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Mystery Gorham Cast Spoon

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Author	Topic: Mystery Gorham Cast Spoon
dragonflywink Posts: 993 Registered: Dec 2002	posted 05-03-2005 07:01 PM [13-0170] Thought I'd share a piece that I recently added to my spoon collection. Bought online, though the picture was fuzzy, suspected it might be a Gorham cast souvenir spoon (generally believed to have had a limited production from around 1890-93). When received and found to indeed be cast, I contacted a respected souvenir spoon dealer, active in the spoon-collecting community, who was co-writing a book on Gorham souvenir spoons and seemed to have a special interest in the cast spoons. Turns out that the only other one he'd ever seen or heard of, is in the Gorham Collection at the Rhode Island School of Design. They haven't tracked down any records regarding this spoon, and little on the retailer, with nothing found in the archives. We've been having a discussion on what the spoon commemorates, and I have a couple of possible theories, but looking for some other opinions. The retailer, E.B. McClelland, was apparently based in Syracuse, NY, as Gorham produced a Syracuse University spoon and at least one other Syracuse spoon for them (also noted as offering an Easter spoon, 1893). The entwined letters at the top appear to be IOA (or some other similar combination), the bowl has a spray of Lilies of the Valley, and the handle is decorated with Ivy leaves. Anyone up for some guesses? ~Cheryl IP: Logged
dragonflywink Posts: 993 Registered: Dec 2002	posted 05-25-2012 08:26 AM Since I've been digging around in my slightly disorganized stash of bits & pieces of information, thought I'd update this old post. After fruitless searches for an appropriate organization that might use the combination of 'A,I,O' (Alpha, Iota, Omicron or maybe Theta), not sure why it didn't occur to me earlier that it might be an 'Alpha' and 'Phi', perhaps because the center-stroke seemed too long and, to my eye, appeared to be a separate character..... From the Alpha Phi Sorority Quarterlies: August, 1892 - announcing the spoon: August, 1892 - Since they didn't yet have their own design, the girls gave engraved Lily of the Valley spoons: May, 1892 - sorority song about the flowers in the bowl (apparently there are also Forget-me-nots tucked in with the Lilies of the Valley): 1893 - ad for E.B. McClelland: February, 1895 - article about the spoon: February, 1895 - illustration of the spoon: ~Cheryl IP: Logged
dragonflywink Posts: 993 Registered: Dec 2002	posted 05-25-2012 08:36 AM February, 1895 - reference to mention of the spoon in a fraternity publication: 1898 - E.B. McClelland ad, offering the spoon as "made only to order" (similar 1899 ad found): Current Alpha Phi logo: Another 1890s Gorham/E.B. McClelland spoon, along with an example of the ancient Syracuse Athena-head coin used as the basis for the design: ~Cheryl IP: Logged
Scott Martin Forum Master Posts: 11520 Registered: Apr 93	posted 05-25-2012 11:31 AM I find this very interesting. Thank-you. I am very impressed with your Patience and Perseverance. IP: Logged

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