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 SMP Silver Salon Forums
 Silverplate Forum
 Questions about UK silverplate makers
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| Author | Topic: Questions about UK silverplate makers |
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Dale Posts: 2132 |
posted 05-18-2005 12:28 AM
  
One thing I have noticed here is a large number of questions about English silverplate makers. This is something I personally know very little about. Patrick has been invaluable in answering these questions. Looking over this, it appears that the basic industrial structure of the silverplate industry in the US and in the UK are different. In the US, there were a number of larger makers who produced and marketed under their own trademarks. This process continues today. Aside from them were a number of somewhat unknown makers, or more accurately there are marks attributed to companies about which not a whole lot is known. The latter tend to cluster in a group I think of as 'department store silverplate'. By this term I mean hollow ware that was sold by department and larger jewelry stores as part of a coordinated 'look' or style. In my humble experience these marks exist in a bewildering array. It is wide enough of a spectrum to make me suspect that not all of these are maker's marks. Instead I tend to feel that I am looking at marks which are part of marketing not silver makeing. And which further leads me to suspect that such items were made on low bid contracts. Which some major makers may have won and used to keep their factories going in lean times.
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Dale Posts: 2132 |
posted 05-18-2005 12:47 AM
Concerning UK silverplate my impression, which may easily be incorrect, is that aside from Elkington there never were any major makers. Instead, there seem to have been numerous small makers who produced specific items (such as trays or goblets) and worked in something like a cooperative fashion with other makers. One company would make trays, another tea sets, a third vegetable bowls, yet another candlelabra. All of these could be set on a table and provide an elegant, harmonized service. But a very different system from that of the US. Instead of a brand name dominated market, there was a style market. One somewhat reminiscent of the old system of craft and guild manufacture. IP: Logged |
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Dale Posts: 2132 |
posted 05-18-2005 12:55 AM
Where this seems to be leading is something I am not really sure how to put into words. It seems to me, that sometime after the turn of the century, US silver retailers began to develope a supply source of hollow ware that did not depend on the major makers. These items exist in quantity on the US market. The marks tend to be obscure or untraceable. And virtually identical items can be found with a variety of marks. Which leads me to conclude that the marks are brand names not makers names. My question would be: is it possible that some of these unknown makers were UK companies who exported silver to the US? Probably this came in a not quite finished state, which allowed getting around the country of origin and tarriff barriers. The silver could be advertised as 'imported' while not conforming to the importation laws. The little bit of work done in the US would make these a US 'finished product'. And would allow the addition of some sort of psuedo-mark, which seems to be a feature of much US hollow ware. Anyway, any thoughts on this? IP: Logged |
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Silver Lyon Posts: 363 |
posted 05-20-2005 02:45 PM
There are a number of HUGE silver-plate manufactories in UK making electroplate from the 1840s. To start off with they are held back because Elkington hold the Patent and they have to pay a lisence fee leaving them at a disadvantage. The biggest include: Daniel & Arter William Hutton James Dixon Harrison Brothers Joseph Round Atkin Brothers Cooper Brothers Joseph Deakin Fenton Brothers Hawksworth Eyre & Co Henry Wilkinson Walker & Hall Roberts & Belk Mappin Brothers... I could go on. The largest of these were employing 2,000-3,000 souls at their height of production. [This message has been edited by Silver Lyon (edited 05-20-2005).] IP: Logged |
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