posted 03-09-2006 04:01 PM            

There are a number of good books out there, so it depends on what you are looking for.

For example, there's a marvelous little book by Don Fennimore focusing on early American "bird back" spoons. There's also a book called Sterling Silver, Silverplate and Souvenir Spoons (author unknown) that came out in the mid-1990's, but that may covers more Victorian forward, so that may not be early enough for you. If you can let us know a little bit more, I am sure you will get some great recommendations.

Welcome to the Forum and to silver spoon collecting! There are a number of us on the Forum who are diehard spoon collectors. (I myself have tried to kick the habit a couple of times, but I keep going back!)

posted 03-09-2006 10:16 PM            

back issues of The Finial

Above are a couple of web sites that provide interesting information about spoons. Also Martha Gandy Fales has another book, "American Silver in the Henry Francis DuPont Winterthur Museum" that has an informative section on spoons.

posted 03-09-2006 10:30 PM            

Louise Belden's book has an illustrated glossary on spoon styles and forms, but her book is rather expensive($600-$900). Graham Hood's book " American Silver" a History of Style 1650-1900, is easily obtainable and can be bought in the $10-30 range. As far as dissertations go, there are some photocopies available on the market but they always say that the photos when copied are terrible and these dissertations are still at the colleges.

I think in the end you will find out that most spoons were from the Boston, New York and Philadelphia area because these were the most populated and the best financial districts in America at that time.

posted 03-10-2006 02:19 AM            

quote:

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I'd like to understand, for instance, why it is that there are so relatively many spoons and so few of any other flatware pieces from that period.

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When forks and knives did gain popularity, they were commonly made of harder materials than silver - iron or steel, with handles of wood, bone, or ivory. In England, they were later often close plated (silver on iron or steel, in a manner not unlike Sheffield plate), and knive blades were often set in close plated hollow handles. These types had hard use, were not particularly valued, and did not survive in such great numbers as silver spoons, which were often not used in daily service. Silver forks, when silver services were used, wore down or broke their tines, and did not last as long as the spoons.

The fact that there were fewer silver forks in the Colonies (and the Early Republic) than in Englsnd, relative to the number of spoons, may also reflect the economic condition of the classes -- It seems everybody aspired to own some silver, either for status or safekeeping of whatever wealth they had (marked and engraved silver could be traced when stolen, whereas money could not) but relatively few could afford more than a few spoons.

I expect that this little pontification on the social history of flatware will spark considerable discussion from people more knowledgeable of the subject, and perhaps not a little controversy (it is called "seeding the forum"), but the quick and short answer is that there are more spoons because there were more spoons, for whatever reason.

[This message has been edited by swarter (edited 03-10-2006).]

I started the above in a new tread The socialization of spoons