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Cowan's
Corner
Cincinnati Silver Tableware Still Shines
By Wes Cowan
When Cincinnati's first settlers arrived in 1788, they dreamed of
establishing a trade center along the water highway of the Ohio River. Their
primary concern was continuing hostilities with the Indian tribes who had lost
their hunting grounds in Kentucky and were determined not to be pushed further
west by new waves of white settlers. Troubles with the Indians were resolved
after the signing of the Treaty of Greenville in 1795, and the Ohio territory
opened for permanent settlement.
With permanent settlement came an influx of
silversmiths, jewelers, watchmakers and clockmakers from cities in the East, the
British Isles, France and Germany, bringing with them refinements, such as
jewelry and silver spoons, to what would soon be called "The Queen City of the
West." While some accounts circa 1798 claim that Cincinnati's first silversmith
was Celedon Symmes, nephew of John Cleves Symmes, the Torrence Manuscripts in
the Cincinnati Historical Society provide a 1793 listing for John Whitesides,
Silversmith, which indicates he was most likely the city's earliest silversmith.
The earliest designs were primitive spoons and ladles, as forks were not
seen until early in the 19th century. These followed the Eastern styles with
"coffin" shaped ends. Next came the distinctive small bowl with a "fiddle"
handle, a shape that evolved from the 1830s through the 1850s when an
exaggerated hourglass shape terminating in a wide rounded end was seen. In the
1850s, twist handled flatware began to appear, made by the Kinseys, Duhme &
Co., C. Oskamp and C. Hellebush. First seen in the 17th century, this style
became very popular and was made for many years, as evidenced by the large
quantity that still exists today. Duhme & Co. made and retailed complete
sets of twist-handled flatware, some plain and some with bright cut engraved
decoration. These two styles-the exaggerated "fiddle" shape-and the twist
handle, are considered by some to be the most easily recognized and distinctive
Cincinnati styles. After the Civil War, silver hollow ware appeared with greater
frequency, with Duhme & Co. as the largest producer.
Perhaps the most
prolific Cincinnati silversmiths of the pre-Civil war period were Edward
(1810-1865) and David (1819-1874) Kinsey. Edward Kinsey lived first in Newport,
Kentucky, moved to Cincinnati, and by 1836 had his own silver manufactory,
employing many other silversmiths and producing both flatware and hollow ware.
In addition to the many fine silversmiths that worked in Cincinnati during
the 19th century, many local jewelers imported their wares from silver companies
across the country and marketed them under their own company name. Duhme &
Co., which manufactured enormous quantities of silver on premises, also retailed
silver from other manufacturers, as did The Loring Andrews Company and The Frank
Herschede Company. As an example, silver hollow ware might have a backstamp for
the Dominick & Haff Company and a retailer's stamp for Duhme or Herschede's.
Silver retailed by The Loring Andrews Company is of the highest quality, and has
a dedicated following of serious collectors for its distinctive repousse
patterns. Although it is not certain, evidence suggests that most of their wares
were made by Kirk and other Baltimore area silversmiths and retailed under the
Loring Andrews name.
Some other names which figure prominently in the history
of early Cincinnati silver include Joseph Beggs (1836-1861); Samuel Best
(1802-1818); H. Blakesley (1829-1836); Richard Clayton (1834-1859), who was also
a balloonist; Peleg Collins (1820-1850); W. & A. Cooper (1835-1837); Jacob
Deterly (1812-1833); Joseph Draper (1832-1856); Herman Duhme (1842-1888);
Clemens Hellebush (1866-1893); Edward H. Hill (1839-1873); Abraham Palmer
(1834-1859); Thomas (1832-1836) and James (1844-1856) Rhodes (1844-1856);
Bushnell Willey (1834-1837); and Enos Woodruff (1813-1834). See Beckman,
Cincinnati Silversmiths, for a more complete listing.
COLLECTING CINCINNATI SILVER
Visit museums, exhibitions or auctions and
examine objects "hands on" to become familiar with styles and maker marks. Some
fine examples of early Cincinnati silver are on display at the Cincinnati Art
Museum and other examples may be available for examination and purchase at
local auctions. A great reference on the subject is Elizabeth D. Beckman's
in-depth study Cincinnati Silversmiths, Jewelers, Watch and Clockmakers which
was privately published in 1975 but is out of print. It may be available in some
libraries, from rare book dealers or on the Internet.
A good place for the
beginning collector to start is with simple "fiddle" shape coin silver spoons.
These are available at very reasonable prices for savvy Internet shoppers,
perhaps for as little as $37 for 6 E&D Kinsey coin silver spoons as seen in
a recent eBay auction. A larger piece, such as a soup ladle, can be purchased
for $200-$400, unless it is by a little known maker. Simple bea-kers or julep
cups may be available for $300-$400 each, largely determined by style,
embellishments such as beading or engraving, and scarcity of the maker. Hollow
ware pieces such as goblets, teapots and pitchers, are much harder to find and
will require a much more serious financial commitment, likely several thousand
dollars.
As with any antique purchase, condition is a primary consideration.
Silver which has been in existence for 150+ years is expected to show wear, but
spoons with no "tips" or edges, ones in which one side of the bowl is worn down
(most often seen on the left side due to use by a right handed user), or ones
with very thin shanks prone to breakage, should be avoided. Although repairs may
be performed by a reputable silver restoration firm, such procedures are costly
and many collectors prefer to leave their purchases in "as found" condition.
 About the author: Wes Cowan is founder and owner of Cowan's Auctions, Inc. in Cincinnati, Ohio. An
internationally recognized expert in historic Americana, Wes stars in the PBS television
series History Detectives and is a featured appraiser on Antiques Roadshow. He can be
reached via email at info@cowans.com. Article research by Mimi Morgan.
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This elaborate repousse sterling silver punch bowl was retailed by The Loring
Andrews Company of Cincinnati in the early 20th c.; $9,200 in Feb. 2006.
This matching 2005 auction for $2,300.
Partial set of four coin silver goblets, all marked Kinsey, were sold
at an Oct. set of twist-handle Cincinnati silver by Clemens Oskamp fetched
$747.50 in 2005.
These twist-handle coin silver forks with bright cut engraving clearly show a
distinctive Cincinnati style; Duhme & Co.
in the mid-19th c. sold for
$287.50 in May 2005.
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