Small, horizontal rectangular stencil cut with the name "Frankie Mead" in ornamented roman letters arched between five-pointed stars and arcs. Plate is turned over along all four edges and countersunk to a zinc frame with horizontal oval window on back. Several office stamps (all in black ink) appear across plate front, including "OFFICE OF", "SALE BY" and "[RETU]RN IN TEN DAYS TO". No other marks.
Name stencils such as this are often referred to as calling card stencils, but were used to mark a variety of items, including clothing, textiles, boxes or containers, etc.
Dinner knife. Straight steel blade with rounded tip. Blade and bolster are one piece of steel fitted into a tapered hard rubber handle with rounded sides and butt. Blade is discolored and rusted. Rubber is scratched.
Blade is etched: “LANDERS FRARY & CLARK/AETNA WORKS”
Maker is Landers, Frary & Clark, New Britain, Connecticut (c. 1862). In 1890, L. F. & C. took on the Trademark “Universal”, in 1965, General Electric acquired the company.
Two-handled, shallow, X- and crosslet-pierced oval dish or bowl on an oval, domed and lobed pedestal base with a clear red glass insert or liner. Applied cast decoration at dish rim includes a continuous band of beaded five-lobed shells suspended on exterior along with two, C-curve ram's head handles mounted at ends that are connected by circular link chains to two ram's heads at center of sides. Underside of pedestal base struck incuse at one end "M'F'D & PLATED BY / REED & BARTON" in roman letters; underside of dish stamped "1985". No marks on insert or liner.
Circular piercework salt cellar or dish holder having a seamed, dot-and-dash-patterned frame to which are attached three, straight tapered, fluted legs and pendant floral swags held up by a central tassel. Exterior of each leg is struck with a different mark, a circle with Minerva head in profile facing left with "P" in helmet, a raised gothic or Old English "F" in a circle, and a lion passant facing right above "2" in an elongated hexagon, which is partially overstruck at end near bottom with a tiny key. No maker's mark seen.
Small, cylindrical, japanned retail tin bearing a circular, white paper label printed (in black) "100 / No. 11 / Caps" on its underside. Friction-fit cover and container are made in two pieces and lined with leather, the flat cover top and flat container bottom folded over the soft-soldered lapped seam sides. Both cover and container have plain edges, the container with a raised bead below.
Oval palette work memorial or mourning picture featuring a white, urn-topped monument or tombstone marked "IN / MEMORY / OF OUR DEAR / MOTHER / DIED / JUNE 20TH / 1896" beneath a weeping willow at right; brook or stream at left leads to tree-lined hills above which flocks of birds fly into a cloud-filled blue sky. Executed on glass with foliage, groundcover and lettering in shades of light brown human hair against a painted tombstone and landscape. Mounted with a textured beige matboard and off-white, rounded liner in a burnished- and matte-gilt frame with foliate carved outside edge; glazed.
Made by Emil W. Moutoux (1840-1916) of New York and Brooklyn, NY, for Louisa Ammarell (1837-1896), also of Brooklyn, NY. Moutoux and Ammarell were in-laws: his daughter, Bertha E. Moutoux (1871-1943) married her son, Emil C. Ammarell (1869-1918) in 1892; the donor, William H. Ammarell (1913-1987) was the youngest of Bertha and Emil's 10 children and, hence, a grandson of both the maker (on his mother's side) and the subject (on his father's side).
Squat baluster-shape cream pitcher with cast floral rim, an inset, curved spout with acanthus base and sprig decoration on its body in imitation of bright-cut engraving; flat bottom. C-curve handle has scrolled acanthus sprig and conical struts. Bottom underside struck incuse with a horizontal-banded circular mark for "BRISTOL (arched) / PLATE CO. (across center in band) / U.S.A. / QUADRUPLE PLATE (curved)" in sans serif letters above "357". From a four-piece tea service, DL*66.0275-.0278.
Small fiddle and shell ladle with a gilt washed, horizontal oval bowl, rounded downturned handle with midrib on back, and notched ogee-curved shoulders at bottom end. Semicircular drop on back of bowl. Back of terminal is stippled or pricked in script "Mencke / 2". Back of shaft is struck with two marks, "Bullin" in raised script in a rectangle and "12" in a clipped-corner rectangle.
Two-handled, squat baluster-shape bowl with cast floral rim and sprig decoration on its body in imitation of bright-cut engraving; flat bottom. C-curve handles have scrolled acanthus sprigs and conical struts. Bottom underside struck incuse with a horizontal-banded circular mark for "BRISTOL (arched) / PLATE CO. (across center in band) / U.S.A. / QUADRUPLE PLATE (curved)" in sans serif letters above "357". From a four-piece tea service, DL*66.0275-.0278.
Large, irregular circular saucer with plain rim and flat central depression on a flared foot ring. No monogram or surface decoration. Bottom underside struck with two incuse overlapping circular marks, one featuring a pointed shield with balanced scales bordered by "x MERIDEN x / B. COMPANY." and the other with "MERIDEN BRITANNIA / Co. / QUADRUPLE / (dash-dot-dash) / MERIDEN CT", all in sans serif letters. Part of cup and saucer set, 1979.0170.01-.02.
Dinner knife. Straight steel blade with rounded tip. Blade, bolster, and tang are one piece of steel fitted into a tapered block handle with faceted sides and a blunt butt. Tang is held in place with a single brass pin. Metal is scratched with minor discoloration. Brass is corroded.
Blade is stamped: “V [crown] R/JOHN ASKHAM/SHEFFIELD”
Maker is Frost, Askham & Mosforth, manufacturers active in Sheffield, England and New York ca 1820-1900.
Dessert knife. Straight steel blade with rounded tip and “yankee” style bolster. Blade and bolster are one piece of steel fitted into a tapered ivory handle with rounded sides and butt. Blade is discolored with rust spots and corrosion. Ivory is discolored and cracked near bolster.
Blade is etched: “TRADE/MARK/LANDERS FRARY & CLARK/AETNA WORKS”; with image of arm holding hammer inside a triangle.
Maker is Landers, Frary & Clark, New Britain, Connecticut (c. 1862). In 1890, L. F. & C. took on the Trademark “Universal”, in 1965, General Electric acquired the company.