[Rarebooks] fs: Very Scarce Silver Collection Catalog

[Joslin Hall Rare Books, ABAA]

A DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE OF VARIOUS PIECES OF SILVER PLATE FORMING THE 
COLLECTION OF THE NEW YORK FARMERS.

New York; Privately printed: 1932.
Edition limited to 85 numbered copies,
printed At the Sign of the Golden Head for the New York Farmers.

A fine example of one of the scarcest American silver collection books, 
published to showcase the fine small collection of the New York Farmers 
benevolent club on the occasion of their 50th Anniversary.

The idea to form a silver collection came at a club dinner in 1918, and a 
pair of candelabra, a tray and loving cup were subsequently purchased for 
$2,500. Club members were so pleased that they then voted to forgo flowers 
and table decorations at future dinners, and to put the unused $100 per 
dinner aside in a fund to pay for the silver. Additional pieces were 
donated from time to time, and by 1932 the Farmers had 16 fine pieces or 
sets, a mix of new and antique, including the pair of new candelabra by 
Dominck and Haff, a 1793 London flagon, a 1748 London tankard, an 1833 
London waiter, an 1809 tureen by William Eley, several 19th century loving 
cups, a 1780 Newcastle goblet, and a set of 66 dinner plates made in London 
in 1773, 1800 and 1801.

The story of the dinner plates is especially interesting- 48 of them were 
placed at the table for a December 20th, 1927 dinner, and it was announced 
that these plates had been presented by the King of England to the House of 
Commons in 1801. The estate of the Speaker of the House at that time had 
come up for sale and the plates were purchased in memory of former members 
of the Farmers, now deceased, and each plate would be inscribed in memory 
of a member, to be donated and paid for by a current member. Eighteen 
additional plates were later purchased and also donated.

This finely printed catalog has fine full-page gravure plates, with each 
item given a thumbnail description and a note of its inscription. 
Interestingly, the new pieces of silver they bought were American, and all 
the antique pieces English. Hardcover. 8.5"x11", 2 [1] [1] pages of text, 
plus 19 b/w plates with 25 pages of descriptive text, [1]; bound in coarse 
linen, as issued, with a red leather cover label and spine label, gilt 
titles. Title page with the Farmer's engraved emblem. Covers with slight 
soil and wear, spine just a bit lightened; internally fine. A handsome 
piece of printing. [05000] $850.00

Illustrations-
<http://www.joslinhall.com/images03/th-05000.jpg>

This is just one of 267 books in our new printed catalog
"BOOKS ON SILVER AND SILVERSMITHS"
which is now being mailed. Let us know if you
would like a free copy.

JOSLIN HALL RARE BOOKS, ABAA
Fine books of the 16th-20th centuries
on the decorative and fine arts & design

Post Office Box 239
Northampton, Massachusetts 01060 USA
telephone (413) 247-5080

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