According to 1847 Rogers Bros., its most popular silverplate flatware patterns in 1896 were Vesta, Shell and Etruscan, as shown in the antique ad below. The 9 inch knife as shown in the ad was only available in the Shell pattern.

Patterns from left to right: Shell Teaspoon and Dessert Spoon. Vesta Teaspoon and Dessert Spoon. Etruscan Teaspoon and Dessert Spoon. Shell Fork and Knife.

Popular Fall Fashion for 1896 - What Victorian women were wearing when these flatware patterns were popular.

As we note the different changes from season to season, it is curious to find that black costumes are seldom out of style. This fall there is a wave of popularity for black, which extends not only to dress materials, but to trimmings, ribbons, garments and hats.Black is now so generally worn, that, outside of nun's veiling, crepe cloth, and tamise, there is hardly a distinctively mourning material.

Winter Dress (left) of black and cardinal illuminated woolen material. Skirt plain. Round, plain bodice of the material with wrinkled black velvet belt. The bodice opens over a cardinal silk vest, only about an inch of which is seen between the opening, and is faced back about two inches with black velvet. It is closed with loops of black cord and ornamented buttons. A shoulder cape of the material opens from beyond the velvet facing and extends across the back. It is trimmed with a band of black velvet. The high flaring collar at the sides and back is of the material, trimmed in the same way, and a plain collar of the material is placed inside of this. The sleeves are long, close-fitting, and bell-shaped at the wrist, and cut with small puff at the top.

Street Gown (right) Material, mixed Scotch goods, showing brown, green and blue effect. Plain skirt. Round bodice, with wide box pleat in front giving the blouse effect, and an added short, circular basque. Yoke trimmed with blue velvet, edged with a narrow Prussian lamb band. Collar of blue and green changeable silk, made with flaring side bows. Sleeves long, close, with an added short puff.

Popular items reportedly seen in stores in the Fall of 1896:

Long hat-pins having an enamel top.

Bird-of-Paradise feathers of artistic shadings.

Collars of black lace edged with a frill of white Valenciennes.

Bolero collar and corselet of velvet to wear over a woolen or silk gown.

Belts, collars and band trimming of white kid ornamented with tiny buttons.

Veils and boleros, and waists elaborately trimmed with medallions.

Silk petticoats trimmed with ruffles edged with a pinked ruche below a festooned ruffle of lace.

Hat ornaments consisting of a rosette of narrow ribbon and feather aigrette.

Black leather toilet-bags finished with brass, containing cut-glass and silver toilet articles.

Waterproof dress bindings and facings for bicycle suits.

From 1899 until 1909, International Silver used a girl's head with bonnet in

advertising campaigns. In 1909 Advertising Manager, William G. Snow, developed

his idea of using a full-size, real model costumed in 1847 attire. The 1847 Girl

toured the country advertising silverware, and appeared in vaudeville theaters,

jewelry stores and events where she handed out silver spoons, postcards and other items to her adoring fans.

The 1847 Girl made quite an impression. A reporter for the Lima, Ohio

Democrat wrote:

There was a stir of excitement, a craning of necks, at the dedication dinner of the Grace M.E. Church recently, and everyone turned toward the door, in which

After her appearance at the National Retail Jewelers' Convention in 1911, the

following was reported in the Richmond Times-Dispatch:

She is a comely damsel arrayed in the fineries which delighted great-grandmothers when they were girls, and looks like a character in a Mary

Mothers across the land sent photos of their children wearing 1847 costumes to

Mr. Snow hoping to be chosen as the next 1847 Girl. The costumes became so

popular, International Silver retained the Butterick Company to produce a

complete set of patterns with directions for making the 1847 Girl costume in

three sizes, and were distributed to “1847 Girl” sewing circles. The 1847 Girl

remained popular into the late 1930s and starred in a radio show.

Below: A bronze coin token (1 1/4 inch diameter) commemorating 1847 Rogers Bros. 75th

Anniversary, 1847-1922.

The back of the coin reads: “History records the birth year of 1847 Rogers Bros. as a year of plenty. May this seventy-fifth anniversary year prove one of

The images below are of full-color advertising postcards of the “1847 Girl” at home.

Left: The 1847 Girl Garden Series. Right: The 1847 Girl Living Room Scene.

Left: The 1847 Girl Hall Scene with caption “You are cordially invited to inspect our fine assortment of 1847 Rogers Bros. “silver plate that wears” Right: The 1847 Girl Portico Scene.

Inspired by a 1920s design by Finnish architect and designer, Eliel Saarinen, the viande or grille flatware set

was born. Viande is a French word for meat. The term used to describe the style evolved into Grille

which is a variation of the French term for cooked on a grill or broiled.

Another term sometimes used for this style was Vogue.

The viande knife has a longer handle and shorter blade than the conventional design. Saarinen developed the new utensil form for an exhibition of contemporary American design at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. He designed a complete dining room in which none of the objects used could already be in production. His prototype for the longer handle of the viande knife came from the idea that it would be more comfortable to hold and use for cutting.

Some silver manufacturers produced grille salad forks and other pieces slightly different from the regular dinner size, but the most distinguishable differences are in the larger forks and knives.

How to tell the difference:

Illustration of a grille knife compared to a dinner/place knife.

Note that the grille or viande knife, measuring 8 1/2 inches, has a much longer handle and shorter blade than the conventional knife.

With some flatware patterns, the total length of each knife is nearly identical with the primary differences as shown.

Illustration of a grille fork compared to a dinner/place fork

These two forks are identical in total length, but this is not always the case. Note the longer handle and

shorter tines on the viande/grille fork.

Throughout the 1930s the viande design was advertised by silver manufacturers as modern

and chic. Few attributed the origin of the design to Saarinen. The viande style faded away in the 1950s-60s. Some collectors today add the viande forks and knives to their flatware services to be used as fish forks and knives, or use as luncheon sets.

When you are puchasing flatware replacements without the benefit of an image, ask

questions beforehand to be sure you are buying the right pieces for your set.

Previously, we posted a couple of entries about 1936 Coronation silverplate flatware and holloware. We’ve been asked to provide a bit more info on the flatware, particularly those pieces produced in addition to the regular place setting pieces. Below is a 1946 advertisement showing some of the pieces in production at that time.

Flatware pieces included in this ad are:

Sugar Spoon
Table Serving Spoon
5 O’Clock Spoon
Pierced Pie Server (also made with a solid blade)
Salad Fork
Cold Meat Fork
Individual Butter Spreader
Master Butter Knife
Iced Tea Spoon
Round Bowl Soup Spoon
Gravy Ladle
After Dinner Coffee Spoon
Pierced Server (tomato/cucumber)
Cocktail Fork
Oval Bowl Soup/Dessert Spoon

The ad states: “The following items, illustrated above, will be available later:”

5 O’Clock Spoon
After Dinner Coffee Spoon
Cold Meat Fork
Gravy Ladle
Pierced Pie Server
Pierced Round Server

Among the pieces produced at a later date is the salad serving set pictured below. These serving pieces have silverplated hollow handles and the remainder is synthetic material.

Above: Coronation bon bon, 4 1/2 inch, a smaller version of the pierced tomato server illustrated in the above advertisement.

The Coronation flatware pieces shown here are not the only pieces which were produced. When looking for replacements, keep in mind that viande sets were also produced and the sizes vary from the dinner size sets. Compare the dimensions of your pieces with those you wish to purchase.

The 1893 Columbia silverplate flatware pattern was designed and produced by 1847 Rogers Bros. It was specifically designed for the 1893 Chicago Columbian Exposition to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus' discovery in 1492. The exposition was actually held one year later than planned.

The Columbia pattern features a stylized dolphin wrapped around the handle. As with antique glass and other items of this period, the dolphin has scales. Pictured at right - Tomato Server with gilded, pierced bowl.

The berry forks in the Columbia pattern had 2 tines instead of three - see illustration here

Below - Salad serving set which consisted of serving spoon and fork with 6

individual salad forks.

Below - Columbia cake fork.

The 1893 Columbia silverplate pattern was one of 1847 Rogers Bros. earliest attempts at producing a full line of flatware.

Resources:
Columbia Cake Fork
Columbia Tomato Server
Columbia Salad Serving Fork
Columbia Berry Spoon

Berkshire, by 1847 Rogers Bros., is a very collectible flatware pattern. The berry and nut spoon, measuring 8 3/4 inches long, was one of the most popular pieces by this silver manufacturer. Many of the serving pieces, such as the cold meat fork and soup ladle, were made in varying sizes. Rogers advertised the 8 1/2 inch cold meat fork as “…especially designed for serving either cold meat or cake.”

As you can see in the image below, the fish serving fork and knife are particularly lovely. The pie and crumb knives are outstanding as well. This 1847 Rogers Bros. advertisement is from a catalog circa 1905-06, several years after this pattern was first introduced in 1897.

The flatware pieces shown are as follows:

Top row, from left to right:

Fish Knife, individual
Fish fork, individual
Pie knife
Fish fork (serving)
Salad fork, individual
Pickle fork

Bottom row, from left to right:

Fish knife (serving)
Cold meat fork
Iced tea spoon
Beef fork
Child's set - knife, spoon and knife
Ice cream spoon
Cheese scoop with hollow handle
Berry fork
Crumb knife
Oyster fork

Note that these are not the only Berkshire pieces produced; this is just a selection.

The bottom of the advertisement reads “Patterns come and go. The popularity of some is very fleeting. The Berkshire has proved the exception to the rule. The demand

1906 Grenoble, also commonly known as “Gloria” silverplate flatware pattern was produced by Wm. A. Rogers (now Oneida). This pattern is also known as “Japanese Lily” and was produced by Rogers exclusively for a Boston wholesale firm in the French Gray sterling finish. Below is an ad for Japanese Lily.

From the ad shown (right):

“Popular French Gray Finish - Each piece in the Japanese Lily Design is made in the new and very popular French Gray Sterling finish, which makes a beautiful

The ad also states the flatware is guaranteed for 20 years. We suppose they'd be

happy to know much of this flatware has survived 100 years and is very

collectible today.

Buyers of the “Grenoble” pattern had the option of the French Gray or gold plate

finishes. As with other patterns of this era, some of the serving pieces were

also produced with pearl handles. Rockford S.P. Co. marketed this pattern as

“Gloria”.

The serving pieces, specialty pieces and even some of the place pieces had

beautiful embossed bowls as shown in this gravy ladle image (right). These pieces

include:

Ice Cream Fork
Berry Spoon
Pie Fork
Sardine Fork
Ice Cream Spoon
Cream Ladle
Jelly Spoon
Orange Spoon
Pie Knife
Fish Fork
Fish Knife
Cucumber Server
Lettuce Fork
Honey Spoon
Cake Knife
Horseradish Spoon
Macaroni Server
Vegetable Server
Mustard Spoon
Salad Fork
Salt Spoon

to name a few.

Other neat pieces produced were: sugar tongs, food pusher, fruit knife, nut pick,

lobster fork, butter pick and cheese scoop.

Berry and Strawberry forks were produced for most antique sterling silver and silverplate flatware patterns. Some patterns had 2 tine berry forks and some had 3 tines. The 2 tine forks are often incorrectly identified as hors d'oeurves, oyster, seafood and other types of forks. If you have unsuccessfully searched for berry forks in your pattern, try using other names. You may have better luck but keep in mind that berry serving spoons are more commonly found than the berry forks. Strawberry forks are sweet collectibles. If you cannot find them in your pattern, consider adding a complimentary pattern to your collection. Sterling and silverplate patterns from the same era generally go very nicely together.

Strawberry forks were usually sold in boxed sets of 6, or as a boxed berry set which included the berry spoon and 6 berry forks.

Here are examples of both the 2 and 3 tine forks.

Above: Sterling silver “Venus” berry set with spoon and 2 tine berry forks.

Above: Silverplate “Melrose” berry set with spoon and 3 tine berry forks.

In 1948, 1847 Rogers Bros./International Silver Co. introduced the Remembrance silverplate pattern to commemorate 100 years of production of its silverplate

line. Enormous amounts of Remembrance flatware and holloware (aka hollow ware) were produced in the late 1940s - early 1950s. Just after WWII, thousands of soldiers were getting married and International heavily advertised to these newlyweds.

Duncan & Miller introduced the etched glassware pattern “Remembrance” to match the silverplate pattern.

Some flatware and holloware pieces are harder to find because they were produced in fewer quantities, such as punch ladle, napkin ring, wood salad set and candelabrum.

The following holloware images are from a 1950s International Silver catalog; and the etched glassware is from a Duncan & Miller catalog.

Above: Tea and Coffee Service, Well and Tree Platter, Meat Dish and Buffet Tray.

Above: Gravy Boat, Vegetable Dish, Dinner Dish, Sugar and Creamer, Bread Tray, Water Pitcher, Salt and Pepper Shakers and Candelabrum.

Left: Remembrance etched glassware by Duncan & Miller.

Top left to right:
10 oz. Goblet
12 oz. Footed Ice Tea
3 1/2 oz. Wine
5 oz. Saucer Champagne

Bottom left to right:
3 oz. Liquor Cocktail
5 oz. Footed Orange Juice
4 oz. Footed Oyster Cocktail
1 oz. Cordial

I've seen countless silver descriptions online which include claims that the tarnish on a piece of silver or silverware is actually patina. Tarnish is not patina!

Patina is a rich, warm color which forms over time as a result of use and handling. Flatware straight from the factory has a “factory shine” whether it's sterling silver, silverplate or stainless steel. After only minimal use, you will begin to notice fine surface scratches. It is impossible to avoid but this is nothing to worry about; it's part of the patination process. Over time, these fine scratches will blend together to form a soft finish.

Most people are familiar with the term “patina” when used in reference to a piece of antique furniture and how it increases value. It's the same thing with silver. Patina is very desirable on antique silver and flatware. Oxidation

(blackening in the fine details of a pattern) is also very desirable and increases value. Oxidation is so desirable, some flatware patterns were produced with factory-applied oxidation. Removing this oxidation with chemical dips or by

placing in a dishwasher can decrease value, so think twice before using either of them on your valuable silver. Damaging or removing the patina from your antique silver is akin to stripping the finish off of your prized antique table.

Above: Example of oxidation - 1897 Berkshire flatware pattern by 1847 Rogers Bros. Oxidized details make the pattern stand out. Note the soft patina on the handle.

Tarnish is the all-over blackening of silver caused by pollutants in the air. This is easily distinguishable from patina. Avoid buying tarnished silver and silverplate because it can hide wear and damage. The old-fashioned way of removing tarnish by hand polishing with a non-abrasive silver polish is always best for your antique silver. Hand polishing will remove tarnish; it will not remove the patina but rather, add to it.