Featured Engraved scene on spoon. Where is it?

Lots of foliage for a coal mine, I'd think. But whadIknow. Here's a list of U.S. silver mines. A bit of research would eliminate or identify.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_mining_in_the_United_States

Debora

 

Scenes, people, places, events, names, etc. could all be engraved or acid-etched at local jewelers, but it could also be done by amateurs, instructions for acid-etching were even published in magazines. Spoons with die-struck bowls like yours were factory produced, typically any bowl design, whether stock or special ordered, could be placed on any handle, souvenir spoons often manufactured a bit differently than regular flatware...

~Cheryl

 

Thanks! That’s fantastic. I did see examples with cut off handles like you said. Then also saw some like mine that were cut out. Very cool that it will appeal to more than one group of collectors. I got it after the closing of a three day sale with another nice spoon. $7 for the two. The other is very salable as a spoon as well, plus they would melt out at 2X or 3x what I paid.

Why is this Dirksen output so collectible? Just superior quality? I don’t think American when I see filigree. Is their work desirable partly because filigree wasn’t as common in the U.S.?

 

Are you thinking another type of mining operation would be more likely to have more plant life surrounding it? I’d have no idea, I’m not familiar enough with historic mine sites to know. Thanks for the list, I’m not sure I’m prepared to do that much research on it, as cool as it would be to know.

 

That’s neat that you were able to find the same scene on a postcard. Did you purchase a copy and sell them together? Nice spoon.

 

It is the quality - Gerrit Dirksen (1818-1903) was a German immigrant, a silversmith trained by his father, who was a specialist in filigree work, he was a farmer near Freeport, IL before moving to town and opening a grocery store. The grocery store was closed when he had success making and selling filigree from his backroom workshop, including many objects other than flatware, the business expanded and his popular exhibit at the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago added to his success, though it waned in the early 20th century, out of business by 1905.

There weren't a lot of American makers working in filigree, New York firm J.N. Provenzano made some, and Providence, RI based Campbell-Metcalf produced a bit of filigree and plique-à-jour, as did a few anonymous makers, but none the quality of Dirksen. There were some New Mexico jewelers that offered 'Mexican-style' filigree done by local workers, delicate and quite lovely, the best known was Solomon Spitz (another German immigrant), their filigree handles often soldered to bowls from spoons by Whiting Mfg. and other makers, including Gorham who produced a die-struck souvenir spoon bowl for them.

This is a crummy old composite pic of a Dirksen teaspoon I acquired about 25 years ago, engraved '1892' date, the blank made by Chicago based Wendell Mfg. Co.:





~Cheryl

 

Good point, even scrub would likely not survive coal dust. I always thought of souvenir spoons as souvenirs from vacations or sightseeing. Odd that mines are fairly common on these spoons.

 

I think it only natural, good and bad, mines create towns and employ entire communities.

 

& are great for Alien and horror movies !!!!!!!

 

1891 advertisement (made by Gorham):





~Cheryl

 

Thank you for the education! I was confounded when I saw filigree on an American made spoon. This is as thorough of an explanation as I could have hoped for! I’ll look at filigree in a whole new light going forward.

Your spoon looks nice and I love any silver with a date on it. Filigree has never been one of my favorite things but the craftsmanship is incredible. I can’t imagine the patience and fine touch necessary to do it well. With most things the more you understand a subject the more incrementally you often begin to appreciate it.

 

You have got to also think about life back then. No computers, internet, television, movies, depending on the year telephone and radio. A large impressive mine would be pretty entertaining. Man’s “mastery” of nature would have been quite the sight to see. Other than natural wonders and theater perhaps what were you going to look at when you went somewhere? A local mine may be the most exciting thing around for hundreds of miles probably. Might be the only thing to see.

 

Oh! I just love this spoon. It's the handle that makes it quite special Hope I can find an example to add to my collection of souvie spoons.

 

There's one on eBay, but I see quite a bit of wear, softening the design...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/374542711089


~Cheryl