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 American Silver before sterling
 Woodward & Grosjean / Grosjean & Woodward
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| Author | Topic: Woodward & Grosjean / Grosjean & Woodward |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 11-30-2006 04:52 PM
  
I have been puzzling out a little knot brought up by my recent forays into various Boston city directories and it nicely illustrates the danger of using a single reference or even several, when dealing with our little passion. Silver references:
• John H. Woodward and Charles Grosjean listed separately as silversmiths. 1850 Boston directory: • The firm of Woodward (John H.) and Grosjean (Charles) listed as silversmiths at 13 Court Square. 1859 NYC directory: • Both men listed separately as silversmiths, but both working at 203 Centre Street. Genealogical records: • John Hoyt Woodward married Eliza A. Wakefield about 1845 in Boston, where their first two daughters are born. Two more daughters were born in New York in the 1850s. 1880 US census: • John H. Woodward, born 1814 in MA, is listed as a silversmith, living in Paterson NJ along with his wife and two youngest daughters. • Charles Grosjean, born 1841 in NY, designer silversmith, living in Brooklyn NY. Also listed is his wife Sarah F., born 1840 in NY, and two sons and two daughters, all under age 12. His parents were born in England and Germany. This is the designer working for Tiffany in the 1870-1880s as mentioned in Venable; his relationship to the elder Grosjean is unknown, but likely. So we have Grosjean starting first in Boston, not New York City, partnering with John Hoyt Woodward, working c 1840-1850 as Woodward & Grosjean. They then make the move to New York City, the firm name changing to Grosjean & Woodward. After the firm's demise, Woodward continues working at his trade, perhaps alone or for another firm. He was not, from any records I have found, ever listed as a jeweler, only as a silversmith. How "Eli" got into the mix is anyone's guess, but he appears to be a fiction introduced by Currier and Ensko I. IP: Logged |
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Ulysses Dietz Moderator Posts: 1265 |
posted 12-02-2006 04:36 PM
Most of us who know Grosjean and Woodward is through the silver they made for Tiffany & Co.--along with John C. Moore, they were THE main silversmiths for early Tiffany silver, until Moore got the exclusive (in 1860?--that can be looked up). Does anyone know of any silver of theirs from Boston? Or, for that matter, from New York for any other retailer? Charles Grosjean was also a major designer for Tiffany & Co. into the 1880s as they developed their own flatware lines, etc. IP: Logged |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 12-02-2006 07:44 PM
In their Boston days, they were (as Woodward & Grosjean) major suppliers to Lincoln & Foss and Jones, Ball & Poor. Here is a rather shoddy shot of their mark in conjunction with the latter The Charles Grosjean who worked for Tiffany as a silver designer is not the same as the gentleman in partnership with Woodward. I suspect they were father and son, but have found no records to support it. IP: Logged |
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ahwt Posts: 2334 |
posted 12-02-2006 10:38 PM
A cream pot is shown in the Great Faces # 1 thread by Grosjean & Woodward for Hayden & Whilden. I think Dale indicated that the face is Father Wind rather than the North Wind. The rather elaborate mark on this cream pot is shown below. I guess Tiffany was the Hayden & Whilden of the North. IP: Logged |
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ahwt Posts: 2334 |
posted 12-06-2006 12:24 AM
I occasionally see the G & W marks attributed to Gale and Willis by knowledgeable silver dealers. Both Rainwater (fourth edition) and Deborah Waters in Elegant Plate attribute the G & W mark to Grosjean and Woodard. Ms. Waters also states that the Grosjean and Woodard mark on the articles contained in her book include the words English Sterling and 925·1000. The articles in her book are also marked Tiffany and it may be that the attribution of the G & W mark to Grosjean and Woodard is because they were known suppliers to Tiffany. IP: Logged |
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bascall Posts: 1629 |
posted 07-14-2008 04:51 AM
quote:I like the way ahwt put that. Here's a list of Hayden & Whilden personnel from the 1860 Charleston City Directory that might add a little more credance to that statement: Augustus H Hayden IP: Logged |
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