posted 08-18-2006 01:04 PM            

I here a pair of silverplate clothes brushes that I would like the manufacturer identified. My mother had the brushes on her dresser for years - from the 1940s. She always had them along side her sterling Saart Brothers Co. hand mirror, brush and comb set that I doubt was as old as these brushes. The styles are not alike. The Saart Brothers Co. set design is more austere while these brushes have an art nouveau feel. The brushes measure 5"l x 1�"x x 1 3/4"h, ornate embossed floral design and stamped "W.S.P. CO." on the edge. I believe they date 1900-1920.

My interest on these brushes was recently aroused when seeing on that large replacement website their museum feature this month - an Art Nouveau inspired 12-piece silver boudoir set produced by Unger Brothers. I knew I hadn't definitely identified the maker of my brushes.

I have searched Rainwater to no avail. A few were contenders like:

1. Winnipeg Silver Plate Co., LTD. - their stamp was "WSP Co Ld" with EPNS and a star or two. The stamps on these brushes definitely have an upper case "O" for company and do not have an Ld for LTD - also no signs of EPNS.
   
2. Wilcox Silver Plate Co. - none of the stamps for them in Rainwater resemble mine.
   
3. From Ensko, Kovel and WEB's db: William Smith Pelletreau - have only seen stamps for them in punches like [WSP], [TR], or [P & U] and believe he is too early for these brushes.

TIA.

--- Susan

posted 08-19-2006 12:38 AM            

No doubt it is an abbreviation and probably Wilcox. I did a bit more looking this evening and found silverplate articles with W.S.P.CO. on the web. None of the sellers knew what WSP represented. A couple of the items were big enough for a more extensive stamp but one wasn't used.

Nowww one of the articles found was for a bon bon spoon with W.S.P.CO. The person had found the pattern of this spoon in a silver pattern book/catalog listed under International. As Wilcox "was one of the original companies to become part of the International Silver Co. in 1898", then the W.S.P.CO. may be for Wilcox? I haven't set this in concrete yet.

Thank you for your input.

posted 08-20-2006 12:36 AM            

When looking at silverplate marks, one thing to keep in mind is that frequently the mark is about the method of selling, not the maker. My inclination here is to say that these were not sold thru the traditional silver retailers. Instead, they were wholesaled and retailed by companies that were only incidentally involved in selling silver. Like milleners, hair salons, dry goods stores and so on. In which case, the brush itself was more important and more promoted than the silverplate backing.

Which would explain why the traditional makers mark is abbreviated here. It was not important in the selling process. As would be the case with a bon bon spoon sold by a confection.

posted 08-20-2006 10:06 PM            

On the other hand, silverplate was a mass marketed good. It was less expensive than sterling and sold in more places. As a brand name, IS had a network of independant stores it sold through as well as catalog retailers.

It is useful to remember that in 1900 a large part of the US population lived in rural areas and small towns. These people generally did not have access to the luxery goods retailers. Instead they bought locally.

In the 1950's I can recall drug stores selling vanity items in their cosmetic sections. And beauty parlors having a small display of such things.

Silverplate was sold everywhere and by seemingly every type of retailer. IS had a system of exclusive dealers, in given towns and villages. Only one jewelry store could carry and advertise IS. Which presented a problem to IS: how did they keep out of trouble. Example: Buleah the hair dresser ordered some brushes from a wholesale supply house. They had an IS mark. The local jeweler raised a fuss about this infringement of his exclusive for that town.

So, the solution was to use a different mark on goods that were destined to be sold by jobbers. This is surmise based on what I know about how IS operated. The bewildering array of marks really does not make much sense from a silversmithing point of view. It does make sense as a marketing tool. A variety of marks can serve both the exclusive fanchise arrangement and the more general market.

Silverplate was often a give away or premium item. Send in 10 labels and 25 cents for the lovely brushes. All sorts of people got their silverplate this way. And sometimes the mark used is a very different one from what one would expect.

posted 08-23-2006 06:26 AM            

Sorry, I haven't replied sooner. My husband had hip replacement surgery Monday. On getting home from the hospital after putting in nearly 12 hours a day I just collaspe. This early morning am spending a little time checking e-mail, etc. Very interesting on the selling practices! Thank you for the responses.

--- Susan