BBC Isle of Man has covered the pre-launch of the forthcoming Knox Exhibition to be held from April 2025 to March 2026 at the Douglas Museum. See this link.  There will be a series of lectures and events at the opening, including talks by Dr Steve Martin and myself.  Book your flight!

Delighted and grateful to win a Best Object award at the LAPADA Berkeley Square Fair 2024.  Details of the winning necklace by Georgie Gaskin can be found at this link.

A video of my stand can be seen at this link

One of the pleasures of being a dealer is helping items find the right home. That was very much the case for this splendid Birmingham Guild of Handicraft key that was used at the 1937 opening of St Pancras Town Hall, latterly Camden Town Hall. Located opposite St Pancras Station, the Hall is undergoing a remarkable transformation. This stunning neo-classical building will soon be a special event space boasting a versatile layout featuring a main hall (one of central London’s largest), two smaller venues, and dedicated workspaces on the upper floors. The versatile venue, slated to open in Winter 2024, will cater to events of various sizes. Whether the key is to be used at its opening or simply displayed remains to be seen.

An examination of the Hardman ledgers has identified the specific entry for June 7 1852, priced at £12. Full details have been added to the product write-up in the archive at this link

I am delighted to say that following extensive research, I have just listed two sterling silver pieces designed by Augustus Pugin.

I retrieved some original Hukin / Dresseer registered designs for 1881 claret jugs from the National Archives. This threw up two insights. One being that the jugs were entered as “coffee percolators?” I am sure their radical design confusing the registrar. Also written below the designs is “metal protected only”, suggesting the bottle shapes could be copied, as we do see by other manufacturers of the period. Full details at this link.

Lilian Simpson was the star art school pupil who died whilst still a student. One of her very few completed works, fully documented in The Studio, is now listed and researched at this link.

A bit of random research has revealed that Fisher was commissioned to make two plaques for the Lusitania. See the atteched newspaper article. The Lusitania was sunk in 1915 quite probably taking the plaques with it, though just possibly they would have been removed on the ship’s conversion to a merchant ship for the war effort. I think you can see one of the plaques in the main lounge of the Lusitania in the attached image. The frame of the picture looks like Fisher’s work and I am guessing the figure is rising from the sea and hence the title “Theconquest of the sea”.

Recently listed are a striking spoon and knife set, inlaid with abalone and very much in the style of Mary Thew. Unmarked. But are they by little known Ida Heynes. See this link for full research.

I have listed another amazing jug in solid silver in this ancient form and updated my research into the Collection’s original Melillo askos. For that new research see this link.

I am delighted to have sold the Collection’s utterly brilliant Peter Wylie Davidson “swallow in clouds” brooch to Wylie Davidson’s descendants. Five of these brooches were made for the women in his family and this one has returned home. For details on the brooch see this link.

I am delighted to announce that the Collection’s Ashbee claret jug was voted “Best in Fair – Silver” at the LAPADA Berkeley Square Fair.

I will be exhibiting at the Berkeley Square Fair from September 26th – 1st October. Tickets and highlights can be hound at this link

I have been doing a little research into the Potteries Guild (also the Potteries Cripples Guild of Handicraft) , the forerunner of the Duchess of Sutherland Cripples Guild, and came across a 1904 newspaper reference (November 4th, The Clarion, page 5) “That the best work of the Potteries Guild is undoubtedly that made for the “Frame Food Factory“. Curious, I found that the Frame Food Factory was/is an outstanding building in Southfields SW18, built c 1903, to make baby food, now converted into flats. More details at this link. I have found no pictures of the interior but I assume the sculptural roof finials or spires visible in the images below are by The Potteries Guild.

A wonderful new book has been published by the collector John Davis “20th Century British silver caddy spoons and spoons”. The introduction being by myself and published below. If you are interested in a copy simply email me.

For those that know the Artificers Guild archive held at Goldsmith Hall Library, it contains thousands of wonderful sketches and water colour designs of the Guild. Nearly all are clearly by Edward Spencer and John Bonnor and date from the period after 1909 when Spencer took over the Guild. On a recent trip to the Archive I found this sketch of what is very clearly Nelson and Edith Dawson brooches. These must date to c 1901/2 in the brief period when the Dawson’s established the Guild and prior to 1902 when Spencer and Montague Fordham took over. It strongly suggests that at least some of these pieces were not “just” by the Dawsons but also by the Artificers Guild and based on the inscribed notes made in multiples – in this case of two and four. Photo credit “Artifcers Guild Archive,ref AC/1/1/1/3/114. Courtesy of the Goldsmiths Company Library and Archive”

If you wish to reach me by phone please just use my mobile 07771965808. The old office landline is no longer in use.

Thank you Anthony

I am delighted to advise that the new Silver Society website is now launched with many new features for members and non members. Top of this list would be the archive of the Silver Society Journal that is now digitized and searchable for all to use. See this link to explore the new website.

The family of Henry Littledale (see A1024) have been in touch with some more information about him. It is clear that in addition to silver and jewellery he was also firing very fine cloisonne enamel plaques using his patented granulation technique. Also included is this charming letter from Queen Mary that was written by her lady in waiting, giving thanks for a silver and enamel frame Littledale made for the Queen’s doll’s house. If you have further information on Littledale I, and the family, would love to hear about it.

Over the the years I have had so many questions about fake Liberty frames I thought I would blog on the subject. As best I can tell Cymric Liberty silver frames “copying” a superb Knox mirror in the Virginia Museum of Fine Art were made in the US in the 1990’s in quite large numbers. These have very good, but fake, hallmarks and can easily deceive on that basis. Better to look at the relatively poor enamelling and quality of the silver work which are more obviously “wrong”. Quite helpfully an example is currently up at auction which includes the stamp “REPRO”, no doubt for “Reproduction”, honestly outing itself for what it is – though reproducing assays marks, or selling items with fake marks, in the UK is a serious criminal offence. See images.

The recent discovery of an important John Paul Cooper bowl is covered in this week’s Trade Gazette. Please see extract. The bowl or goblet will be listed for sale in due course. See this link to read about the candlesticks mentioned and to see a photo of the bowl at the 1903 Arts and Crafts Society Exhibition.

A very good article on the forthcoming Art and Antiques For Everyone Fair at the NEC was published in this week’s Antiques Trade Gazette and is attached…….featuring The Peartree Collection…………..

A photograph of what must be the exact Gilbert Marks’ vase or cup in the Collection (see link) was published in Fred Millers book “The training of a craftsman”, published in 1901, page 43, Fig 27. .