Early Australian Silversmiths

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Re: Early Australian Silversmiths

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J. HYAMS

67, Collins Street East, Melbourne

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J. Hyams - Melbourne - 1861

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Re: Early Australian Silversmiths

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STEVENSON BROTHERS

Rundle Street, Adelaide

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The silver casket reproduced on this page forms the silver-wedding gift of the ladies of South Australia to the Princess of Wales. It is designed in two tiers and stands on four brightly burnished feet, the whole being surmounted by emblematic figures of Britannia and South Australia. The former figure is reclining on a wheel and supports in one hand the "union-jack," while the other wields a trident. South Australia holds aloft the Australian flag, which, like the "union-jack," is appropriately gilded, and in the other hand she holds a cornucopia from which are pouring forth the productions of the colony. The lower portion of the casket proper, which is designed for the reception of the jewellery accompanying it, is nearly oval in shape, and all the surface is elaborately carved. Folding doors ingeniously open to the front, revealing the jewellery reposing on a white plush ground in a chamber with rich gold satin walls. Each door is formed in one panel artistically chased. The left door, illustrative of Agriculture, depicts a field of golden grain with the reaper at work in it, and in the distance, the spire of a little church is seen rising above a pleasant little clump of trees. The top tier of the casket is octagonal, and has been arranged with slender burnished circular columns at the intersection of the sides. Two female figures in semi-relief constitute the ornamentation for the two narrow sides, and as seen from the front form a graceful outline. The lower protion of the figures terminate in foliage, which in turn give place to the plain surface of the sides. The horizontal portion of the base of the upper part is the groundwork on which the designer has given full scope to his artistic instincts. Gathered together are many specimens of the wilder growths of the Australian bush, groups of ferns, semitropical plants, brushwood and fallen timber. It is claimed that the casket is the largest specimen of the silversmith's art that has ever been produced in Australia. It contains no less than two thousand five hundred pieces or parts, and weighs nearly five hundred ounces. The credit of originating the gift is due to Sir Edwin Smith, and the execution to Messrs. Stevenson Brothers of Adelaide.

Source: The Art Journal - 1889


The silver-wedding gift to the Prince and Princess of Wales contributed by the ladies of South Australia, has arrived at the offices of Sir Arthur Blyth, the Agent-General for South Australia. The present consists of a beautiful chased silver casket, three feet six inches high, containing some 2,500 separate pieces, and weighing nearly 500 ounces. It is designed in two tiers, the whole being surmounted by emblematic figures of England and South Australia. The former figure is reclining on a wheel, and wields a trident. South Australia in one hand holds aloft the Australian flag and the Union Jack, and with the other hand pours forth the productions of the colony from a cornucopia. The doors of the lower portion of the casket, which contains the jewellery, are engraved with a design illustrative of agriculture, and a view of the Waterfall Gully ; while those of the upper portion show views of the Post Office and Town Hall of Adelaide, and illustrate respectively the shipping and sheep-raising industries of the colony. Other designs on the casket show the chief fauna and flora of South Australia. The total value of the casket is £1,000. It contains a collarette of South Australian gold mounted with Australian rubies and Brazilian diamonds, and a pair of gold and ruby bangles. The collarette is made of 25 links, and each link is set with three of the rubies and four of the diamonds. Suspended from the collarette is a pendant attached by two pieces of cable chain, and sustaining two cornucopias. A beautifully chased shell occupies the space between these, and in the centre a very large ruby surmounts six diamonds, while close by three pretty coloured rubies hang gracefully in claw settings, a diamond surmounting the centre one. Both casket and jewels have been designed and made by Messrs. Stevenson Brothers, Rundle Street, Adelaide. The presentation has been postponed owing to the death of the Duchess of Cambridge.

Source: The Watchmaker, Jeweller and Silversmith - 1st June 1889


Stevenson Brothers were recorded in trade directories as being located at 6, Rundle Street, and King William Street, during the period 1883-1885, and at 20, Rundle Street, in 1896.

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Re: Early Australian Silversmiths

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ANGUS & COOTE

Sydney

William Angus, a Watchmaker, and Edmund J. Coote, a Jeweller, took over the Business of Josiah Mason & Co. (see earlier post) in 1895. Starting off as a retail concern, they appear to have turned to manufacturing following the death of William Angus in 1902, and were in production by 1905.

They acquired the Sutton Electroplate Company in the early 1920's, and Perfection Plate in 1960.

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MAUDE WORDSWORTH JAMES

Rydal Camp, Rydal Street, Kalgoorlie, Western Australia

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Source: Australian Official Journal of Trade Marks - 27th September 1907

Maude Wordsworth James was a noted amateur designer of jewellery, as well as being a song-writer and author. She arrived at Kalgoorlie in 1897, to join her husband the Tasmanian surveyor and engineer, Charles Wordsworth James, who arrived at the Western Australian goldfields in 1896, and who later designed the Kalgoorlie Town Hall that opened in 1907.

Maude Wordsworth James was born on 19 December 1855 aboard the ship, the Morning Star, bound for Melbourne. Her parents, Thomas and Alicia Crabbe, had sailed from Bristol in October 1855. Maude left Kalgoorlie in 1908 and went to South Australia. In 1924 she went to England for two years and then lived in Mosman, Sydney until 1931 when she returned to Adelaide. She died in North Adelaide in October 1936.

Further reading: http://www.slwa.wa.gov.au/findinghome/p ... orth_james

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HENRY HANSON

Summer Street, Orange, NSW

Link to some images of Henry Hanson, and that of his shopfront, can be found at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnny_won ... otostream/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Click on the photostream for more images.

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Re: Early Australian Silversmiths

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ERNEST LEVINY

Castlemaine

Link to an image of messages written by well-wishers of Ernest Leviny upon his departure from Engand to Australia:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mystroh/3178131169/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The text that accompanies the image states:

Ernest Leviny was born in Szepes-Szombat in Hungary and trained in Vienna as a watchmaker and jeweller. In 1846 he settled in England,establishing a successful goldsmithing business in Oxford Street, London, before settling in Castlemaine in the late 1850s. He first worked as a jeweller in Castlemaine, and exhibited successfully at the international exhibitions.

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Re: Early Australian Silversmiths

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ALBERT WILHELM HEINRICH BERGER

Mount Gambier, South Australia

Application for Letters Patent

16th - 22nd Janurary 1908

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Source: The Australian Official Journal of Patents, Trade Marks, and Designs - Volume 6 - 1908

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Re: Early Australian Silversmiths

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ARTHUR COCKS & Co. Ltd.

49, York Street, Sydney

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Source: The Australian Official Journal of Trade Marks - Volume 2 - 1907


BIG SYDNEY FIRE

JEWELLERY FIRM SUFFERS HEAVY LOSS


Adelaide. Tuesday. A Sydney telegram states, that damage to the extent of £25,000 was done by a fire at the premises of Arthur Cocks & Co., Ltd, jewellery importers, at the corner of Barrack and George streets early this morning.


Source: The Kadina and Wallaroo Times - 7th December 1927

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Re: Early Australian Silversmiths

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GEORGE EDWARD SALMON

242, Russell Street, Melbourne

Applications fof Letters Patent - 8th-14th October 1908

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Source: The Australian Official Journal of Patents, Trade Marks, and Designs - Volume 6 - 1908

George E. Salmon was recorded in trade directories as being located at 211, Commercial Road, South Yarra, in 1892.

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GEORGE WASHINGTON ROBBINS

289, Bay Street, Port Melbourne

Applications fof Letters Patent - 8th-14th October 1908

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Source: The Australian Official Journal of Patents, Trade Marks, and Designs - Volume 6 - 1908

G.W. Robbins (Jnr) was recorded in trade directories as being located at 179, Bay Street, Port Melbourne, during the period 1889-1895.

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Re: Early Australian Silversmiths

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AMBACH

Sydney?

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Source: Journals and Printed Papers of the Federal Council of Australasia - Volume 1 - 1886

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Re: Early Australian Silversmiths

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WILLIAM GRESHAM

Carlton, Victoria

Melbourne. May 2

William Gresham, silversmith, Carlton, who is supposed to be implicated in numerous jewellery robberies, was commited for trial at Emerald Hill today for receiving stolen property.


Source: South Australian Register - 3rd May 1883

William Gresham, jeweller and silversmith, Cardigan-street, Carlton, wita brought up in custody at the City Court on Thursday, charged with burglary and stealing from the premises of Mr. Patrick D. Tracy, Emerald hill, and Mrs. Emma Perry, Victoria-parade, Fitzroy. On the application of Detective Mackey, the accused was remanded to appear at the Emerald hill Court on Wednesday next, to answer the first charge ; and after the evidence has been taken in that case, he will he remanded to Fitzroy, where a number of other charges will probably be preferred against him.

Source: The Argus - 27th April 1883

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Re: Early Australian Silversmiths

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BIRNSTINGL & Co.

473, George Street, Sydney

A Pigeon Match came off on Tuesday last, at Hill's paddock, for a splendid silver cup, manufactured for the express purpose by Mr. Birnstingl, silversmith, of George-street. In consequence of a disputed shot by Mr. E. Clarke, decided in favour of the field, it ended in a tie between four of the candidates, Messrs. E. Clarke, Brother Rickard, J. Gannon, and Shuttleworth, and will be re-shot for by those gentlemen on Wednesday, the 12th of March. Umpires, Dr. W. B. Neville and Mr. Gaskell. There are some heavy bets pending on the ensuing meeting, and some first-rate sport is anticipated, more particularly on two by-matches formed between the crack men.

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald - 29th February 1844

Birnstingl & Co. were noted in trade directories as being located at 473, George Street, Sydney in 1847.

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KOSVITZ

Queen Street, Brisbane

A neat goblet, formed of an emu's egg, is on exhibition at the shop of Mr. Kosvitz, jeweller and silversmith, Queen-street. The design is simple and appropriate, the cup resting upon a pedestal, representing the 'weeping myall', the trunk being of the sweet scented wood of that rare indiginous tree, and the foliage in silver work. The lid of the goblet is surmounted by an excellent miniature of an emu.

Source: The Courier - 4th August 1863

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A.C. COOK

Hay Street, Perth

We have been shown two very creditable specimens of local workmanship by Mr. A. C. Cook, the well-known city jeweller and silversmith, of Hay-street, they are a silver trowel with prettily turned Jam-wood handle, presented to Miss Jessie Ackermann on the occasion of the laying of the memorial stone of the Rechabite Coffee Palace, and a gold medal presented to the same lady by the Northam Lodge of Good Templars. Both are very excellently made, finished and engraved.

Source: The Inquirer & Commercial News - 17th August 1892

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MAURICE BARNETT

Mosman Street, Charters Towers, Queensland

Applications for Grant of Letters Patent

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Source: Government Gazette of Western Australia - 19th January 1900

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HALLIDAY & SON

Sydney

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Source: The Horological Journal - 1872

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DONALD MANSON & Co.

Elgin Building, Sydney. St. James' Buildings, Melbourne

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Donald Manson & Co. - Sydney & Melbourne - 1892

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W. SEWELL & Co.

Queen Street, Brisbane

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W. Sewell and Co. - Brisbane - 1885

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JAMES McEWAN & Co.

79,81, 319, Elizabeth Street, Melbourne

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James McEwan & Co. - Melbourne - 1877

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James M'Ewan & Co. - Melbourne - 1882

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James McEwan & Co. - Melbourne - 1885

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