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 Monograms
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| Author | Topic: Monograms |
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mikehm Posts: 6 |
posted 10-16-2004 05:34 AM
  
Dear All, In a different topic in this forum, I mentioned in passing a silver fork I have which bears the maker's mark for Thomas Evans, and hallmarks for London, 1815. The fork bears a monogram on one side of the handle, "HE" in old English Gothic, and, on the other side, the monogram "WMS" in a similar (but not identical) style that to me looks rather later (mid-nineteenth century, in fact). What could explain this? The only thing I can think of is the HE left his flatware in his will to a cousin or friend with the initials WMS, and that the cousin or friend then had his initials added. However, this strikes me as rather far-fetched. Has anyone else come across this sort of thing before? Has anyone got a better explanation? Why did people have monograms put on their tableware anyway? Were these people the newly-rich middle classes, who didn't have family crests to put there, but felt that something was necessary, for the look of the thing? Thanks in advance for any comments you might be able to offer. ATB IP: Logged |
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Dale Posts: 2132 |
posted 10-16-2004 01:47 PM
Miss Manner's argument is that when silver is monogramed, the second wife will never enjoy it. So, put your first initial on the silver. That will carry you through many marriages. I have seen all sorts of things done with monograms. I have even seen two full names in the same cartouche. One was centered, and the other above it. What you have is not at all unusual. HE had the silver originally. Later it went to someone named WMS. My understanding is that silver usually passed in the female line, so different monograms came with marriages. IP: Logged |
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Kimo Posts: 1627 |
posted 10-18-2004 02:18 PM
I've not considered the question of multiple monograms before, but now that you bring it up I can see that it has a certain attraction in a strange sort of way. Silver handed down from one generation to the next with each successive person adding their monogram. It would give the silver a real sense of charm, tradition and ceremony, though I should imagine it might be best to do all of the successive monogramming on the back so that the front doesn't get overly busy with engravings on its limited amount of flat space. IP: Logged |
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swarter Moderator Posts: 2920 |
posted 10-18-2004 04:19 PM
quote: The original purpose in initialing silver was to establish ownership, discourage theft, and enable recovering of stolen items, in the early days when silver was extremely expensive. Period newspapers carried ads for both stolen and recovered silver, identified (or to be identified by the claimant) by both owners' initials and maker's marks. Sentimentality and family history came later. IP: Logged |
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Dale Posts: 2132 |
posted 10-19-2004 12:13 AM
Here again custom enters into the situation. Europeans set silver on the table in a way we would consider upside down. So, if a piece is monogramed on the back, it suggests a Continental origin or customer. IP: Logged |
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swarter Moderator Posts: 2920 |
posted 10-19-2004 02:18 PM
Prior to the introduction of the Old English style in America, colonial flatware was placed upside down on the table in the European fashion, so Hanoverian and earlier styles are monogrammed on the back of the handles, too. IP: Logged |
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