posted 08-20-2007 10:32 PM            

I have a pair of silver-plated clothes brushes that came down to me from my grandmother.

I'm hoping someone can verify or correct who I think was the manufacturer - William Smith Pelletreau. Both brushes are marked on edge: "W.S.P. CO".

Is this the mark of W.S. Pelletreau (1786-1842) of Southampton, NY? Ensko, pp. 104, 250 has "W.S.P."; Kovel, pp. 288, 189, has "WSP"; American Silversmiths online database William Smith Pelletreau has "WSP"; and

has him paired with Stephen Upson and their mark as "P & U". Pelletreau isn't listed in Rainwater.

None of the above mark examples have "CO" included in the mark.

Description of the brushes:
5"1 x 1½"w x 1½"h. May be original brushes? Decorated with a raised floral/foliate design.

--- Susan

posted 08-21-2007 01:59 AM            

I have only one silver book(with little information) so I often look at the websites.When you try, you perhaps have something like to find Joslin Hall-bookcase 6 [P-R] Northampton Smith College or Art:1958. A elegant little catalog of choice pieces. There were 82 pieces of Pelletrau silver in the exhibition.

But it is better when you get direct information from experts from this SMP forum of course,and it's good to get always reaction so I did it my way(nice song title!) It's a beautiful piece, and for that age in good condition(said the doctor).

There are a lot of books made in the USA that's for sure. I found a lot of titles, we are poor illustrated over here in the Netherlands (holland).

What I also thought about reading your story, that CO means co-operation with another firm in that time they have made it.

A lot of success I hope the reactions will follow and the solution will come.

posted 08-21-2007 09:41 AM            

Good job getting the photos posted correctly. I have deleted your duplicate posts in this thread.

Your conclusions about this mark are very far from the mark .

You need to spend more time reading older threads in this forum and building (and reading) a library that supports you particular interests in silver. If silver plate is your interest then get to know more about that industry. Electro Silver Plating was invented circa 1840 in England. It was a several more years before it came to America. On that basis alone it couldn't be Pelletreau.

Just matching initials to a name is not enough. An understanding of what the marks shape (cartouche), lettering style and other nuances are telling you, are often very relevant in determining a maker. But the first place to start is with the object itself. Is the brush solid silver or silver plate? You have identified it as silver plate and I am assuming that is because some of the base metal is showing. Next what is the object and when were such objects made? What does the styling of the object say about when it was made. Etc, etc. etc.

I love your enthusiasm and understand the excitement that comes with the discovery process. In the beginning of my silver education, people were too polite and never said anything. So it took me much longer to learn what I needed to know to begin to learn. And I continue to learn as nearly every day I learn something new about our shared passion.

You will also find that information on the Internet or found in books can be inaccurate or wrong. But this is another lengthy subject for a different post/thread.

If you don't own a copy of Dorothy Rainwater's Encyclopedia of American Silver Manufacturers (it does include some makers from Canada and elsewhere) get a copy. It is not expensive. I recommend the Fourth Edition (newer versions are good if you are researching new silver smiths).

I have not researched your object or mark but a quick look in Rainwater suggests it is as WEV says or maybe it is Canadian. I am not saying who the Canadian possibility is so you can have the fun of discovering it for yourself.

posted 08-21-2007 07:12 PM            

Thank you for taking the time to look in your resources! Good luck on your silver experiences.

WEV,

Thank you for correcting the manufacturer and telling me it is Wilcox Silver Plate!!!

Scott,

Thank you for deleting my mistakes!! Also thank you for the many suggestions in silver research.

You need to spend more time reading older threads in this forum...

Right on, in pointing out about reading/searching threads. I really messed up. If I had run a search on "W.S.P.Co" on all the forums, I would have found that last year I posted the same query on these brushes! <Dumb, Dumb me>
W.S.P.CO. stamp on Clothes Brushes

At that time there wasn't a consensus of the mfg. but Wilcox was thought the most promising.

...and building (and reading) a library that supports you particular interests in silver.

I have been working at building a library the last three years. At this moment have:

• Encyclopedia of Amer. Silver Mfgs., 5th edition, by Rainwater
  
• American Silverplate, 3rd edition, by Rainwater w/Felger
  
• Amer. Silversmiths & Their Marks, 1948 edition, by Ensko
  
• Amer. Silver Marks, 1989, by Kovels
  
• Tardy's International Hallmarks on Silver, 5th edition
  
• Jackson's Hallmarks, Pocket Edition, edited by Pickford
  
• Sheffield Plate, 1969 printing, by Wyler
  
• Book of Old Silver, 1959, by Wyler

I had checked these books and online sites for the mark W.S.P.CO with no luck. All I could find that came close was Pelletier's mark of W.S.P. If I had known or if I had gone back and search the forums, I would have done research on Wilcox S.P. Today have done extensive research on Wilcox S.P. and still can't find the mark of only W.S.P.CO credited to them.

I have not researched your object or mark but a quick look in Rainwater suggests it is as WEV says or maybe it is Canadian. I am not saying who the Canadian possibility is so you can have the fun of discovering it for yourself.

I will go through Rainwater page by page and see if I can spot the Canadian; however, with WEV saying Wilcox S.P., that is what I'm going with at this time.

Ahwt, thank you for your advise also!

Again thank y'all for taking the time to reply!

--- Susan

posted 08-22-2007 01:33 PM            

Vanity items appear to have been sold not only through the regular channels but also along with cosmetics. So, there probably was one mark for jewelers and another for cosmetics. It is also probable that vanity items were packaged with toilitries: a hair rinse with a brush and comb.