Scrapbooks and card file, 1917-1960.

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Scrapbooks and card file, 1917-1960.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/84665668

Consists of 23 scrapbooks compiled by Phoebe Prime and containing clippings of newspaper and magazine articles, antique dealer's advertisements featuring photographs of objects, and a few exhibition catalogs. The primary sources of material for the scrapbooks were the magazines Antiques, Antiquarian, Antique Collector, and Connoisseur. Newspaper columns about antiques by Katherine Moos and Babette appear throughout the volumes. The activities of such collecting clubs as the Wedgwood Club and the China Student's Club are documented in the scrapbooks. Two of the volumes are devoted to furniture, seven pertain to china and glass, and fourteen relate to silver. The furniture volumes include articles on cabinetmakers, in particular Henry Connelly, William Savery, and William Stanley from the International Studio and the Antiquarian; a feature on the American wing of the Metropolitan Museum; and illustrations of pieces of furniture, particularly Windsor chairs, wing chairs, sofas, high boys, and low boys. Of the seven scrapbooks devoted to china and glass two were labeled china and glass, while five were labeled china by Prime. Such glassware as cut-glass, Wistar glass, and crystal is featured. There are also two catalogs of Steuben glass and the Early American Glass Picture Book, printed by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1946. The clippings on china are more extensive. Such types of china as Spode, Chinese export porcelain, luster, Chelsea, Derby porcelain, Staffordshire, Delft, Dresden, Meissen porcelain, spatter, ironstone, and early English faience. Also of note are articles on such topics as early New Jersey potteries, painting ceramics, Chinese porcelain teapots, Josiah Wedgwood, Chinese Lowestoft, a list of Pittsburgh cabinetmakers and silverplaters, and a review of a manuscript volume with inventories of New Jersey properties plundered or destroyed by the British, 1776-1782. The silver volumes include illustrations of a wide range of silver objects from America and Europe along with articles about silversmiths. Whenever possible, Prime linked the pictured object with its maker. Such items as coffee pots, tea sets, silver mustard pots, creamers, sundials, beakers, church plate, snuff boxes, plates, candlesticks, knives, forks, spoons, wine cups, porringers, tankards, sauce boats, and bridal silver are featured. One of the volumes contains a series of articles on ancient silver and its discovery through archaeological digs, while another addresses gold and gold-plated objects along with goldsmithing. Biographies of silversmiths, including Elias Boudinot, Virginia Wireman Cute, John Marshall Phillips, Benjamin Fanueuil, and others are also featured. A great deal of the articles on silver were written by Helen Burr Smith, Edward Wenham, and E. Alfred Jones; Prime singles these three out in her index. Other authors represented include: Charles Messer Stow, Millicent Stow, Gregor Norman-Wilcox, Helen Comstock, Charles Oman, and A.G. Grimwade. The album of silversmiths' marks contains photographs of almost 200 pieces of early American silver with touches. Some of the photographs only depict marks; others show the object associated with the mark. Each entry includes brief biographical data for the silversmith. The album of trades and craftsmen's advertisement cards contains photographs of trade cards and newspaper advertisements for 18th century American artisans. Newspaper sources are given with the date; some of the cards have illustrations. A wide range of occupations and products are represented, including cooper mines, fishing tackles, horse breeding, and a library are all advertised. One advertisement for a tailor indicated that the business was run by a Mulatto and a slave. Another individual sold both nails and red leather chairs. In addition to the scrapbooks and albums, Prime compiled two card files listing 18th century American craftsmen. The smaller of the two files contains names derived from the Philadelphia city directories, 1785-1800. A larger file was derived from newspapers published between 1730 and 1800 in the New England and Mid-Atlantic States. Events as well as crafts are included. Both of the files are sorted by categories, usually craft or trade, and arranged alphabetically within each category.

25 volumes (with loose items) and ca. 20,000 cards : ill.

Winterthur Library

Information

SNAC Resource ID: 8325504

Winterthur Library

Related Entities

There are 24 Entities related to this resource.

Norman-Wilcox, Gregor, 1905-1969

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6n40ncw (person)

Gregor Norman-Wilcox was a curator of decorative arts at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art from 1931 until his death in 1969. Norman-Wilcox was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1905 and attended school there, eventually graduating from the Cleveland School of Art. In 1934, he married Grace Agusta Stern. In the 1940s, 50s, and 60s he wrote extensively on various aspects of the decorative arts, making many contributions to the magazine Antiques and other journals. He had a syndicated series on antiq...

Stow, Charles Messer

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6hx26cz (person)

Stanley, W.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6mw3k0j (person)

Comstock, Helen

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6126mmm (person)

Helen Comstock was born in Kansas City, and educated at Washington University in St. Louis, MO, and at the University of California. Under her maiden name (she was married to watercolorist Helmut Siber) she wrote numerous articles, edited a two volume Concise Encyclopedia of American Antiques (1958), wrote books on American Furniture (1962), American Lithographs of the Nineteenth Century (1950), The Looking Glass in America, 1700-1825 (1968), and the 100 Most Beautiful Rooms in Amer...

Grimwade, Arthur

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6f49brn (person)

Fanueuil, Benjamin.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w60594tc (person)

Boudinot, Elias, 1706-1770.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6698s9c (person)

Prime, Alfred Coxe, 1883-1926

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6zg8g79 (person)

Prime, Phoebe Phillips,

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w65t58bb (person)

Phoebe Phillips Prime was an expert on early silver objects. Married to Alfred Coxe Prime, she continued his work of collecting information about 18th century manufacturers and craftsmen after his death in 1926. The Primes resided in Philadelphia, Pa. Later, Mrs. Prime moved to Paoli, Pa. She was active in the Chester County Historical Society and the Society of Colonial Dames of America. She was the author of Three Centuries of Historic Silver. From the description of Scrapbooks and...

Oman, Charles, 1901-1982

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w69k60xv (person)

Cute, Virginia Wireman.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6rb8t93 (person)

Dyer, Walter A.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w66h65wv (person)

Wedgwood, Josiah, 1730-1795

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6b573qz (person)

Sir Joseph Banks was an English naturalist and president of the Royal Society. From the guide to the Sir Joseph Banks papers, 1766-1820 (bulk), 1766-1820, (American Philosophical Society) English potter. From the description of Letter in autograph of Alexander Chisholm, signed : Etruria, to Thomas Wedgwood, 1787 Dec. 3. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 270589238 Epithet: of Add MS 35536 British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue : Perso...

Wenham, Edward, 1884-1956.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w61r8db6 (person)

Savery, William, 1721 or 1722-1787

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6pr7znc (person)

William Savery was possibly apprenticed to Solomon Fussell of Philadelphia between 1735 to 1741. He advertised regularly in Philadelphia papers between 1750 and 1772 and was probably working until his death in 1787. It is not known whether he himself carved the items he constructed. From the description of Chair, ca. 1745-1750. (Winterthur Library). WorldCat record id: 770380035 From the description of Chair, ca. 1742-1760. (Winterthur Library). WorldCat record id: 770380028...

Moos, Katherine.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w64760d4 (person)

Stow, Millicent

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6jm40h7 (person)

China Student's Club.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6qv918c (corporateBody)

Wedgwood Club.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6bs464n (corporateBody)

Phillips, John Marshall, 1905-1953

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6ns4fw6 (person)

Smith, Helen Burr

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6fj45fs (person)

Collector of art and antiques, resident of New York City. From the description of Nicholas Biddle Kittell (1822-1894) : a forgotten New York State artist. [ca. 1960-1969]. (New York University, Group Batchload). WorldCat record id: 58759380 ...

James, E. Alfred.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6tb2x6b (person)

Connelly, Henry, 1800-1866

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6hm6z9k (person)

Babette.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w69g79hj (person)