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 Roswell Gleason pierced inverted basket with swing handle
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| Author | Topic: Roswell Gleason pierced inverted basket with swing handle |
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clarinetsax Posts: 3 |
posted 10-14-2011 01:12 PM
  
Hello and thank you for having this forum! I am going through my mother-in-law's silver plated dishes. Her 3 kids (including my husband) have taken the pieces that were sentimental for them (for instance, my husband got the mashed potato server that was used every holiday). Most of what is left is silver plate trays, dishes, & a covered butter dish. I can see from eBay & other places that they are fairly common pieces and will probably just donate these to a local thrift store. There is one piece that my husband doesn't recognize his mother ever using and it defies description (although I tried in the subject line above). It is stamped with the words "ROSWELL GLEASON," the number "17," and a little loopy mark that ends in an upside-down trident. I haven't been able to find anything that looks like it by using Google or eBay. Is it possible that something stamped with the words "ROSWELL GLEASON" was actually made by the historic Roswell Gleason company of Dorcester, MA? (My husband's family lived in Needham, MA for 15 years.) Could this be a piece that is worth holding on to? (Pictures below.) I appreciate any help you can give me! Claire in Maryland IP: Logged |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 10-14-2011 05:28 PM
It is undoubtedly from Mr. Gleason's works. I do not know if it had any specific use. Perhaps for tea cakes or cookies? Stawberrys or the like? I suspect it would have been used with an underplate. A piece of the same pattern and maker, but without the swing handle, is in the collection of The Boston Museum of Fine Arts. IP: Logged |
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swarter Moderator Posts: 2920 |
posted 10-14-2011 06:17 PM
A friend of ours originally from New Orleans collected antique oyster plates which were configured much like this for serving oysters on the half-shell, but I have never seen one of metal, and if memory serves, most were larger than this. They were of ceramic (Majolica, porcelain, ceramic, etc) and had no piercings, which if this is one, could have served to drain the oysters before serving. Go to Google Images and type in Oyster Plates [This message has been edited by swarter (edited 10-14-2011).] IP: Logged |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 10-14-2011 07:31 PM
I suspect oyster juice and silver would not mix well -- and an underplate would definitely be in order. The lightness of the design says tea time or dessert to me, but who knows? We're talking Victorians, here. IP: Logged |
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Scott Martin Forum Master Posts: 11520 |
posted 10-14-2011 08:06 PM
Dimensions would help. To me, it looks like it could be used to serve pears. IP: Logged |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 10-14-2011 08:24 PM
The MFA version is 12" in diameter. Pears are a good thought. IP: Logged |
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clarinetsax Posts: 3 |
posted 10-14-2011 09:38 PM
Wow! So this was made sometime before 1872? (If I understand correctly, 1871 is when R. GLEASON & SONS closed shop.) That is exciting and VERY unexpected!!! The dimensions are 12" diameter at its widest. 8" tall with the swing handle extended all the way up. I don't think we have an underplate, but I will check with my brother & sister-in-law to see if somehow one of the pieces they took was the underplate to this. I did Google "oyster plates" and "silver oyster plates" & not a single one I can find, neither silver nor porcelain, is pierced, so I'm leaning against oyster plate. Very cool that there is a piece of the same pattern in The Boston Museum of Fine Arts!!! Is it identical, other than not having the swing arm? If so, does the piece in the MFA have an underplate? Just for grins, I put 3 small pears on the piece & they do fit well... Thanks so much for helping me figure out that this is a piece I shouldn't send to the local thrift store!!! Any more information or ideas on function, more specific dates, etc. are most welcome! Claire in Maryland IP: Logged |
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ahwt Posts: 2334 |
posted 10-14-2011 11:02 PM
I hope you will enjoy your pretty silver dish/tray by Roswell Gleason (A New Year's Discovery). Put Rowell Gleason in quotes and perform an internet search for more information about this man and his time period. IP: Logged |
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clarinetsax Posts: 3 |
posted 10-14-2011 11:11 PM
Thank you! And I'm thinking that since it is old silverplate, I might not want to polish it up with the "Twinkle" paste I bought at the hardware store when I started going through my mother-in-law's silver. Any links to tips on how to care for antique silver plate? Cheers, Claire (I'm getting excited about this silver stuff! Is it bad form for me to post a picture of a sterling butter knife that only has pictoral hallmarks & no words to figure out more about it? It has a lovely ivy pattern on it...) IP: Logged |
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Kimo Posts: 1627 |
posted 10-15-2011 12:27 PM
Please do post photos of other parts of your begining collection of silver plated things, but only those things you do not intend to sell anytime in the foreseeable future or for which you intend to use the information you receive here to help someone else sell them for higher prices. To clean your silverplate the first thing you need to understand is the silver is a very thin layer on top of the base metal and it can very easily be worn through if you use a harsh polish, or (shudder) touch it with a buffing machine. Also, many pieces of silverplate were painted at one time with clear lacquer - either at the factory or at a later time by an owner. The purpose was to slow the rate of tarnishing. However, after a great many decades the surface layer of silver will eventually tarnish under the lacquer and you can polish until your fingers fall off and it will not make it shine until the lacquer is either removed or worn through. Check to see if you have an object with clear lacquer either all over it or in patches from wear over the years. A really close look, maybe with a magnifying glass should help you see, or if you polish and get mixed or poor results from a light touch then you may have lacquer. If you do have overall lacquer or remaining patches of it try some nail polish remover on a q-tip and see if that helps remove it. Another never-ever is to use a silver polish dip solution. They all (or at least all I have ever seen) contain a chemical called thiourea which can cause cancer. No polishing is worth that risk. Also, dips remove tarnish from the nooks and crannies which is your 'good tarnish' (yes there is good tarnish along with unwanted tarnish). The good tarnish is the dark tarnish in the crevices and crannies that gives your silverplate its three dimensional look and overall pleasing patina. Take it away and the object will look like it is an inexpensive reproduction that was made yesterday. When you buy a paste silver polish, make sure is has no rouge in it. Generally the red and pink polishes have rouge which is like a microfine sandpaper that removes some of the thin silver layer every time you use it until you get down to the base metal. Find a polish that does not rely on abrasion. Only use a clean, old, 100% cotton, extra soft cloth. You do not want your cloth being a source of abrasion. Finally, you can store your silverplate either in silvercloth or display it. Go ahead and use it - that is what it was made for - but be sure to wash it well by hand in mild dishwashing soap (never put it in the dishwasher). The things that will bring the tarnish back really quickly are things that have salt and eggs in them. And keep it away from anything with rubber such as mats, or rubberbands etc. as they will speed tarnishing as well. [This message has been edited by Kimo (edited 10-15-2011).] IP: Logged |
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nautilusjv Posts: 253 |
posted 10-17-2011 06:31 PM
Great tips Kimo for caring for silverplate! I use a soft sponge to polish. Do you think that is okay or would a cotton cloth be better? Thanks, Kelly IP: Logged |
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Polly Posts: 1970 |
posted 10-17-2011 11:46 PM
A cellulose sponge--the ordinary, cheap, grocery-store kind--is fine. Don't use a sponge with an abrasive scrubber backing. IP: Logged |
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Kimo Posts: 1627 |
posted 10-18-2011 10:16 AM
Yes, an extra soft cellulose sponge with no 'scrubber' side on it and used gently, not like you are trying to dig a hole through metal. And also do not use a real sea sponge. Those are very abrasive and have either calcium or silicon in their structure - that is how they grow. That abrasiveness is what makes a natural sea sponge good for the bath in that they will easily defoliate the dead skin cells. If you are unsure about a particular sponge, try rubbing it firmly on a very sensitive part of your skin like the inside of your wrist or your lips or such. If it feels ultra silky and smooth that would be a good sponge to use for polishing. [This message has been edited by Kimo (edited 10-18-2011).] IP: Logged |
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nautilusjv Posts: 253 |
posted 10-18-2011 10:23 PM
Thanks! Yes I use the oridinary soft sponge, no scrubbing side! It works quite well with polish and also with mild soap. I polish the plate pieces that sit en plein air so to speak about twice a year with polish and in between use a gentle soap which gives them a nice look. I keep most things in a glass display cabinet which keeps things pretty tarnish free for quite a period. Has anyone ever used those strips to put into a cabinet that absorb sulphur? Do they do the job? Kelly IP: Logged |
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jersey Posts: 1203 |
posted 10-18-2011 11:04 PM
Kelly, Wrights silver cream comes with a nice sponge . Jersey IP: Logged |
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