Postby Neruda » Sat Oct 15, 2005 3:12 pm
Holabird Auctions have or had an auction featuring a variety of M M Fredrick items. From the on-line catalogue I quote, for information NOT commercial promotion:
"734. Nevada. Storey. Virginia. M. M. Fredrick Silver Flatware Collection, 1872. The collection contains 41 engraved pieces. Probably one of the finest accumulations of Virginia City silver ever assembled privately. This ;coin silver flatware, all marked with ;M. M. Fredrick, Virg. Nev are on Gorham patterns (floral and medallion) probably made by Schultz & Fisher in San Francisco and marked and sold by Fredrick in Virginia City. Fredrick had only a short run in Virginia City in the mid 1870's. This extremely rare set has 5 medallion pattern pieces: Large Crumb scraper presented to James Kelley, 1872 as engraved, 13.25 long, 0.75 wide. 2 Tablespoons, 1 teaspoon and 1 dinner fork. The floral Gorham pattern has 6 pearl handled knives, 12 dinner forks, 9 tablespoons, 1 serving spoon, 6 butter knives, 1 spreading knife, 1 scalloped sugar spoon. All are in original oak brown felt-lined box that measures 15 x 3 x 10.75. The collection also comes with 3 different Frederick billheads dated 1876 and 1877. One is signed by him personally. The billheads advertise ;fine watches, jewelry, diamonds and silverware.
"The M. M. Fredrick business was truly one of the pioneer jewelry businesses in Nevada. It began as Eaves & Nye in Virginia City in late 1862 or early 1863. William T. Eaves and Emanuel Nye started their jewelry store on the corner of C and Union Streets. Eaves lived in the building, perhaps in an apartment in the back or upstairs as was the common practice in Virginia City at the time. Nye, a carpenter in 1862 in Virginia City, lived on Stewart. Eaves was not present in 1862 for inclusion in Kelley's First Directory of Nevada Territory. [1862 and 1863 Nevada Territory Directories]
"Nye took over the partnership in the mid-1860's. By 1867 the firm was known as Nye & Rothenbucher, according to Langley's Pacific Coast Business Directory for 1867. Emanuel Nye may have briefly left Virginia City in the early 1870's. The name does not appear again until much later, and then as a saloon proprietor. In 1871, the firm Nye & Co. was run by Issac Fredrick, probably a relative of M. M. Fredrick. Both the Nye & Co. and Fredrick businesses were listed at the same address, 36 South C Street in the 1871 Langley Pacific Coast Business Directory. They were listed as watch makers and jewelers.
"M. M. Fredrick took over the business and began using his own name in 1872, calling himself a ;manufacturing jeweler. The business made it through the fire of 1875. By 1877 Fredrick was billed as the ;Nevada Jewelry Manufactory, as listed on his billheads and in the Bishop's Directory of Virginia City and surrounds in 1878. Meanwhile, Fredrick's business was doing so well that he opened two other businesses. The M. M. Fredrick House, a lodging establishment on the north east corner of Union and C Streets, was opened about 1876 and run by his son, M. M. Fredrick, Jr. He also ran an auction business in 1876. [1876 Langley Pacific Coast Business Directory]
"By 1883 Fredrick was known as the ;Pioneer Watch Maker, still located at the old shop address, 36 South C. His store and business was then twenty years old. [McKenney's Oregon State Directory for 1883 (and business directory of some western states)."
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