Silver Spoon Antiques

 We haven't been able to find much information on artist and silversmith Catherine L Charles.  She exhibited a self-portrait (pictured below) at the Royal Scottish Academy Annual Exhibition, 1928. She exhibited from 1928-37 in Edinburgh, Scotland and was quite active until at least 1946. At the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh, she exhibited at least eight pieces and one other was shown at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool. Other examples by her include a winter mill scene and a still life of a vase with roses She was producing sterling silverware in the Arts and Crafts style in Scotland in the 1940s. A number of examples of her work can be found. Her maker's mark is 'CLC'. We have a number of pieces by her currently in stock.  A sterling butter fork by CL Charles Catherine's maker's mark and hallmarks for Edinburgh 1944 PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST, 1928.  (Courtesy Mellors and Kirks Auction via Invaluable)

Elizabeth Bainbridge is the only nineteenth century Dublin female silversmith we've come across. Her work comes up reasonably often, but aside from her name and that she was a watchmaker, we couldn’t easily find any other information.   It appears Elizabeth was the wife of long time Dublin watchmaker George Bainbridge. They married in 1768, with an entry in FAULKNERS DUBLIN JOURNAL: 1768, 2nd July. Marriage. Mr.George Bainbridge, an eminent Watchmaker to Miss. Meares, an agreeable young lady, with a handsome fortune.  George Bainbridge was working at 54 Bolton Street, Quarter-brother from approximately 1766 until his death in 1800. Although a record of his will exists on the indexes, it was destroyed by the 1922 Four Courts fire.  Elizabeth registered her mark with the Dublin Assay office around 1802.  Example of Elizabeth Bainbridge's makers mark along with Dublin sterling hallmarks It appears also she kept running the business from the same location, with a li...

Did you know that there have been women silversmiths for hundreds of years?   Women have been noted as silversmiths for hundreds of years.  Widows would often continue on the business of their husbands (often placing their maker's mark in a lozenge) and daughters would enter business partnerships with relatives also in the trade.  Dorothy Langlands was a widow who continued business for 10 years after her husbands death.   For sixty years the Langlands family were the largest manufacturers of silverware in Newcastle, England.   Dorothy Langlands  was the wife of John Langlands II and she took over her husband's business in 1804 when he died. She retired in 1814 and died in 1845.  This means we can date all silver marked with her maker's mark (D.L) to 1804-1814.  This is helpful because a lot of smaller silver items would not have been stamped with the date letter.   Below are two examples of her work.  A nice pair of bright-cu...