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 SMP Silver Salon Forums
 American Silver before sterling
 Washington DC maker s. Lewis
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| Author | Topic: Washington DC maker s. Lewis |
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Mary Olden Posts: 4 |
posted 08-05-2004 12:47 PM
  
I'm interested in learning more about one S. Lewis, a Washington DC silversmith. The 1853 city directory lists a Samuel Lewis, with a shop on Pennsylvania Avenue, and I have a piece commissioned in 1858. The mark is S. Lewis, Washington DC, an eagle, what I would call a union insignia, like Union Pacific Railroad, and the letter U in an oval cartouche. The nature of the presentation piece suggests that Mr. Lewis was a well though of maker. All information appreciated. IP: Logged |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 08-05-2004 02:45 PM
I don't have any information on Mr. Lewis, but the other marks on your piece are the coin silver (.900) purity mark used by Bailey & Company of Philadelphia, who were the actual makers. IP: Logged |
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melissa Posts: 5 |
posted 08-05-2004 03:27 PM
Robert Green's book on trade cards lists Sam'l Lewis' Sons at 1215 Pennsylvania Ave, established 1840. He goes on to say they dealt in clocks, diamonds, jewelery, plated ware, silverware and watches. The info comes from the authors personal collection of cards; Lewis' used a flower motif on theirs. IP: Logged |
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swarter Moderator Posts: 2920 |
posted 08-05-2004 09:40 PM
According to Goldsborough (Silver in Maryland), Samuel Lewis was born in 1818, and was apprenticed to Samuel Kirk of Baltimore in 1833. Assuming the traditional apprenticeship of 7 years, he would have begun work in 1840. Can you post a photograph of the piece and of the marks? [This message has been edited by swarter (edited 08-05-2004).] IP: Logged |
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Mary Olden Posts: 4 |
posted 08-06-2004 10:06 AM
I'd love to post a picture, but have neither a camera nor talent for taking pictures. I understand that photographing silver is particularly difficult, but I'll ask my daughter if she can do it. Thank you all for sharing your information. IP: Logged |
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greyhave Posts: 2 |
posted 01-05-2005 11:56 AM
I'm a book-dealer, not a silver collector, but I recently acquired a handwritten technical notebook of Samuel Lewis, dated Washington, 1857, and I'm very interested in any further information about him which anyone might have. I noticed in an earlier Silver Forum posting that he's mentioned as having made silver "skippets" to hold the seals on official US treaties (possibly for the Perry Expedition to Japan?) I've also found him mentioned in the online diaries of Montgomery Meigs, one of the architects of the Capitol who later became Quartermaster General of the Union Army during the Civil War. I'd be particularly interested in any information about Lewis' work during the Civil War - is there any evidence that he did either silver or gold work for the Lincoln White House (as he was located a few blocks away)? Thanks, Richard Smith Greyhavens Books California IP: Logged |
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FredZ Posts: 1070 |
posted 01-05-2005 02:11 PM
Richard, You say you have a handwritten technical manual by Lewis. Is this about silversmithing or someother technical information. I am unaware of any technical documentation of silversmithing of this period. This would be of great interest to a craftsman like myself to see what Lewis felt was important to document. Fred IP: Logged |
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Mary Olden Posts: 4 |
posted 01-07-2005 11:49 AM
Re Samuel Lewis' having done work for the White House, the answer appears to be yes. The piece which stimulated my interest is a presentation piece inscribed from the President of the United States to the captain of a British vessel, the Hertfordshire, in thanks for rescuing all passengers and crew of an American ship, the John Gilpin, "from the perils of the sea" when the John Gilpin struck an iceberg in 1859 and sank near the Falkland Islands. My research into naval history confirms the accuracy of the sinking and rescue story. I inquired of the White House curator whether there was an extant receipt for the commissioning of the presentation piece. She was unable to locate one, but she says that the State Department did purchase skippets from Lewis during both the Lincoln and Buchanan administrations. She also provided me with copies of a few relevant pages of a publication, The Eagle and the Shield, A History of the Great Seal of the United States by Richard S. Patterson and Richardson Dougall describing, at chapter X a Lewis skippet-cover mold used as a die in 1871. While the presentation piece appears to only have been retailed by Lewis because the marks (I've learned) are of Bailey & Co.. there's an additional mark, what I describe as a Union symbol. I'm curious to know if that mark was used only on governmental presentation pieces. Can anyone provide any information on that issue? IP: Logged |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 01-07-2005 12:00 PM
The 'Union" symbol was also a part of Bailey's mark; the U indicated standard (ie .900) silver versus a S for goods meeting the British sterling grade. Is there any chance of some pictures of the piece? You can contact me if you need a place to store them. IP: Logged |
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Mary Olden Posts: 4 |
posted 01-07-2005 12:05 PM
I'll try to get some one to take pictures. Re the Bailey mark, I have several other Bailey pieces - a gravy or sauce boat, a large piece of flatware which I use as a cake and pie server, and one other which I can't remember right now - but none of them have the Union symbol. My books on marks are old, however, and there is probably much new information since the ones I have were published 25 or 30 years ago. IP: Logged |
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bascall Posts: 1629 |
posted 02-18-2008 11:41 PM
Samuel Lewis was born in the District of Columbia. His occupation is listed in the U. S. Federal Census's as silversmith and jeweler alternately between 1850 and 1880. He died in 1880 in the District of Columbia. IP: Logged |
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agleopar Posts: 850 |
posted 02-21-2008 04:10 PM
Following up on Fredz's post to Mr. smith at Greyhaven Books - I too would like to say that any notes on the working side of a jeweler/silversmiths business from that period are of great interest. Maybe only to a handful of experts in 19th century decorative arts but also to us craftspeaple, technology has not changed the work that much... Would it be posible to say a bit more of what they are about? Much thanks, Rob. [This message has been edited by agleopar (edited 02-21-2008).] IP: Logged |
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