Example or pic of first patented pattern

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Example or pic of first patented pattern

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Author	Topic: Example or pic of first patented pattern
ellabee Posts: 306 Registered: Dec 2007	posted 07-08-2008 11:24 PM According to several sources, (in this case Wm. Hood in When Dining Was An Art ): quote: The first American patent granted for patterned flatware (Design Patent 26) was to Michael Gibney, December 4, 1844. A book on spoons by Gail Belden and Michael Snodin describes the design as "a pointed end and leafy bordering [added] to a double-swell fiddle handle". Has anyone ever seen a piece in this pattern, or an image of the design? IP: Logged
Scott Martin Forum Master Posts: 11520 Registered: Apr 93	posted 07-09-2008 12:01 AM IP: Logged
ellabee Posts: 306 Registered: Dec 2007	posted 07-09-2008 07:08 PM Thanks, Scott. Have you (or has anyone else here) ever seen a piece made in the pattern? Belden & Snodin's description sounds much more like John C. Moore's 'Prince Albert' (patent drawing in this thread ( J Polhamus)). That makes the book 0 for 2 (previous likely error attributing a silverplated spoon marked 'Garrett & Son' to the Philip Garrett-Thomas Garrett partnership). There's been a lot of silver scholarship since 1976, though, so I should expect not to rely on it too heavily. IP: Logged
Scott Martin Forum Master Posts: 11520 Registered: Apr 93	posted 07-10-2008 09:52 AM I am sorry, I don't have the time to get out of storage the material I need to answer your question. I do recall seeing/having a piece that might be that pattern. I also recall other similar looking patterns. I hope some of our members will post some examples of what they have that matches or comes close to the pattern? IP: Logged
wev Moderator Posts: 4121 Registered: Apr 99	posted 07-10-2008 10:09 AM A somewhat better image of the design from the original watercolor by Gibney IP: Logged
ellabee Posts: 306 Registered: Dec 2007	posted 07-10-2008 03:50 PM Thanks, wev and Scott. No rush or even need to dig things out; I'm awed and grateful by how much information you all provide. It would be interesting to know for sure that there were pieces produced in the pattern (forks, at least, I assume from the patent info). But there's no urgency at all. The most distinctive thing about the Gibney 'First' pattern (my name for it) is the rounded rectangular shape, which is found in few of the patented patterns of the following ten to fifteen years. There's a faint suggestion of 'Kings' in the scrolls and leafy curls, with a goofy little floret standing in for the double honeysuckle anthemion. Most of the fussiness of 'Kings' with none of the grace, in other words. IP: Logged
Scott Martin Forum Master Posts: 11520 Registered: Apr 93	posted 03-17-2009 02:33 PM IP: Logged
bascall Posts: 1629 Registered: Nov 99	posted 03-17-2009 05:22 PM Just curious; would you call this an egg, salt or mustard spoon? Nice picture of a piece from this pattern. IP: Logged
Scott Martin Forum Master Posts: 11520 Registered: Apr 93	posted 03-17-2009 05:30 PM The two that I have are 4.5 inches long. I suspect they are small egg spoons. BTW, the second one is engraved Emma. 1858. IP: Logged
swarter Moderator Posts: 2920 Registered: May 2003	posted 03-18-2009 01:41 PM quote: (edited) A book on spoons by Gail Belden and Michael Snodin describes the design as having " added a pointed end and leafy bordering to a double-swell fiddle handle". As there is no pointed end nor a double swell fiddle shown in the design patent application, this description is obviously inaccurate. [This message has been edited by swarter (edited 03-18-2009).] IP: Logged
ellabee Posts: 306 Registered: Dec 2007	posted 03-19-2009 10:40 PM Yep, as already acknowledged in my comment above on July 9, based on the patent drawing: Just one of a bunch of errors in that book. It struck me that the quoted passage is a better description of the 'Prince Albert' pattern made by several makers during the 1840s, including one by Gibney as early as 1844. It's quite possible that the authors confused the two. Gibney apparently didn't patent his 'Prince Albert', but John C. Moore patented a distinctive and fairly elaborate version in 1847: Thanks, Scott, for showing us your egg spoons. I've also seen recently an image of a preserve spoon in the pattern, [snip] from a silver dealer in Massachusetts. The engraved names on yours are much cooler... IP: Logged
ahwt Posts: 2334 Registered: Mar 2003	posted 03-24-2009 11:23 AM Just after seeing this post I saw the above Michael Gibney spoon in Selma, AL while attending their annual Pilgrimage. This one has the additional mark of Ball, Tompkins and Black and also has the letter “A” next to the Gibney year mark of 1844. The “A” may be a quality mark or a journeyman’s mark. This spoon is much heavier that other spoons of this time period. This design must not have been very popular as I do not recall ever seeing this pattern. This seems to be true for the Gothic pattern (Gale & Hayden mark on Gothic flatware?) by Gale that was also introduced in the 1840s. The Olive pattern was also introduced in the 1840’s and seems to have been the pattern that became popular – perhaps the coping of the Olive pattern by so many manufacturers created its popularity. Below is a picture of the famous Edmund Pettus Bridge that crosses the Alabama River at Selma and a hint that the winter is over with a Lady Banks rose in full bloom in the St. James Hotel courtyard. IP: Logged

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