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Q: Barbour Silver Co. ( No Answer,   2 Comments )
Question  
Subject: Barbour Silver Co.
Category: Miscellaneous
Asked by: barbour-ga
List Price: $60.00
Posted: 17 Oct 2002 11:46 PDT
Expires: 16 Nov 2002 10:46 PST
Question ID: 77826
I bought a badly tarnished, (18 inch) oblong, silver dish at a rural
flea market.  Once polished, I see that it has four embossed Dutch
scenes, and scalloped around edge. Silver Magazine helped me identify
the mark and find that the piece was made by the Barbour Silver
Company. A picture of the piece's mark, as well as information about
Barbour Silver Company, is available in the Encyclopedia of American
Silver Manufacturers by Rainwater& Redfield. The mark is of a Dutch
windmill with long ladders on either side--bordered on two sides by
large tobacco pipes ( NO "half circle" trademark is above the mark).
At the other end of back is # 3526.
 I have been unable to find any dates or added information about this
SPECIFIC mark with accompanying  number-- 3526.  Thank you in advance
for your work !

Clarification of Question by barbour-ga on 17 Oct 2002 14:43 PDT
Dear Journalist-ga : Thank you so very much for your interest and your
comments.
      Right off the bat, let me admit that I am very much the
novice....even still, one of the most intriguing things about this
piece is its light weight and the fact that I am able to put pressure
on the ends and feel a slight change.  Thank you again.

Clarification of Question by barbour-ga on 18 Oct 2002 07:19 PDT
Thank you for your follow-up journalist!!!
 I visited the Western Silver site, and yes, I do think mine is a dish
or bowl "used as a receptacle".  It looks nothing like the charger
displayed on Western's page, but the shape and embosssing remind me of
the photo of "Sterling Silver holloware of Cupids and Flowers" within
Western's same site. Among differences :my piece is slightly more
oblong, has nothing in the bowled center, and the embossing is of
active Dutch people and places.
The back side appears rough and unfinished, and is a mirror image of
the front punches.
As to weight : when I bought this blackened "bowl or dish", I thought
I would be buying a discarded aluminum dish, but after I polished, I
saw it was silver.
It is only on the thin outermost scalloped edge that the silver will
"give" when I apply pressure.   Grateful for any continued interest!

Clarification of Question by barbour-ga on 18 Oct 2002 13:44 PDT
Also meant to add: there is not a hint of any copper showing through.
Answer  
There is no answer at this time.

Comments  
Subject: Re: Barbour Silver Co.
From: journalist-ga on 17 Oct 2002 12:57 PDT
 
Greetings!  I have found snippets of information concerning the
history of Barbour but no new information on the mark of which you
speak so I am posting my research as a comment.

From http://pages.tias.com/254/PictPage/1263145.html - a listing of a
Barbour Silverplate Charger:
"a Dutch reproduction made about 1920 to 1931 by Barbour Silver Plate
Co. Dutch reproductions had a vogue from about 1910 to 1930. These
made by the Barbour Silver Plate Co. were made by a process no longer
used, called Copper Deposit. An impression of the design was made in
red wax, then this wax form was hung in a plating tank and plated with
copper until the desired thickness had been obtained. The wax was
afterwards melted away and the piece silverplated. Reference: American
Silverplate by Dorothy T. and H. Ivan Rainwater. Photo of this charger
is on Page 62. It is stamped Barbour on the back with No. 3677.
Condition is excellent with very little of the copper showing
through."

From another search using "barbour silver plate company", I found this
information at Victorian Journal,
http://www.livingvictorian.com/pm/journal_silver.html :
"In 1862, the Meriden Britannia Company purchased the Rogers Brothers
Manufacturing Company, including their tools, dies and trademark. Many
other small companies in the area realized the benefits of banding
together to better supply the growing public demand. The International
Silver Company was incorporated in 1898. Along with the 1847 Rogers
Bros. trademark, the Meriden Britannia Company led the way. Soon, over
forty firms would join, often retaining their own trademarks under the
I.S. Co. umbrella. Some of these names include the American Silver
Co., Barbour Silver Co..."

The references for this text were the book of which you spoke but also
another one by Ivan Dorothy T. Rainwater ttled "American Silver plate"
(also mentioned above).  That book may provide additional information
on Barbour.  Another book mentioned was by Noel D. Turner and titled
"American Silver Flatware 1837 - 1910."

I also found a message board where Barbour is referenced.  You may
want to join it and contact the "Nancy" in the message to find the
titles of the books she referred to -
http://www.hartfordhistory.net/wwwboard/messages/356.html

By searching the town origin of Barbour Silver (referenced as Hartford
Connecticut) I located this information on the Hartford History: FAQs
page at http://www.hartfordhistory.net/faq.html#barbour

"What is Barbour silver? 

"Despite the great interest in Barbour silver - many people own it,
apparently - information on its history is sketchy. Here's what
researchers at the Connecticut Historical Society uncovered:

"In 1881 or 1882, Samuel Barbour moved from Chicago to New Haven,
Conn., where he and his brother Charles joined in forming the Barbour
Brothers Co. At this point, they were only marketers of silverplate
products made by I. J. Steane & Co. of Hartford. But the brothers were
operating in Hartford by no later than 1889, since the Geer's city
directory for that year contains the listing, "Barbour Bros. Co.
silverplated ware mfgs.., 64 Market St." (Market Street, located
downtown, has been altered greatly since then.)

"In 1892, a decade or so after its formation, the brothers' original
partnership was succeeded by the Barbour Silver Co., which also
succeeded Steane & Co. The 1889 edition of the Geer's city directory
has a listing for "Barbour Silver Co., Silversmiths, 62 Market St."

"Barbour Silver became one of the first silver firms absorbed by the
International Silver Co. of Meriden, Conn., when that concern was
established in 1898.

Searching "I. J. Steane & Co." turned up an article from the
Winston-Salem Journal I had found when I searched Barbour, but the
link was not active.  It may be that your mark has something to do
with that company.  You might contact the newspaper to see if you can
receive the article in print: (800) 642-0925

I wish you good luck in your quest.


SEARCH TERMS:

"barbour silver history"
"barbour silver plate company"
"international silver company barbour"
"barbour silver hartford connecticut"
"I. J. Steane & Co." (see first listing at
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=I.+J.+Steane+%26+Co.
- it's the dead link)
Subject: Re: Barbour Silver Co.
From: journalist-ga on 17 Oct 2002 23:12 PDT
 
"I am able to put pressure on the ends and feel a slight change..." Is
it as if the piece is hollow?  Or just light in weight?  There is a
term in silversmithing for the hollow pieces though I am unable to
find a definition of it (I have a creamer that is hollow - like tow
thin pieces of creamers joined together).  The only "holloware"
definition I found refers to "serving dishes of silver" and "items of
usually metal tableware, such as bowls, pitchers, teapots, and trays,
that serve as containers or receptacles" (definitions from
Dictionary.com)

Also, could it be a charger plate?  (see the web page
http://www.westernsilver.com/silver_hollowware/silver_holloware_grand_bar.html
for example photo).  A charger is a large shallow dish whose design or
color is used as an underliner to a table setting during the first two
courses of a meal. It is removed when the entree' is served.

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