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Author	Topic: Information Help Please
Eclectic Posts: 7 Registered: Apr 2006	posted 04-05-2006 06:20 PM I am a novice collector (about 5 or 6 years now) and enjoy researching my pieces when time permits. I currently have a three things that have stumped me so far. Unfortunately I do not yet have a digital camera so will have to work from descriptions. First item is a 4 piece tea set. It is simply marked B. A. Clark & Co. Boston. The set is plate and the style suggest it was probably made between 1865 and 1880. I assume Clark was a retailer not the maker as I find no mention of this company in my American silver makers references. Any information about the company would be much appreciated, but I am especially interested in knowing when they were in business. Second item is a single tea pot with classic Federal (I think) style and engraving. The only mark on it is WWH & Co. This is also a plated piece. It has bone or ivory spacers and finial. Again, WWH & Co not in my references. Third item does not involve a maker; I just am not sure what the piece might have been intended for in terms of use. This one is sterling. It is a tiny bowl, maybe 1.5 to 2 inch across and 1 inch tall. Engraved on one side is "To John from Dorthy 1896". I think this might possibly be a gentleman's dresser item but it is so small one could not put much in it. I am fairly certain it is not a salt, but no other ideas. IP: Logged
venus Posts: 282 Registered: Jul 2005	posted 04-05-2006 06:59 PM Hi there..... welcome to the forum. Didn't find any info on what you are looking for, but will keep searching too. IP: Logged
Eclectic Posts: 7 Registered: Apr 2006	posted 04-05-2006 07:11 PM Thank you IP: Logged
hello Posts: 200 Registered: Jun 2005	posted 04-05-2006 07:17 PM the WWH sounds english. The small bowl is most likely a salt bowl [This message has been edited by hello (edited 04-05-2006).] IP: Logged
doc Posts: 730 Registered: Jul 2003	posted 04-06-2006 09:23 AM The WWH&Co. is possibly William Wheatcroft Harrison, an English Sheffield plate maker working from 1857 to 1918. IP: Logged
Eclectic Posts: 7 Registered: Apr 2006	posted 04-06-2006 12:34 PM Thanks to both of you. Most of my silver references are on American silver. The WWH & Co could be English but I thought English silver had a complex system of symbolic hallmarks. Is that not necessarily the case? On the WWH & Co piece, there are no other marks. IP: Logged
adelapt Posts: 418 Registered: May 2003	posted 04-06-2006 03:09 PM English silver does have a (sometimes complex) system of symbolic hallmarks, usually. However since your example seems quite likely to be of plated ware, which wasn't regulated the way the precious metals were, it wouldn't need such markings. Thus a maker's mark and maybe subsidiary marks like stock/pattern/order/size numbers would be pretty normal. IP: Logged
Eclectic Posts: 7 Registered: Apr 2006	posted 04-06-2006 03:22 PM Thank you. On the B. A. Clark & Co Boston question, forgot to mention that I did contact the public library in Boston and they were not able to locate any information for me. IP: Logged
doc Posts: 730 Registered: Jul 2003	posted 04-06-2006 05:54 PM I was able to find two references to BA Clark & Co. online. The first was in the Willimantic Chronicle (Willimantic, CT) of May 23, 1883, where it was noted that the bank building had been taken over for the week by BA Clark & Co., auctioneers, who had a large selection of jewelery, art and furnishings for auction. The second reference for them I found wsa on a philatelic website, under a discussion of forwarding agent stamps, which indicated that BA Clark & Co. of Boston served as a forwarding agent, which was an entity that would accept imports and exports on behalf of others. I couldn't date this reference, however. Sounds like BA Clark and his Co. were busy, enterprising folks! IP: Logged
Eclectic Posts: 7 Registered: Apr 2006	posted 04-11-2006 01:14 PM Thank you, Doc. I was not aware that places like auction houses might have silver pieces made with their name on it; thought only jewelers and fine retail establishments did that sort of thing. Learn something new all the time - that is part of what I love about trying to research my silver pieces. IP: Logged
SusanT Posts: 104 Registered: Nov 2005	posted 04-13-2006 09:26 AM Like "Doc", I suspect your WWH & Co. is W.W. Harrison who was of Sheffield. According to my source he was a Sheffield goldsmith. Seymour Wyler's _The Book of Old Silver, English-American-Foreign_ (1967), p. 203 under "Marks on Sheffield Silver - Supplementary List of Marks of Goldsmiths ....1773-1905..." shows a cartouche with (WWH) and has a date of "1861", "W.W. Harrison". This is the only WWH listed in the index under "English, Scottish and Irish Marks." This source does not include this mark under Sheffield silver or silver plate, only under goldsmiths. As this source is now a bit dated I suspect there is more up-to-date info on this company. ------------------ IP: Logged
Eclectic Posts: 7 Registered: Apr 2006	posted 06-10-2006 02:38 PM The editor of silver Mag has question on this same mark in current issue. Thanks for all your help IP: Logged

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