The combination sideboard and china cupboard, the

subject of the two illustrations, was made by a carpenter under the directions of

the designer, for a dining room having only one closet, and that a small corner

closet built to complete the octagon form of the room. In this instance the

sideboard was made of clear white pine, and the finishing and decorating done by

the ladies of the family. The woodwork having all been well sandpapered to a

nice smoothness, an oak stain was prepared. Raw sienna ground in oil was

purchased, a one-pound can being more than sufficient, a little bronze-green

ground in oil, and some turpentine to thin them; raw sienna gave the prominent

tone, a little bronze-green was added to give an old oak effect. The stain was

rubbed in with a bit of soft woolen cloth. A little brown Japan added to the

stain improved it, and gave a slight gloss to the wood, helping also to fill the

pores.

The illustration at right shows the

combination sideboard and cupboard as it appeared when first in use, that is,

previous to its intended decoration. It will be seen that it has large shelf

space to accommodate china and glass, both in the upper and the lower part, the

latter especially, the shelves being both wide and deep. The shelves of the

upper part have mouldings for holding plates in their places, and the intention

is to put a row of brass hooks on the under side of one shelf for the hanging

thereby of the handsomest cups.

Between the upper and lower parts of the cupbaord, that is, on the top of the

base portion, there is ample space to stand extra plates, dishes, or saucers

needed for dessert. Ordinarily, a two-handled bamboo tray stands in the middle

of this space and holds two caraffes or water bottles set in old-fashioned fluted

silver “coasters” or decanter stands; also two heavy old English cut glass

decanters, one near each end, and a china open-work fruit basket, as seen in the

large illustration. The lower part holds a china dinner service, while the upper

part with its glass doors reveals the best china of the house, blue and white,

and red, blue, green and gold porcelain, also the cut glass dishes, etc. The gay

colors of the china are well thrown out by the old oak tone of the wood, and the

pretty forms of cups and pitchers and odd-shaped dishes, combine to make this

sideboard an attractive feature of the dining room.

The first illustration shows the empty cupboard and sideboard after its

decoration is completed, and is thus drawn so as to concentrate the attention on

its ornamentation as well as construction. It will be seen that the edges of the

shelves are ornamented, as also the outer edges, beyond the doors and the panels

of the lower doors. The ornament displayed is painted in coach-black with a fine

brush. There is also painted ornament around the base escutcheons. As all the

lines of this sideboard are straight and severe, the ornamentation takes the form

of curves and flowing lines, yet follows the line of construction, according to

the canons of good taste. The drawers for holding knives, forks and spoons,

which by the way should always be lined with velvet or canton flannel, and for

the table cloth and napkins, are also ornamented by painted designs, and swinging

handles of bronze have been added, replacing the knobs first in use.

Originally published December 1892

An effective design for the frieze of a dining room, whose walls and ceiling are

of a light soft red inclining to a creamy red, is a decoratively drawn grapevine

with life-sized branches, stems, leaves and grape clusters. The room referred to

was colored with powder colors mixed with a very thin paste. The colors employed

formed, for the leaves, soft browns and yellows with touches of dull red, reddish

brown for branches and stems, and soft reds for the fruit clusters. Some leaves

show yellow-greens, as seen in the autumnal coloring of the vine. The treatment

is decorative, hence the fruit is not colored to imitate nature, nor are the

leaves, except insofar as the autumnal colorings harmonize with the gray ground

of the frieze, and the soft yellowish old-red of the walls. The characteristics

of the grape vine are retained, but the vine is arranged to conform to the limits

of the frieze space and the octagonal shape of the room.

A departure from the strictly conventional is made in this special room to meet a

special need, namely, to conceal a large water stain on the ceiling at one end of

the room. Here the vine is carried up from the frieze to spread over the large

stained area in a mass of foliage and stems, and as the coloring of the leaves

and vine are soft, and blend harmoniously with the ceiling color, the effect is

pleasant and artistic.

The colors for painting the frieze are the ordinary powder colors such as the one

you can buy in a paint shop, Spanish-brown, Indian-red, yellow-ochre and

ultramarine-blue. The medium for their mixing is a thin gum-arabic solution, in

which they must be ground patiently with a palette knife until they are very

smooth indeed. An excellent way, however, to grind them well is to put the

colors and gum in a porcelain mortar and pestle, working it in the mortar with a

circular motion.

To test the color dab some on a piece of stout, white paper and dry it. If on

rubbing the dried colored surface with the finger the colors come off, there

isn't enough medium, so you must add more gum-arabic solution. If the color

flakes off in patches, there is too little color and too much gum. By drying the

color one can also test whether it is too light, too dark, the color you desire

or something unsuitable for your purpose.

Originally published in a Ladies magazine 1892

The Leonard Mfg. Co. in Chicago offered Victorian ladies great deals on sets of

silver souvenir spoons commemorating the 1893 World’s Fair. In 1895, a set of 6

souvenir spoons was offered for 99 cents. The original price on a set of 6 was

$9.00. With the purchase of 6 sets at 99 cents per set, the buyer could choose a

silver cake basket, berry dish aka bride's basket or another set of spoons as a premium.

Description for the spoons shown with this antique ad (right):

The spoons are standard after-dinner coffee size, heavily coin silver plated, with gold plated bowls. Each spoon has a different World’s Fair building

After-dinner coffee spoons are about 4 1/4 inches long. The buildings on the spoons are from left to right: Manufacturers and Liberal Arts; Machinery Hall; Administration Building; Transportation Building; Art

Palace and Fisheries Building.

The ad further states: An inexpensive gift that will give pleasure and be of utility, and at the same time suggest appropriateness.

Also printed with this antique 1895 advertisement were letters from satisfied customers:

June 27, 1895Gentlemen:

For more history about antique American silver souvenir spoons and spoons for sale, see SouvenirSpoons.com

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.

The following tips for silverware care were found in a Victorian era ladies' magazine from 1896. A reader wrote in to share her time-saving tips for keeping silverware shiny and ready for use at a moment's notice.

The Care of Silverware

As only the few can afford a butler, or a maid whose special duties are the care of the silver tableware, it may interest many readers of this journal to hear of

Fortunately today we have both new and vintage flatware chests with anti-tarnish linings. I've kept silver flatware tarnish-free in vintage silverware chests for more than a year.

Victorian publications offered incentives for Victorian ladies to acquire silver

flatware with interesting marketing techniques. Here is an offer for a set of 6

silverplated orange spoons in exchange for referring new subscribers to the 1896

magazine in which the ad appeared. For referring 2 subscribers, she would

receive a set of 6 orange spoons by 1847 Rogers Bros., each spoon in a different

pattern, and in a velvet-lined case.

Also offered in exchange for referring new subscribers was a Child's Fairy Set by 1847 Rogers Bros. which consisted of a knife, fork, spoon and napkin ring. This child's set also came in a velvet-lined case.

Here are a few vintage and antique New Year’s postcards from our collection. Feel free to save these postcard images to your computer for making your own greeting cards, decoupage, scrapbooking and other crafts.

Watch for more vintage postcards and other free vintage graphics coming up throughout the year.

Happy New Year!

Georg Jensen Silversmiths
140 examples of the Danish silversmith's flatware and holloware, through March 2007.

Irish Silver
An ongoing exhibition of 18th century examples of Irish silver.

Both of these exhibitions are located at:

The Philadelphia Museum of Art
26th Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, PA
(215) 684-7860

Hours: Tuesday through Sunday 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Closed on Mondays.

Antique silver prices realized at online auction:

Georg Jensen “Blossom” Pitcher, sterling silver, measures just under 7 inches, sold for $2,550

Victorian Silverplated Figural Napkin Ring by Simpson, Hall & Miller. Figure of child and dog, resilvered piece, sold for $3,025

Gorham Puff Box, commonly referred to as a “dresser jar”, figural art nouveau lady on the sterling silver lid, sold for $381

Georg Jensen “Acorn” Sterling Flatware, 95 piece set sold for $3,959

Tiffany & Co. “Chrysanthemum” 4 piece Sterling Tea Set, sold for $4,322

Figural napkin rings originated in the United States and were produced for children of the Victorian era. Victorian children were provided with fun and interesting utensils and silver tableware made just for them. Most 19th century silverware manufacturers produced figural napkin rings which often featured animals and children at play.

Shown at left is a Victorian silverplated napkin ring with cherubs.

Anyone with children knows they aren’t very interested in learning boring table manners and we rarely indulge them with fancy table utensils of their own. Victorians may have been smarter about raising children than we are today. Figural napkin rings must have been very entertaining for the children and also made them eager to learn proper etiquette. And it likely kept the children’s imaginations occupied while the adults discussed uninteresting topics at dinner.

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One of the many new uses for old silverplate flatware is to have pieces fashioned into napkin rings. Often old silverplated flatware is worn on the tines and bowls but the handles are in great shape making them perfect for recycling. Silverplate manufacturers generally did not produce napkin rings to match their flatware patterns so this is a great way to add a nostalgic vintage flair to your table settings.

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