc Posts: 728 |
posted 11-10-2009 09:37 AM
I had misplaced my loupe and just found it. The design is definitely hand done. IP: Logged |
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agleopar Posts: 850 |
posted 11-10-2009 09:45 AM
Dale called it; "Spoons of this type were frequently made by local jewelers, either to order or showing local sites of interest. Which is why there are so many one of a kind spoons available." But it seems to be such a unlikely subject for all that effort - the bridge is plain and the mills/hydro on the river could be 1000 places... Why wasn't the name engraved also? It is a tiny puzzle that is barely worth any effort but as I drive through New England (not often these days) I will be looking at the bridges. Possible Places: Fall River,RI - Shelburn Falls, MA - Lowell, MA [This message has been edited by agleopar (edited 11-10-2009).] IP: Logged |
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Dale Posts: 2132 |
posted 11-10-2009 05:13 PM
Hydroelectic does not seem like an odd subject. I have seen spoons that pictured: Homes for the Feeble Minded, State Prisons, County Poor Farms, electric plants, factories, farm implements, sewer treatment plants, pretty much anything that would show the up to date, scientific attitude of the Victorians. This spoon celebrates progress. The rarest type shows an execution, a body hanging from a gallows. Souvenir spoons seem to have been also used to teach apprentices engraving. IP: Logged |
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doc Posts: 728 |
posted 11-10-2009 06:14 PM
I think that either the bridge or the factory is the subject; the hydro dam would have been part of the factory, providing the power to operate it. I will be keeping my eye out as well. For what it is worth, I got the spoon in upstate NY, so it may be someplace nearby. IP: Logged |
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