Reviews (3)

This book was a dissappointment for me.....
Unless already know the name of the maker, it's fairly difficult to look up a unknown, cryptic mark. I have to thumb through the whole book to find the mark I'm searching for. There is no cross reference section. An excelllent reference for the collector or dealer...
This book is a must-have if you collect American silver. It's an exhaustive reference of marks and makers, with over 400 pages of information. Silver makers are listed both alphabetically as well as cross-referenced by monograms or marks. More than 10,000 silversmiths, from 1650 to the present are included, and the book makes it easy to identify a piece or its maker. There are shape guides (for things like spoons and coffeepots), as well as hand-drawn images of marks (no photos in this book). All in all this book is an extremely useful reference for the collector or dealing of American silver. Don't hesitate, buy it!

A "must have" for the collector of American Antique silver
While not the definitive reference that Jackson's book is on Englishsilver, the Kovels do provide an extensive listing of American silversmithsand manufacturers. A person cannot be a serious collector of Americanantique silver without this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Antiques & Collectibles    2. Antiques / Collectibles    3. Antiques/Collectibles    4. General    5. Hallmarks    6. Metal Arts And Crafts    7. Silver, Gold & Other Metals    8. Silverwork    9. United States    10. Antiques & Collectibles / Silver    11. Gold & silversmithing    12. Jewellery & jewellery-making    13. USA   

Subjects:  1. Antiques / Collectibles    2. Antiques/Collectibles    3. Art    4. Design - Product    5. Silver, Gold & Other Metals    6. Antiques & Collectables    7. Sculpture & other three-dimensional art forms   

Reviews (4)

A splendid book!
Pickford's Starting to Collect Antique Silver is splendidly innlustrated, clearly and entertainly, not to say gracefuly,written (with just a touch of irony in a few spots!), well laid-out, and very useful and informative.
Best Information You Will Probably Never Use
This book has the same faults as similiar books on furniture, The BEST Book for New Collectors ofSilver!
Ian Pickford is my kind of writer!He approaches the stuffiest of subjects with a down-to-earth style that fascinates his reader with neatsilver facts beginning on Page 1!For example, did you know that puresilver is self-sterilizing (bacteria cannot live on its surface) or thatsilver is so malleable that one Troy Ounce can be made into a wire 40 mileslong?The book also contains a clear and concise explanation ofhallmarking systems and how silver is made as well as good examples of thetypes of items a new collector is likely to encounter.Unlike some otherbooks on the subject, his explanations are not limited to a specific piecebut cover things to look for within a category, such as candlesticks,coffee pots, or cigarette boxes, to name just a few.Other chapters coverthe subjects of silver plate, fakes & forgeries, and how to care forfine silver. This is my favorite book on facts about silver (not just theantique variety) and I'd highly recommend it to anyone interested in thesubject. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Antiques & Collectibles    2. Antiques / Collectibles    3. Antiques/Collectibles    4. General    5. Silver, Gold & Other Metals    6. Antiques & collectables: gold & silver (other than jewellery)   

Subjects:  1. 19th century    2. 20th century    3. Animal sculpture    4. Antiques & Collectibles    5. Antiques/Collectibles    6. Art & Art Instruction    7. Bronze sculpture    8. Catalogs    9. General    10. Sculpture    11. Silver, Gold & Other Metals    12. Antiques & collectables: gold & silver (other than jewellery)    13. Antiques & collectables: jewellery    14. Reference works   

Reviews (3)

A recommended pick for any collector's reference library
A recommended pick for any collector's reference library, WayneBednersh's Collectible Souvenir Spoons Book II ...considers both usual and unusual categories of spoons, from historical and art spoons to rarer prison spoons.

A Very Informative Guide to Collectible Souvenir Spoons !
Published in 1998, this 336 page book contains 750 large, sharp, black and white photos, plus 12 full color pages.Although difficult to photograph, the pictures clearly show the designs on the spoons.The volume containsinformative text, covering the history of spoons, introduction, anddetails.Major topics range from Inspiring A Nation, First Americans, andModern Vision of Government, to Inspiring Our Children, Our BowlOverfloweth and Craftsmanship and Painted Silver.Price ranges areprovided as well as a comprehensive bibliography and index.A valuablereference tool for souvenir spoon collectors.

Very good choice of topics.....enjoyable viewing and reading
Everyone who is interested in sterling silver and other types of collectible spoons, needs to purchase a book like this. The author has made a grand effort to bring together a great many styles of spoons for thereader and viewer......ENJOY IT!!!!!!!!!!!!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Antiques & Collectibles    2. Antiques / Collectibles    3. Antiques/Collectibles    4. Catalogs    5. Collectors and collecting    6. Kitchenware    7. Reference - Price Guides    8. Silver flatware    9. Silverware    10. Souvenir spoons    11. United States    12. Antiques & collectables: gold & silver (other than jewellery)    13. Antiques & collectables: jewellery    14. Household appliances manufacture    15. Reference works   

Reviews (3)

This book is a true gem
The book offers insight into the most important jewelry designs and the artistic talents of their creators. It gives an overview and biographies of the most important jewelry artists of the recent history and how their businesses got started: Cartier, Tiffany, Van Cleef and Arpels, Lalique, Verdura, Bulgari, Boucheron etc. The photos are wonderful; I only wish there were more of them. A great book for anyone wanting to learn more about the most important jewelry creators and jewelry pieces. It is also a great way to start your own favorite jeweler/jewelry book collection and get more specific books.

Breathtaking
I really enjoyed my first scan of this book and look forward to many more in-depth visits.The jewelry is absolutely breathtaking.The color photos are extremely well done.

Awesome
It may seem an era long gone by but the art work is as vital and enthralling today. The photos are numerous and magnificent and it is a valuable addition to anyones library. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 19th century    2. 20th century    3. Antiques & Collectibles    4. Antiques / Collectibles    5. Antiques/Collectibles    6. History    7. Jewelry    8. Jewelry Arts And Crafts    9. Silver, Gold & Other Metals    10. Gold & silversmithing    11. Jewellery & jewellery-making   

Reviews (8)

Not the best.
I bought this book along with Sterling Flatware by Tere Hagan.I find it difficult to use and poorly organized.She has a lot of information on certian patterns and makers but little on others.There is no index and information is incomplete.I use it as a back up to Hagan's book as she sometimes will have a pattern that Hagen dosen't have.Neither book is complete and this book has some information and a couple of Manufactures that Hagan dosen't cover still both books are valuable but even together not complete.I still have quite a few unknowns in my collection.

Only a basic reference
The 1880’s to 1990’s 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 year’s 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. A fairer appraisal of this book than my last review:
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. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 19th century    2. 20th century    3. Antiques & Collectibles    4. Antiques / Collectibles    5. Antiques/Collectibles    6. Catalogs    7. History    8. Kitchenware    9. Patterns    10. Reference - Price Guides    11. Silver flatware    12. Silver, Gold & Other Metals    13. United States    14. Antiques & collectables: gold & silver (other than jewellery)    15. Base metal & ironworking    16. First World War, 1914-1918    17. Inter-war period, 1918-1939    18. Postwar period, 1945 to c 2000    19. Second World War, 1939-1945    20. USA    21. c 1800 to c 1900    22. c 1900 - c 1914    23. c 1945 to c 1960    24. c 1960 to c 1970    25. c 1970 to c 1980    26. c 1980 to c 1990   

Reviews (1)

Excellent reference for new collectors.
As a new and small collector of Oriental rugs I found Middleton's book a great source of information for a beginner. It's loaded with great color photos, is easy to read and is laid out very well. I'd recommend it to anyone looking to start an education on Oriental rugs. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Antiques & Collectibles    2. Antiques/Collectibles    3. Carpets    4. Crafts / Hobbies    5. Oriental rugs    6. Rugs    7. Rugs, Oriental    8. Silver, Gold & Other Metals    9. Textiles & Costume    10. Antiques & Collectibles / Textiles & Costume    11. Antiques & collectables: carpets, rugs & textiles    12. Textile arts   

Subjects:  1. Antiques & Collectibles    2. Antiques / Collectibles    3. Antiques/Collectibles    4. Cocktail shakers    5. Cocktails    6. Collectors and collecting    7. Popular Culture    8. Porcelain & China    9. Reference - Price Guides    10. Silver, Gold & Other Metals    11. United States    12. Antiques & Collectables    13. Art / General    14. Other manufacturing technologies    15. Spirits & cocktails   

Subjects:  1. Antiques & Collectibles    2. Antiques/Collectibles    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Indians of North America    5. Jewelry    6. Native American Art    7. Navajo Indians    8. Pueblo Indians    9. Southwest, New    10. Antiques & collectables: gold & silver (other than jewellery)    11. Antiques & collectables: jewellery    12. Costume    13. Folk art    14. USA   

Reviews (2)

Updated in 1998 to include 80 new artisans
Back in print is Hopi Silver: The History And Hallmarks Of Hopi Silversmithing, a revised classic covering the history and hallmarks of Hopi silversmithing. This classic appeared over twenty years ago and was updated in 1998 to include 80 new artisans: it not only reveals the history of past and contemporary Hopi silversmithers, but it provides an important reference of unique hallmarks used by other 300 Hopi silversmiths, including designs, silversmith name and clan, and years he or she began their work. Add color photos and you have a memorable coverage.

A valuable and beautifully illustrated resource!
For anyone who admires or collects Hopi jewelry, this guide will only serve to deepen your appreciation of this beautiful artwork.After setting the stage geographically, Wright starts at the beginning with a history ofHopi crafts and culture, and early silversmiths.Of particular interestwas the role played by Mary-Russell Colter of the Museum of NorthernArizona in encouraging the Hopi artists to create a design style that wasuniquely Hopi, distinguishable from other Native American jewelry, andtherefore profitable.The color plates of traditional and modern Hopijewelry designs are stunning.The book closes with an index of thehallmarks of more than 300 Hopi silversmiths-- arranged chronologically andby type of symbol, with brief information about each artist.An invaluablereference for serious or casual collectors! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American - Native American    2. Art    3. Art & Art Instruction    4. Hopi silverwork    5. Native American    6. Antiques & collectables: gold & silver (other than jewellery)    7. Antiques & collectables: jewellery    8. Arizona    9. Gold & silversmithing    10. Jewellery & jewellery-making   

Reviews (1)

Beautiful book, badly edited
The positives: This is a visually gorgeous book, jam-packed with photographs of silver flatware. Usual and unusual pieces are identified, and a range of patterns are illustrated. This was what I was looking for when I bought the book: A reference book to use to identify those weird utensils in the family silver collection. And, yes, "Yesterday's Silver" seems to serve that purpose well.Read more

Subjects:  1. 19th century    2. Antiques & Collectibles    3. Antiques/Collectibles    4. Art & Art Instruction    5. Catalogs    6. Collectors and collecting    7. General    8. History    9. Patterns    10. Silver flatware    11. Silver, Gold & Other Metals    12. United States    13. Antiques & Collectables    14. Gold & silversmithing   

Subjects:  1. Antiques & Collectibles    2. Antiques/Collectibles    3. Silver, Gold & Other Metals    4. Technical & Manufacturing Trades    5. Technology & Industrial Arts    6. Antiques & collectables: toys, games & models   

Reviews (10)

Informative and helpful book
This book is one of the bes t for covering the different makers and I especially enjoyed the charts and guidelines for buyers.

Good book for a casual collector
This book provides a short introductory section on cleaning buying selling etc and then write ups on different jewelry companies.The introduction is good for people with little information about caring for jewelry:displaying, cleaning, storing and repairing.It is sometimes humorous, as when Rezazadeh describes the meticulous procedure he goes through to clean his jewelry and then recalls discovering that his wife cleaned her jewelry by scrubbing it with a tooth brush and then blow drying it.There is also a bit about apraising and the supply and demand at work.I doubt that this is a book for dealers, because they presumably already have good resources and knowledge.
Good commentary, poor photos.
Overall, the commentary in this book in wonderful.But the photography leaves something to be desired.Some of the photos are too dark to be very beneficial in identifying the items.Read more

Subjects:  1. Antiques & Collectibles    2. Antiques / Collectibles    3. Antiques/Collectibles    4. Jewelry    5. Reference - Price Guides    6. Antiques & collectables: gold & silver (other than jewellery)    7. Antiques & collectables: jewellery    8. Catalogs    9. Collectors and collecting    10. Costume jewelry    11. Jewellery & jewellery-making    12. Prices   

Subjects:  1. 19th century    2. 20th century    3. Antiques / Collectibles    4. Art    5. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions - General    6. General    7. History    8. Silver, Gold & Other Metals    9. Silverwork    10. Tiffany and Company    11. United States   

Subjects:  1. Antiques    2. Antiques & Collectibles    3. Antiques/Collectibles    4. Art & Art Instruction    5. England    6. European    7. Exhibitions    8. History    9. History - General    10. Moscow    11. Russia (Federation)    12. Silver, Gold & Other Metals    13. Silverwork    14. Art / Design / Decorative   

Subjects:  1. Antiques & Collectibles    2. Antiques / Collectibles    3. Antiques/Collectibles    4. Silver, Gold & Other Metals    5. British Isles    6. Europe    7. Gold & silversmithing   

Subjects:  1. Antiques & Collectibles    2. Antiques/Collectibles    3. Antiquities    4. Archaeology    5. Archaeology / Anthropology    6. Asia - China    7. Bronzes, Chinese    8. China    9. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions - General    10. Exhibitions    11. Masks    12. Sanxingdui Site (China)    13. Silver, Gold & Other Metals    14. To 221 B.C    15. To 221 B.C.   

Reviews (1)

Probably the best beginners book about Rhinestones.
This is a beautiful book with fabulous pictures. It has a wealth of good jewelry items illustrated that actually apply to things a person who is not wealthy might have.They have a very interesting and easy to understandsection on how to clean Rhinestone jewelry, how to make some repairs, andhow to store and display it.All in all this is a very complete, useful,interesting and beautiful book about Rhinestone jewelry. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Antiques & Collectibles    2. Antiques/Collectibles    3. Jewelry    4. Jewelry Arts And Crafts    5. Rhinestone jewelry    6. Technical & Manufacturing Trades    7. Technology & Industrial Arts    8. Antiques & collectables: gold & silver (other than jewellery)    9. Antiques & collectables: jewellery    10. Costume   

Subjects:  1. Antiques & Collectibles    2. Antiques/Collectibles    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Europe    5. History    6. Jewelry    7. Middle class    8. Antiques & collectables: gold & silver (other than jewellery)    9. Antiques & collectables: jewellery