A request from a client led me to a long session of searching through lots of my vintage silver catalogs, and during my quest I came across this gem.  It’s from a Gorham leaflet circa 1950-ish..what particularly struck me is the second half.  Gorham (or their advertising agency) obviously felt the need to emphasize how silver is practical and easy to clean.  They are advocating silver in the dishwasher — even for knives!

Gorham Says – Silver in the Dishwasher!

I personally would not advocate placing your knives in the dishwasher!!  The Gorham knives referred to in this leaflet have handles that are almost certainly filled with cement, thus able to better resist the loosening of knife blade and handle that can happen in the heat of any washing method, not just the when you put your silver in the dishwasher. All solid pieces of flatware are ok to go in the dishwasher…just not the knives.  See here for more information about silver in the dishwasher.

Changing Times

The sub-text of this fascinating little leaflet is that Gorham (and the other silver companies) were almost certainly feeling the squeeze of changing times and tastes.  The market for sterling silverware was shrinking by the ’50s. Stainless steel dominated the market, and the novel use of plastic and melamine in flatware design as what we now call ‘mid-century modern’ was really getting underway.  Sterling was perceived as the traditional choice and the silver companies didn’t want to get left behind.

So they responded, this leaflet extolls the virtues of Gorham classics, but heralds their new ‘masterpieces of modern design’ — such as Sea Rose, Stardust, and Celeste, to show they were in touch with current taste.  And furthermore, their silver was just as compatible with the changing needs and desire of modern women, just pop the silver in the dishwasher and be done!

PS

Sixty-ish years after it was written, the advice about the dishwasher still stands, but I’m personally not so convinced that Gorham’s modern designs stand the test of time.  In fact some of their older designs seem much more ‘modern’ to me — Christina from the 1930s and even Fairfax.

What do you think?

Silver Magpies - Collecting vintage silver is a nice hobby, actually using it is inspired living.

Meeting with new clients is always a thrill…not only am I meeting interesting people, but there is also the potential for seeing some new heart-stoppingly fantastic piece of silver.  I’ve had the great pleasure of coming across more than a few honest-to-goodness Antiques Roadshow-worthy pieces in the last few years.  Every time I do, the researcher/adventurer in me gets a fantastic thrill at the thought of figuring out the mystery.  A few weeks ago, I ran across a superb piece of Hanau silver which my client has very kindly given me permission to share with you.

Hanau Silver Candlestick

Hanau silver candlestick…my heart went pitter-patter!

Hanau silver is fascinating stuff. The very short version of the story is that in the 1860′s, August Schleissner, silversmith and descendent of silversmiths, after various sojourns in Paris, London, Belgium, Switzerland and the US, returned to his native Hanau, Germany, and with his brother, took control of the family silver firm — the Schleissner company.

Immediately, the firm began to offer “a line of antique reproduction silver in the Gothic, Renaissance, and Mannerist styles. Because of his superb craftsmanship he soon received royal commissions.” — from Dorothea Burstyn.

Business was good, so good, that very soon other firms began to spring up.  Hanau swiftly became a major silver center producing copies of older works.  Sometimes the copies were faithful.  At other times a melange of styles would be put together to create a new piece.

For an excellent introductory article on Hanau silver I strongly suggest you read this article (part 1 and part 2) by Dorothea Burstyn — a well-known specialist on Hanau silver.

Hallmarks

What makes Hanau silver so particularly perplexing/fabulous/aggravating is the “system” (Ha! I use the term loosely) of hallmarks they used.

As frequent readers know, I’m all about the marks.  Deciphering them is the key to unlocking many of the silent stories that silver has to tell us.  In Europe, silver marks and hallmarks have been rigorously regulated for a very long time.  The silver hallmark system in England goes back to the 1200′s.

On the Continent, until 150-200-ish years ago, it was common practice for each city or town to have its own system of silver marks.  Oh, and the mark almost always changes a bit over the years…although this is helpful because it allows one to pin down the date with greater accuracy.

Please take my word for it when I say that this can make tracking down older European pieces really exciting.  But for the most part, despite the fact that it might take you some time, it is possible to match the marks on a piece with the city of origin.

Hanau Silver Fantasy Marks

Tricky, tricky…Hanau Fantasy Marks…waiting to lure in the unsuspecting researcher.

The exception to this rule is, of course, Hanau silver.  In Hanau, silver marks were regulated just as they were in the rest of Europe. However, in Hanau, silver makers were allowed to MAKE UP  the marks on each piece of silver!  So, if you are looking at a piece of Hanau silver done in the French style, it will have French-looking marks.  A German style piece would have vaguely Germanic looking marks, etc, etc.  They are called Hanau Fantasy Marks, and are the bane of many a silver researchers existence.

It is really easy to get sent down the wrong rabbit hole, looking through hundreds of towns worth of French marks…only to surface a week later having torn one’s hair out because you can’t find a match.  Then the light goes on and you realize what’s going on.

I’m happy to say that did not happen to me with this piece (although it did happen to me a couple of years ago…trust me, it’s a searing experience and you really learn your lesson).  My Hanau silver alarm began to ring at the correct time, rather than a week late.

I love the ram’s head on this candlestick.

Family Heirloom

This piece came into my client’s family in the aftermath of World War II.  The family was stationed in Germany immediately after the war.  My client’s mother had a great eye and purchased a number of lovely pieces, including this one.

The main picture at the top of the post shows my favorite part of the piece in profile.  Can you see the ram’s head? Here is a close-up image.  The ram’s mouth holds additional arms of the candelabra.  Pull the pin to release the arms.

Happily, my client is keeping the piece and plans to use it more frequently.  For my part, I was thrilled to have had a chance to work on it.

PS

I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing it too!

Silver Magpies - Collecting vintage silver is a nice hobby, actually using it is inspired living.

It’s May 1st, and for the last few days I’ve been seeing endless images of silver mint julep cups full of (what else) mint juleps all over the internet.  Despite the traditional association of the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May and mint juleps…these lovely cups have far more to offer.

Silver Mint Julep Cups

It’s funny that despite their incredible versatility, mint julep cups are one of those items in which the name really has become a prison sentence rather than a suggestion.  To get your creative juices flowing, I offer five alternative uses for the ever elegant mint julep cup.

By-the-way, if you are looking for a few, I have three identical vintage sterling silver mint julep cups available in my shop.  They feature the classic triple band at the top and bottom and are not monogrammed.

Use them to serve another type of drink!

1. It’s not illegal to serve another type of drink in a mint julep cup.  This one is holding a cool serving of lemonade, perfect for sipping on the porch during a hot day.

A perfect small vase.

2. Julep cups make a great small vase.  This one gracefully holds a handful of the enormous bunch of lilacs a neighbor clipped and brought over for me today.  The fragrance is heavenly.

As a pencil holder!

3. A super sleek pencil holder.

Would you like a breadstick?

4. Instead of drinks, this mint julep cup offers rosemary & olive oil breadsticks. FYI, the ridiculously simple recipe for these delicious breadsticks is at the bottom of this post.

Ice cream…well, actually frozen lemon curd, but ice cream works too.

5. A beautiful way to serve yourself and/or guests a frozen dessert.

This photo is of some frozen lemon curd — do you remember the lemon curd recipe I shared back in January? This is simply that recipe, and once it has cooled off in the fridge, put it in a container with a lid and place in the freezer. A couple of hours later you will have a decadent tart-sweet-lemony treat. Mr. Magpies devoured the portion I dug out for the photo and rated it a two thumbs up experience.

Rosemary & Olive Oil Breadsticks (click title for a printer-friendly version)

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 (or more) tbsp. chopped rosemary
• 1/2 cup olive oil (plus more to brush the top)
• 1 tsp. sea salt (plus more to sprinkle)
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 cup water

Preheat the oven to 450℉.  Use some olive oil to grease three cookie sheets.

Mix everything together in a bowl and stir together.  It will look like a lumpy uneven mess.  Use your hands and scoop out approximately 1/3 of the dough.  Place it on the cookie sheet and knead it together for a moment.  If the dough is a bit too dry, just add a splash of water or oil.

Once the dough looks more like a dough, grab your rolling pin and roll it out into a really thin flat sheet.  You have a choice at this stage…you can either leave the dough as a flat sheet to make flatbread…or you can cut it into strips (I used a pizza roller) to make breadsticks.  Regardless of which version you choose, brush the top with a little olive oil and sprinkle on some salt.

Put it in the oven for 8-10 minutes.  It will just be going golden brown and crispy when done.  While the first batch is baking, repeat the kneading and rolling with the second batch.  And the same for the third.

As each pan comes out of the oven, let it cool for a moment.  Then carefully transfer it to a cooling rack.  In theory it lasts 2 days…in our house it’s never made it that long!

PS

What do you use your mint julep cup for?

Silver Magpies - Collecting vintage silver is a nice hobby, actually using it is inspired living.

Apparently my winter bout of lemon mania has not receded.  In fact, it would be more accurate to say it has expanded. First, I succumbed to buying a potted Meyer lemon tree, in the hopes that it escapes my usual black thumb with indoor plants. Now, as spring s-l-o-w-l-y greens up my kitchen garden, I’ve been presented with a bouquet of fresh delights to pair it up with.  Third, I’ve been searching for a perfect lemon cake recipe.  I think, with the lemon olive oil cake I served our guests last weekend, I may declare success.

Eureka, lemon olive oil cake. Delicious!!

Since January I think I’ve tried about a dozen recipes looking for a great lemon cake.  It had to be:

• simple
• not too sweet
• moist
• dense, but not heavy
• really lemony

A few recipes came close, but none hit all the essential attributes.  Then, as I was reading Extra Virginity – an eye-opening account of what apparently is in, and not in, too many bottles of olive oil — I remembered a recipe from a few years ago in Gourmet magazine.

Through the magic of the internet, I found it.  Combined with guests coming on Sunday, it was a perfect opportunity to experiment.  A few tweaks to the recipe…voila…lemon olive oil cake!

Lemon Olive Oil Cake (click for printer-friendly version)

• 3/4 cup olive oil, plus additional for greasing pan
• 1 large lemon
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 egg whites
• 5 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup sugar (divided)
• 1 tsp. Boyaijan lemon oil (this is my secret ingredient…what a difference. Lemon extract can’t compete.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 8-inch pan with some oil, then line bottom with a round of parchment paper and oil parchment.

Finely grate the zest from the lemon and whisk together with flour. Halve lemon, then squeeze and reserve 1 1/2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice. Combine with Boyaijan lemon oil.

Beat together five egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until thick and pale, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium and add olive oil and lemon juice & oil mixture, beat until combined (mixture may appear separated). With a wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined.

Beat 4 egg whites with 1/2 teaspoon salt in another large bowl with cleaned beaters at medium-high speed until foamy, then add 1/4 cup sugar a little at a time, beating, and continue to beat until egg whites just hold soft peaks, about 3 minutes.

Gently fold one third of whites into yolk mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.

Transfer batter to pan and rap against work surface to release air bubbles. Bake until puffed and golden and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack 10 minutes, then run a thin knife around edge of pan and remove side of pan. Cool cake to room temperature, about 1 1/4 hours.

Top with icing sugar or a glaze of icing sugar and lemon juice. Best when made the day before…the flavor develops beautifully.  Adapted from Gourmet, April 2006.

My simple spring table setting.

PS

The photo directly to the left shows the table setting from Sunday’s dinner party. As I wrote about in Pretty Table Settings, again the silver is mismatched…Georgian sterling forks with deer antler handled steak knives to cope with the roast lamb.

The daffodils were so pretty I couldn’t resist giving each person their own one!

And the lemon olive oil cake was a hit…only a small slice survived until the next day, and it was swiftly consumed.  I shall be making it again…perhaps I’ll experiment and see if it works in a loaf pan.

PPS

As always, I have no financial relationships with the products/people mentioned in the links.   Extra Virginity is well-worth a read if you are a fan of olive oil.  I was equally astounded and dismayed by it.  The Boyaijan lemon oil (they have other flavors too) will make your lemon recipes out of this world!  I mention both items because I have read/used them personally.

Silver Magpies - Collecting vintage silver is a nice hobby, actually using it is inspired living.

It has been quite some time since I posted a book review, so I thought it was time for another.  Recently arrived from Amazon is The National Trust Book of English Domestic Silver 1500-1900 by Timothy Schroder.  For those of you who are into English silver, or perhaps any Downton Abbey fans, this book would be a tremendous addition to your library.

The National Trust Book of English Domestic Silver 1500-1900 is a worthy addition to the library of any English silver fan.

English Domestic Silver

Timothy Schroder manages to deftly combine a discussion of types of silver – including how it was used and styles developed — with a wider social and economic context, providing a context to understand the silversmith’s art. The huge timeframe covered by English Domestic Silver is broken into ten chapters:

• Silver: The Metal and the Craft
• The Early Tudors
• The Elizabethan Age
• The Early Seventeenth Century
• The Restoration
• The Huguenot Contribution
• The Rococo Period
• Neo-Classicism and Industrialization
• The Early Nineteenth Century
• The Victorian Era: Craft and Industry

It is a weighty tome, clocking in with 287 pages and that’s before you get to the appendix of famous silversmiths and other notes.  There are many black and white photos scattered through the text, but this is not a scrumptious piece of eye candy for your table.  English Domestic Silver is a well-written and engaging book and one I would strongly recommend adding to your library,

PS

As always, when I make a recommendation of a product or person, please know that I have no financial or marketing relationship in place.  I don’t endorse anything and am not sponsored by anyone by deliberate choice. The independence of my opinion is too important to compromise.

PPS

Know any Anglophiles?  I’m sure they’d love to hear about this book…pass on this post to them!

Silver Magpies - Collecting vintage silver is a nice hobby, actually using it is inspired living.