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 Carved Presentation Spoon...
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| Author | Topic: Carved Presentation Spoon... |
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dragonflywink Posts: 993 |
posted 10-13-2021 10:50 PM
  
As much as I love silver, especially spoons, also have a weakness for carved wood, and have a small collection of wooden spoons, mostly Scandinavian, but really any that attract me. Acquired this one not too long ago, to my eye, it is quite wonderful, and provided the extra pleasure of interesting research. The engraved silver plate shows it was presented to Harman Yerkes, the outgoing President of the Pennsylvania Scotch-Irish Society, 1908-1909. Good-sized at 13.5 inches long, it's nicely carved with a figurehead, thistles and shamrocks, the society's coat of arms, and 'MUSH AND MILK' on one side of the bowl, 'PIONEER PORRIDGE' on the other - found no others online, but did find this same spoon sold 10 years ago. There was actually quite a bit of information available regarding the society and their spoons, but will only post the basics. A similar spoon is described at the 1907 18th Annual Meeting, quoting Mr. Yerkes, then the First Vice-President, "It has been the custom of this Society for many years to present to the retiring president a token of their esteem and regard in the form of a spoon." ~Cheryl [This message has been edited by dragonflywink (edited 10-13-2021).] IP: Logged |
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dragonflywink Posts: 993 |
posted 10-13-2021 10:51 PM
At the 1896 7th Annual Meeting, Mush and Milk was adopted as their 'racial dish', and a Pioneer Porridge procession of waiters served "large bowls of mush and milk with wooden spoons", introduced with a rousing "Mush and Milk forever! All hail, Pioneer Porridge!" At the 8th Congress, later the same year, former society President Rev. Henry McCook gave an address on 'Scotch-Irish Women Pioneers', waxing poetic on mush and milk/pioneer porridge.
There's also quite a bit of information about Harman Yerkes - this bit from 'Find a Grave' gives a pretty good synopsis:
[This message has been edited by dragonflywink (edited 10-14-2021).] IP: Logged |
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ahwt Posts: 2334 |
posted 10-14-2021 12:03 PM
What a great story. And that is a real tour de force of wood carving. Is there any indication of who the wood carver was? IP: Logged |
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dragonflywink Posts: 993 |
posted 10-14-2021 02:08 PM
Glad you like it too! There were different carvers over the years, this one done by a 'James Brown', paid $42.50 - not a small amount in 1909. The latest date I found mention of the spoon presentation was 1949, though it certainly could have gone on longer - hopefully the majority of those other spoons are still treasured by family members. Apparently, for many years the Pennsylvania chapter was the only one that continued on - there is currently a Scotch-Irish Society of the U.S.A., but I haven't yet contacted them to inquire if others are known. One of the outgoing presidents was a collector of silver spoons, will dig out his acceptance and upload it in a bit...
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dragonflywink Posts: 993 |
posted 10-14-2021 02:40 PM
Samuel Rea (1855-1929), president of the Pennsylvania Railroad from 1913-25, president of the Pennsylvania Scotch-Irish Society from 1914-15:
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ahwt Posts: 2334 |
posted 10-14-2021 08:58 PM
That is interesting history that you found. If my calculations are right the $42.50 spoon would today be over $1,200; if you bumped up the price for inflation. I looked at the next years report and then they acquired two spoons from Mr. Brown for $79.50. That really is quite a spoon. [This message has been edited by ahwt (edited 10-14-2021).] IP: Logged |
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Paul Lemieux Posts: 1792 |
posted 10-15-2021 07:50 AM
Amazing find, Cheryl! Thanks for sharing. It's wonderful. IP: Logged |
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dragonflywink Posts: 993 |
posted 05-01-2022 04:10 PM
Just to give this spoon a real connection to the subject of these forums, the year-end accounting for 1915 included, "Hoover & Smith, silver plate for spoon.. 10.00" (John Maene started carving the spoons in 1910, his prices ranging from $40.-$50.) ~Cheryl IP: Logged |
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