SMP Logo
SM Publications
Silver Salon Forums - The premier site for discussing Silver.
SMP | Silver Salon Forums | SSF - Guidelines | SSF - FAQ | Silver Sales

The Collecting Place Settings Forum
Has been retired

The forum's posts/subject/threads are closed.

This forum can only be viewed

How to Post Photos            Want to be a Moderator?

customtitle open  SMP Silver Salon Forums
tlineopen  Collecting Place Settings
tline3open  Whiting Lily 1902

Post New Topic  Post A Reply
profile | register | preferences | faq | search

ForumFriend SSFFriend: Email This Page to Someone! next newest topic | next oldest topic
Author Topic:   Whiting Lily 1902
Bob Schulhof

Posts: 194
Registered: Apr 99

iconnumber posted 06-28-1999 12:37 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Bob Schulhof     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Whiting Lily 1902


Special Features
Lily 1902 by Whiting is one of Americas most popular and beautiful old patterns. With exquisite sharp detail it looks as good from the back as it does the front. (See photo above). Like many of the classic patterns from old companies that Gorham has acquired Lily has enjoyed a revival as the beautiful art of the turn of the century is back in style today.

Dating
Gorham acquired Whiting in 1924, and with it the Lily patterns. Remakes of the pattern have re appeared with Gorham marks and are still being produced today. The vast majority of our pieces have not only the Whiting stamp but also "PAT 1902 R'D 1902" and one has just the Whiting stamp.. One might presume that the PAT 1902 versions were produced for the first 14 years of the pattern, and then the 1902 stamp was dropped. But it could have been continued indefinitely. I am not sure if Gorham continued to produce Lily with the Whiting marks, or discontinued it after 1924, to be reborn again in the sixties with Gorham marks ("Gorham" spelled out). Turner does not list it as obsolete in 1929, and it seems to be very plentiful, so possibly it just continued on.

Pieces Available
As a turn of the century pattern every conceivable device known to the table was available in Lily. Shown below are:

Item.......Length......our cost
Demi-Tasse...4½".......$39
Flat Butter....5 "....... $53
Teaspoon....5 7/8" .l..... $39
Oval Soup ....7½"....... $80
Dinner Knife...9 ".......$ 65
Dinner Fork....7 7/8"....$125
Luncheon Fork .7½"......$48
Salad Fork ...6 ".....$135

Photo:

Key Pieces
The great challenge of Lily has traditionally been salad forks. When we were looking for ours, one dealer told us he had seven and would put us on the waiting list. There were 50 ahead of us. The new Gorham version is actually quite a bit bigger and is really a fish fork, so the real 6" salads are at a premium. However the sleeper is the dinner fork. It must be that Lily was one of those flowery patterns that m'lady used for luncheon but not dinner because dinner forks are made out of unobtainium. Midwest always has a couple around because they keep them priced at $185!!

Comments
For patterns such as Lily it would be wonderful to interview some old Gorham employees that could give us the real history. What happened after 1924? Were the Whiting lines dropped? Did they continue on being actively marketed? Or just making replacements for people? Was Lily ever discontinued? When did Gorham begin the line with the Gorham stamp?
It seems we know so little.

IP: Logged

Bob Schulhof

Posts: 194
Registered: Apr 99

iconnumber posted 07-08-1999 09:17 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Bob Schulhof     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Spoke to a dealer who says that he has been able to order new Lily salads from Gorham with Whiting marks. He says that is where all the salad forks are coming from. One anomaly is that the Whiting Lion is BACKWARDS. Has anyone else bought any new Lily from Gorham? Are the Lions backwards? Seems like it is buyer beware on Gorham. Retailers marks are going to be very desireable and keep those old monos

IP: Logged

M H Bradshaw

Posts: 32
Registered: Apr 99

iconnumber posted 07-08-1999 11:00 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for M H Bradshaw     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I didn't buy, but I've seen the backwards lion on salad serving sets.

IP: Logged

Bob Schulhof

Posts: 194
Registered: Apr 99

iconnumber posted 07-11-1999 07:22 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Bob Schulhof     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Yes the new Whiting Lion Faces Right!!

At the Anaheim Silver show today I was able to go through Betty Overton's inventory of new Lily pieces. Apparantly they have made new dies, which are nicer than the old worn out ones which does include the small salad fork. There were several new pieces including dinner & salad forks without a "Gorham" stamp but with a new Whiting stamp with the backwards lion. The mark is also quite a bit larger than the old Whiting mark. We collectors thank you Gorham (actually Lennox) for not just making imposters.

IP: Logged

Bob Schulhof

Posts: 194
Registered: Apr 99

iconnumber posted 02-02-2000 02:26 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Bob Schulhof     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
According to the "Silver Update", an appraisers Journal of the late 1980's, Lily was available in "Made to Order" during the period covered 1986-1992.

IP: Logged

All times are ET

next newest topic | next oldest topic

Administrative Options: Close Topic | Archive/Move | Delete Topic
Post New Topic  Post A Reply
Hop to:


Ultimate Bulletin Board 5.46a


| Home | Order | The Guide to Evaluating Gold & Silver Objects | The Book of Silver | Chat room |
| Update BOS Registration | Silver Library | For Sale | Our Wants List | Silver Dealers | Speakers Bureau |
| Silversmiths | How to set a table | Shows | SMP | Silver News |
copyright © 1993-2022 SM Publications
All Rights Reserved.
Legal & Privacy Notices