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 SMP Silver Salon Forums
 American Silver before sterling
 J. Fries
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| Author | Topic: J. Fries |
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Scott Martin Forum Master Posts: 11520 |
posted 12-28-2001 06:32 PM
  
Ok WEV & all, I was doing some silver surfing in the bottom of one our drawers and came across this. Off the top of my head, I don't recognize the mark. Ring any bells? IP: Logged |
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FredZ Posts: 1070 |
posted 12-28-2001 06:56 PM
Lovely Philadelphia spoon by John Fries circa 1830-50. Found in Currier book. I don't have any good Philadelphia reference books save for the Richardson biographies by Fales. Perhaps someone can shed more light on the smith. I would love to come across a decorated stake for decorating the spoons like this one. I am keeping track of which museums hold the tools of which smiths. I now have a computer with internet access at home and so I will be able to reach my reference books easily. IP: Logged |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 12-28-2001 06:57 PM
I believe the maker is John Fries who worked in Philadelphia c 1830-1850. I don't know anything more about him past that. I have a tablespoon and teaspoon of identical form and decoration and have seen a number of other pieces in shops and on ebay with the wreath as well. It must have been a favorite with him. Has anyone seen it on pieces by other makers? IP: Logged |
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bascall Posts: 1629 |
posted 01-09-2009 10:47 AM
There is a John Fries listed in the 1870 U S Federal Census for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania who was a jeweler and was born in about 1805 in Pennsylvania to foreign born parents. IP: Logged |
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swarter Moderator Posts: 2920 |
posted 01-09-2009 01:45 PM
I have one or more examples, too. Spoons like the one pictured are characteristic of a form used by R&W Wilson (w.1825-46), suppliers to many retailers in and around Philadelphia; the "standard" mark was their quality mark for coin silver. I have little doubt this spoon came from their "manufactory." The wreath decoration is not common, but appears on other Fries spoons, whose use may have had some kind of memorial association. IP: Logged |
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ellabee Posts: 306 |
posted 01-10-2009 12:47 PM
swarter, just to clarify: Your hypothesis is that the spoon was made in the Wilson factory and decorated by J.Fries? A bunch of items with decorated ends (basket-of-flowers, sheaf-of-wheat, and wreath) from a collection have been appearing on the big online auction recently; there might be an item with this wreath design among them. IP: Logged |
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swarter Moderator Posts: 2920 |
posted 01-10-2009 01:31 PM
I would assume the decoration was applied during the manufacturing process by the Wilsons on special order from Fries (or anyone else who might have wanted it wanted it). I don't know if anyone has seen a wholesale catalog from them, so I don't know if it was a stock offering. IP: Logged |
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ahwt Posts: 2334 |
posted 01-11-2009 05:33 PM
Below is a spoon with what appears to be the same wreath as on the Fries spoon. This one has the mark of Lewis Ladomus of Philadelphia. McGrew gives his working dates as 1846-1879 and lists him as a watchmaker and jeweler. I agree that this is a very attractive pattern, but it was not a pattern that others copied. IP: Logged |
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bascall Posts: 1629 |
posted 01-11-2009 05:48 PM
The Ladomus spoon looks about identical to the Fries spoon. Is the drop the same? IP: Logged |
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ahwt Posts: 2334 |
posted 01-11-2009 06:33 PM
 This drop seems the same to me as on the Fries spoon. IP: Logged |
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bascall Posts: 1629 |
posted 01-11-2009 07:34 PM
Yes, it goes along with what Swarter had mentioned about Wilson and their manufactory. Thank you. IP: Logged |
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ahwt Posts: 2334 |
posted 01-11-2009 08:29 PM
The mulberry pattern was often thought to have been made in Charleston, but with one turning up with a Philadelphia mark I think that it is safe to assume that these spoons were made in Philadelphia. It could be that certain retailers or regions thought that they had an exclusive agreement with the manufacturer, but somehow the manufacturer let some of the stock go to another market or retailer. IP: Logged |
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Tad Hale Posts: 120 |
posted 01-12-2009 01:21 PM
John Fries is listed as a Watchmaker in the Philadelphia (McElroy's) Directories from 1844-1850. He is listed at 160 N. 2nd St. There is also a P. Fries, Watchmaker listed in the same directories for 1844-1850 but he is listed at 353 N. 2nd St. IP: Logged |
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swarter Moderator Posts: 2920 |
posted 01-12-2009 02:05 PM
In addition to the Fries spoons, I also have a master salt spoon in the same style marked O. REED for Osman Reed, listed as a watchmaker 1831-41, and as O Reed & Co 1841-50. The pattern evidently was available to retailers, but not widely used. IP: Logged |
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ahwt Posts: 2334 |
posted 01-12-2009 03:44 PM
In today's market the retailer is often the designer and contracts with a manufacturer for their product. Under these circumstances the retailer would normally want an exclusive use of the manufacturers production line for their product. It could be similar arrangements were entered into back in the 1840s and Fries designed the pattern and contracted with R & W Wilson for the production of his design. Perhaps after a time the arrangement changed and Wilson was allowed to sell to anyone. IP: Logged |
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