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 Silver Dealers we have known and loved.
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| Author | Topic: Silver Dealers we have known and loved. |
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agleopar Posts: 850 |
posted 02-22-2008 01:28 PM
  
[01-2646] An idea for a post on silver dealers came to mind and thinking about it made me realize that it would not work if we talked about living ones for obvious reasons (no matter how much fun that would be)! So I propose that if anyone knew a dealer, preferably one they liked and respected that they be remembered here. My thought is a record of their life's work or stories about them. The only dealer I knew, now gone, was Herbert Gebelein. Herb was in his 70's when I met him and he was running Gebeleins on Newbury Street in Boston. He was the son of the founder George, who was a silversmith (his shop was on Charles Street) and herb could be known to pick up a hammer to ease out a dent but that was about it with tools. His joy in life and business was antique silver. He was a bachelor, a Christian Scientist and lived in the suburbs of Boston. He had been through WWII and had lost much of his hearing, which meant he sometimes chose what to hear. For recreation I think he might have liked to ice skate. It was always a pleasure to be around Herb when he was researching a piece of silver. The shop had a library that was impressive and Herb was an expert in many fields. I am sure some of you on this forum know of his knowledge in American colonial, Chinese export, as well as other areas. Perhaps you might add to this brief recollection. J. Herbert Gebelein was a gentle modest man with a mind like a steel trap when it came to silver. I have in my copy of the book, about George by his children, a hand typed page of "A Few Slight Correctibles, and Addenda" by J.H.G. It reminds me of him sitting at his desk typing up a report on some early treasure. All of which he did without fuss and day after day. IP: Logged |
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Scott Martin Forum Master Posts: 11520 |
posted 02-22-2008 03:41 PM
Without much reflection, a few that come to mind:
Manny Asness Shirley Sprung Larry Marsh Bird Drucker Caroline Asness (retired) Pat Nelson (retired) Danny Kramer (retired) Dottie & Sy Shapiro (retired ?) IP: Logged |
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Dale Posts: 2132 |
posted 02-22-2008 04:05 PM
These come to mind: Virginia Giery Need to search my memory for more. IP: Logged |
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agleopar Posts: 850 |
posted 02-22-2008 04:55 PM
Like the list for posterity, how about some recollections for interest? IP: Logged |
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Scott Martin Forum Master Posts: 11520 |
posted 02-22-2008 06:07 PM
I just heard that Michael Weller, proprietor of ARGENTUM-THE LEOPARD'S HEAD, the great silver shop in San Francisco, died at his home last night, February 21, 2008, of metastatic cancer. He was a classic and will be greatly missed.
IP: Logged |
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Clive E Taylor Posts: 450 |
posted 02-22-2008 06:45 PM
Edward Novell of Wells, England. One of the old school of dealers who did not really worry if you bought anything from him, but always wanted to show you anything he found of interest. We still miss him. IP: Logged |
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Ulysses Dietz Moderator Posts: 1265 |
posted 02-22-2008 08:02 PM
I'm sorry to hear about Mike Weller, although I knew he was terribly ill. A few years back, while in San Francisco to give a lecture, he spent a whole day with me and showed me around both his beautiful shop and his beloved city. He will be missed. IP: Logged |
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Ulysses Dietz Moderator Posts: 1265 |
posted 02-22-2008 08:05 PM
On a less sad note, I can remember being taken to the Ensko shop in New York by my father, in about 1970, to help him buy a piece of Hester Bateman silver as a thank-you for a friend who had done us a great favor. It was an elegant little shop, and you had to ring a doorbell, which was opened by a uniformed maid. I remember being quite awed by the hushed tone of the place, and by how nice "they" were (Mr. Ensko?). We made our purchase and left. Those were the days. IP: Logged |
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doc Posts: 728 |
posted 02-23-2008 07:13 PM
I had a similar experience with Mike Weller. I was at a work meeting in San Francisco and went to visit his wonderful shop. We spent the afternoon going through his wonderful inventory and his amazing source book collection. I will always remember the gleam in his eye when I told him I liked Irish silver, and he pulled out a fantastic pudding trowel that had just come in. It was probably my favorite antiquing day; I will always treasure the time he gave me. [This message has been edited by doc (edited 02-24-2008).] IP: Logged |
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Tad Hale Posts: 120 |
posted 02-24-2008 12:37 AM
Here is a few more that have not been listed: Wilma Saxton IP: Logged |
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Dale Posts: 2132 |
posted 02-24-2008 12:44 PM
A little more about one of my selections. Virginia Giery was what we might call a minor dealer. From the 60's into the 80's, she exhibited at the Kane County Flea Market in St Charles, IL. Her booth carried both silverplate and sterling. In the mid 70's I got to know her. Virginia had spent her life as a housewife. Never had any children, she and her husband lived in suburban Chicago. She loved silver. And had begun dealing in it during WW2. She would go around to estate sales and thrift shops buying it up. Then she would sell at small church shows and rummage sales. Kane County grew to be a 3 to 4 thousand dealer show in the 70's, and Virginia was one of the first dealers there. She was the person who taught me how to set a booth up, how to run it and how to sell. She also taught me a great deal about silver. Virginia had come up at a time when there were very few references on American sterling. So she had put together scrap books of ads for information. Her system was one ad per pattern. When she got a new one she would sell the older one. What else can I say about her? She had married in 1919 or 20. They had been together over 50 years when he died in the early 70's. Virginia was an old style Irish Catholic; she put her booth together one handed. The other hand was praying the rosary. Her discourse ran like this: Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee This is something that seems to have died out, but years ago it was something very devout people did. When I became a road dealer, I lost touch with Virginia. Sometime in the early 80's, went to Kane and she wasn't there. Heard she had had to go into a nursing home. Years later in Omaha, my friend Gail Herbst (ooops left him off the list) came in with a bunch of very nice plate. Looked it over and realized that the tags were Virginia's. He had bought it from someone who said the silver had been her aunt's. So, just a little fleshing out one of the names. IP: Logged |
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agleopar Posts: 850 |
posted 02-24-2008 01:27 PM
Ulysses, Doc, and Dale, I appreciate the stories, I never saw Enskos, nor met Mr. Weller and Mrs. Giery sounded like a resourceful and lovely person. It seems that these recollections are what give a personality to people who are otherwise just in the "business". I hope that more folks will share their memories. Now to figure out a way to talk about the "characters" that are still alive and kicking!? IP: Logged |
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jersey Posts: 1203 |
posted 03-21-2008 09:54 AM
Hello! FYI re: Mr.Weller A memorial service and celebration of Michael Weller's life will be held at St. Mark's Lutheran Church, 1111 O'Farrell Street, San Francisco, CA, on Friday, April 11, 2008, at 7 p.m. Music will be by the American Bach Jersey IP: Logged |
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IJP Posts: 326 |
posted 03-22-2008 12:17 PM
I would also mention Ms. Helen Patton Cox of New Orleans, Louisiana. At the time she passed away in January 2006, I was still working full-time at the shop she founded there. I remember speaking to her a few years ago about how she got into the silver business. She had started with little more than a booth in a small warehouse-turned-flea-market, restoring and dealing in vintage furnishings and accessories, as well as a few pieces of silver-plated flatware and holloware. As I remember she explained it, a friend had offered her first choice on a large selection of sterling pieces which were on the way to scrap as silver's value rose dramatically following the Hunt brothers incident (circa 1979). Evidently, she had invested in enough of it to open a shop devoted exclusively to sterling and silverplate. Eventually her small business became very successful, and even today if someone asks where to go for sterling silver goods in New Orleans, it's invariably that shop which is mentioned most. I found her story to be very fascinating and encouraging, that what began as merely a pastime could develop into a very profitable venture. I always enjoyed sharing my own new silver finds with her, or even simply browsing through photos in auction and exhibition catalogues with her and marvelling at items so rare and costly that I could never hope to own them myself. I'm almost certain that I wouldn't know most of what I do today about silver without her encouragement and enthusiasm for sharing. [This message has been edited by IJP (edited 03-22-2008).] IP: Logged |
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Scott Martin Forum Master Posts: 11520 |
posted 02-24-2013 03:02 PM
On August 9th 2012 Danny Kramer pasted away. I looked online for bio/obit info but came up with nothing. Maybe one of our Genealogist members will do better? Here is a photo of Danny in Miami at one of his favorite Cuban restaurants called Los Vegas. IP: Logged |
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