American Sterling Silver Flatware 1830s-1990s: An Identification and Value Guide [Paperback]

Maryanne Dolan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1992

Crafts an excellent overview of prominent silversmiths, manufacturers and patterns. Concise historical information pulls values into focus for collectors and keepers of family treasures. Maryanne Dolan provides more than 1,000 photos.

Product Details

• Paperback: 222 pages
• Publisher: Krause Publications; First edition (October 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0896890953
• ISBN-13: 978-0896890954
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #467,745 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #45 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Antiques & Collectibles > Kitchenware
  • #50 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Antiques & Collectibles > Precious Metals

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Only a basic reference, September 21, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: American Sterling Silver Flatware 1830s-1990s: An Identification and Value Guide (Paperback)

The 1880s to 1990s American Sterling Silver Flatware is a reference guide to 23 of the major American Sterling Silver Flatware makers and their production. It provides an overview of the patterns and the individual pieces produced in this 100 or so years time frame. For someone who loves silver it is lovely to look at. Some of the images are, just as they are on the front cover; beautifully photographed images. Others seem to be poor quality computer scanned images that produce, in many cases, barely acceptable illustrations or examples of the pattern.
If you know the name of the company you will be able to find the name of the pattern, the date of issue and an approximate price for four components. Not necessarily the basic four components of a place setting, as I understand it to be, i.e. a Dinner Knife, Dinner Fork, Dessert/Salad Fork and Tea Spoon. One also has access to a list of pieces that were originally produced. Here again, the guide could offer so much more. It does not provide insight into the difference between a Master Butter Knife and a Butter Knife nor does it include the measurements of different pieces, which I would have found invaluable. It is very useful to know that a Place fork or Luncheon Fork might be slightly less than 7 inches in length and that a Dinner Fork may be 7 ½ inches. And just what does an Orange Knife look like, or Strawberry Spoon an as compared to an Almond Spoon. More importantly, how does a Five Oclock Spoon differ from the more Basic Tea Spoon and those, which are mentioned as Full Size Trade Tea Spoon, Full Size Regular Tea Spoon, Full Size Heavy Tea Spoon, or Full Size Massive Tea Spoon. Again, the weight of different items would have been useful. While this book is a very valuable guide to American Silver Pattern, which does have a place in a collectors basic library, I feel it falls short of its possibilities as an Identification and Value guide.

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fairer appraisal of this book than my last review:, February 6, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: American Sterling Silver Flatware 1830s-1990s: An Identification and Value Guide (Paperback)

I was simply much too impatient for quick and easy answers the last time I wrote a review for this book, and I am a bit ashamed of myself for having been so negative and hypercritical. After much more time and education on the subject of American Sterling flatware, I realized that Ms. Dolan's approach is actually rather pragmatic and useful (organized alphabetically, by manufacturer, with hallmarks being displayed before each section). I would have appreciated an entire section devoted solely to identifying hallmarks, a wider range of American manufacturers, and an index, but this book has indeed proven useful for me, regardless (even though I am only able to reference between 50 to 60% of the patterns in any given pile of mixed antique American Sterling flatware, using solely this book - but still). Though by no means a complete reference in itself, Ms. Dolan's book should indeed be included in any collection of American Sterling flatware reference material, and seems to fill some of the gaps in other existing reference guides.

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting but not comprehensive, July 24, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: American Sterling Silver Flatware 1830s-1990s: An Identification and Value Guide (Paperback)

As a collector, I have some sterling flatware purchased for daily use. However, I was unable to find one pattern in this book that matched the 50+ pieces I have. The photos and drawerings, however, are clear and detailed. Hopefully, someday I will be able to match a piece with the book!