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Author	Topic: Hall & Elton products
wev Moderator Posts: 4121 Registered: Apr 99	posted 11-10-1999 05:04 PM Does anyone have a clear understanding of the wares made by Hall & Elton of Geneva NY? They are listed in Belden, which only notes advertisements of plated flatware. I have some tablespoons that test silver, but of a very low grade. They were obviously machine stamped, though the metal is of quite heavy gauge and they have hand-engraved drops on the bowl backs. Rainwater gives information on the platers Hall, Elton & Co, but this was apparently a different company entirely. IP: Logged
Brent Posts: 1507 Registered: May 99	posted 11-10-1999 10:20 PM I may not have a clear understanding, but all of the Hall & Elton flatware that I have seen has been german silver. I have found a number of pieces being sold as coin, but the look and texture is all wrong. Perhaps Hall & Elton had their own alloy that included a small amount of actual silver. IP: Logged
wev Moderator Posts: 4121 Registered: Apr 99	posted 11-12-1999 10:38 AM I just had a note from Winterthur. They record Hall & Elton producing both silver and silverplate. The firm apparently also bought silver goods out of house which they retailed under their own mark. They used two marks: an incuse version used throughout the firm's existence and a later incised version. I suspect the special alloy idea is right; everything I have seen has a slightly dingy quality. Perhaps it was economic or made nessesary by the machine production methods they used. IP: Logged
TGS Posts: 31 Registered: Sep 99	posted 11-13-1999 11:53 AM I am very interested in how you determined that the Hall and Elton pieces you have seen were German silver. IP: Logged
Brent Posts: 1507 Registered: May 99	posted 11-13-1999 10:51 PM Not very scientifically, I'm afraid! Basically, I just look at it. German silver tends to have an odd yellowish cast, as opposed to to soft blue-gray of old coin. If you line up a bunch of different coin spoons with one made of German silver, the German silver one will stick out like a sore thumb. Fortunately, there are not that many German silver spoons out there that can be confused with coin, and most of them are Hall Elton. If you see those names on a spoon, look carefully before you buy it, particularly if it is priced as coin. If it is cheap enough, buy it so you will remember what to look out for! To date, I have been fooled three times by German silver. Two of them were late English Sheffield plate. In the 1830's, at the tail end of the fused plate era, Sheffield platers began using German silver as a base rather than copper. When the silver wears off these pieces, you are left with a yellowish solid metal with Sheffield platers marks which can be confused with the marks on American coin. The final piece was a very early piece of American silver plate by the Curtisville Manufacturing Company. Despite its age, there was no wear through at all, and the simple Curtisville stamp looked a lot like a retailer's mark on coin. By the way, English and American manufacturers made German silver flatware throughout the Victorian era, usually under a name like Alaska Silver, Nevada Silver or even Solid Silver! Fortunately, these pieces are generally thicker and heavier than the late coin/early sterling patterns they resemble, and they always have that same dingy color. IP: Logged
wev Moderator Posts: 4121 Registered: Apr 99	posted 11-13-1999 11:45 PM Some pieces can be tricky indeed and well worth a second look. I have a gravy ladle I think would give anyone pause. It has an upturned front-tipped fiddleback handle with a narrow flared and champhered shoulder. The stem of the handle is quite thick above the shoulder with a lovely taper to the handle end. The bowl is elliptical and again has a nice taper in thickness to the lip. The metal has the patina of old coin. Everything points to a nice, but not exceptional example of hand-work c 1840. It is marked COWLES in a plain rectangle and it is only after I tracked down the mark that I found a different story entirely. The Reverend Whitfield Cowles of Granby CT began experimenting with silver plating on britannia metal in 1843. At his death the work was carried on by his son. The company was purchased in 1845 by Asa Rogers, James Isaacson, and John Johnson, who changed the mark to read COWLES MFG. CO. The company was closed within the same year and the three partners went on to form their own companies including Rogers Brothers and eventually International Silver. All in all, an interesting example of silver's history. IP: Logged
TGS Posts: 31 Registered: Sep 99	posted 11-15-1999 11:19 AM The H&E forks I have had the question about turn out to be plated. I examined them carefully in full daylight and noticed spots on the heels where the plating was worn off. These spots were not visible under artificial light...at least to my eyes. However, FWIW, the plating looks like silver to me...it is very bright. It is not at all dull like some examples of Sheffield plate I have. Thanks to all who participated in this thread. IP: Logged
TGS Posts: 31 Registered: Sep 99	posted 11-17-1999 02:53 PM My last, you can be sure, H&E purchase came in and it is obviously silver plated. I located the one other example in my collection and it looks like it is silver plated also. Therefore, based on three separate instances H&E have turned out not to be coin silver. IP: Logged
TGS Posts: 31 Registered: Sep 99	posted 11-17-1999 02:54 PM My last, you can be sure, H&E purchase came in and it is obviously silver plated. I located the one other example in my collection and it looks like it is silver plated also. Therefore, based on three separate instances H&E have turned out not to be coin silver. IP: Logged
smfc75 Posts: 122 Registered: Mar 2002	posted 05-25-2002 04:46 PM The references that I have (Ensko, Kovel) indicate that Hall&Elton was in business 1841 or circa 1841. Can anyone provide a more specific range of dates? Were they still in business in the 1860's and 1870's? IP: Logged
June Martin Forum Master Posts: 1326 Registered: Apr 93	posted 05-26-2002 12:56 PM Per Rainwater's Encyclopedia of American Silver Manufacturers, Hall & Elton was formed in 1837. In 1890, the company was purchased by Maltby, Stevens & Curtiss which was in turn purchased by the Watrous Mfg Co. In 1898, the firm became part of the International Silver Company. IP: Logged
smfc75 Posts: 122 Registered: Mar 2002	posted 05-27-2002 04:52 AM Are you saying that "Hall & Elton" and "Hall, Elton & Co." are one and the same? Kovel and Ensko do not mention "Hall, Elton & Co." and Rainwater doesn't mention "Hall & Elton". What is the connection? [This message has been edited by smfc75 (edited 05-27-2002).] IP: Logged
June Martin Forum Master Posts: 1326 Registered: Apr 93	posted 05-27-2002 11:20 AM I based my reference to Rainwater on Belden's reference to it in the Hall & Elton entry. You raise a very good question. I'm not sure the Belden reference to Rainwater is correct because Hall, Elton & Co. of Wallingford, CT was formed by Deacon Almer Hall, William Elton and others. Hall & Elton was a partnership between Abraham B. Hall and A.D. Elton. IP: Logged
wev Moderator Posts: 4121 Registered: Apr 99	posted 05-27-2002 08:24 PM Spurred on by the revival of this thread, I have been doing a bit of digging about in the Wallingford CT and Geneva NY records. While their goods -- and marks -- looked at times interchangeable, there were two distinct companies: Hall & Elton of Geneva and Hall, Elton & Co of Wallingford. Hall & Elton, as June states, was formed c. 1841, when they began advertising plated silver goods. As noted, the principles were Abraham Bashara Hall and A. D. Elton. The latter has defied my searching; the former has proved more forthcoming. He was born to Jacob and Theodosia (Fairchild) Hall 16 Mar 1785 in Basking Ridge NJ, fifth of ten children. He first advertised as a silversmith in 1803 and continued until 1839. Around 1813, he was in a brief partnership with one of his brothers; the name of the firm was J. & A.B. HALL. Unfortunately, he had two appropriately named brothers, John (b. 1779) and Jacob Burrows (b. 1775). Of the two, I favour John. Jacob married by 1798 (to Rachel Hall, no relation) and had a passel of children and I have found nothing to indicate he was involved in trade. John was closer in age, did not (apparently) marry, and is listed as a merchant. At any rate, by 1840 or so, Abraham had moved from silversmithing proper to the manufacture -- at least in part -- of plated goods with the mysterious Mr. A. D. Elton. Some of their work was still in coin as I have examples with the incised HALL & ELTON that are definitely not plate or base metal. By the time they adopted the incuse HALL & ELTON, I think they were making plate and britannia alone (except for special orders, perhaps) using machine production methods. I have a set of six tablespoons, one of which was mis-fed in the die stamping press -- it has the handle shape half cut into the handle too far up the stem. All have what are, at first glance, hand cut drops, but a careful comparison show that all the flaws in line cutting are identical across the six spoons. I have found no ending date for the company; Abraham died in Geneva on 04 Mar 1872. He is, through his mother's line, now in my silver tree. On to Hall, Elton & Co. The principles here are Deacon Almer Hall, William Elton, and some un-named partners. Again, of Elton I can't say -- there were at least three of that name and appropriate age in Wallingford at the time; two were related (though distantly) to Almer, but nothing to give one better than a guess. Almer Hall was born 10 Sep 1793 in Wallingford to David and Thankful (Morse) Hall. He was both industrious and devout; it was a toss-up whether he would take to business or the Baptist pulpit. The market won out, though he remained a prominent lay leader all his life. He had a hand in numerous town businesses and real estate ventures and in 1837 formed the company in question. As Rainwater states, it was a going concern and strictly devoted to plate and britannia wares, both flat and hollow. One point of interest perhaps, to expand on Rainwater: it states that Hall, Elton & Co was purchased by Maltby, Stevens, Curtiss in 1890. In testimony in the case of Wm. Rogers Mfg. Co. v. Rogers & Spurr Mfg. Co. 1881, Evarts Chapman Stevens (Almer's son) stated: "My father, who had continued to work for him until his retirement, then entered into partnership with my maternal grandfather, E. C. Maltby, and acquired a plant in the Birmingham section of Shelton, Connecticut. Shortly thereafter, this business was incorporated as the Maltby, Stevens and Curtiss Company. This business continued in Birmingham from 1879 until 1885, when the plant property, during a particularly busy season, was entirely destroyed by fire. The Company then leased the abandoned plant of Hall, Elton & Co. in Wallingford and continued to operate with very little loss of time." It would appear from this that the company had fallen on hard times in the mid 80s. After 50 years, all the principles would surely have been retired (if not dead), so it is perhaps not surprising, facing a general depression and the rising tide of new, more modern manufactures, that the plant closed. Almer, through both his parents, is also in my tree. IP: Logged
Scott Martin Forum Master Posts: 11520 Registered: Apr 93	posted 05-28-2002 11:19 AM WEV - A very nice piece of research. TO All - By "my tree", WEV means his Genealogy of American Silversmiths. If you haven't taken the time to explore the Genealogy of American Silversmiths, you really should. It is an amazing body of work. Click here to see the Silver Salon Forum post about the Genealogy of American Silversmiths. Click here to go to Genealogy of American Silversmiths. IP: Logged
Scott Martin Forum Master Posts: 11520 Registered: Apr 93	posted 06-08-2002 08:12 AM The auction for this is over. Here is the info: quote: ....a Coin Silver serving spoon in EXCELLENT condition, that measures 8 3/8" in length. The spoon has a stamped name on the back of the handle, "HALL & ELTON." NO monogram or other identifying marks. The spoon shows use, but not abuse. .... IP: Logged
smfc75 Posts: 122 Registered: Mar 2002	posted 06-13-2002 02:50 AM Can somebody quote the Belden information on this maker (even though it may be incorrect)? I have not been able to obtain a copy of the book. Thanks. [This message has been edited by smfc75 (edited 06-13-2002).] IP: Logged
WGS Posts: 136 Registered: Oct 99	posted 06-13-2002 09:28 AM Hall & Elton Abraham B. Hall and A. D. Elton Geneva, N.Y. [two examples of marks - (a) and (b) both incuse with "HALL & ELTON" (a) sans serif (b) serifs] Advertisements: 1841, plated ware. Other marks known: HALL & ELTON in a rectangle References: Cutten, New York State, p. 17; Darling Foundation, New York State, p. 95; Rainwater, Encyclopedia, p. 65. ------------------ IP: Logged

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