Gorham #04731 Silverplated centerpiece?

What was this used for? - PHOTO REQUIRED
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Traintime
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Gorham #04731 Silverplated centerpiece?

Post by Traintime »

It's heavy. A very solid base. Plain design, but customized for an unknown Patterson's Seattle in 1919...a year of striking and a horrible toll from the flu. Might be a vase, but rather small at less than 7 inches. Perhaps a glass insert might be missing? Just can't locate anything that matches up or even comes close. And nada on locating any establishments using the name...this is the era when bars suddenly close and soda fountains spring forth en masse. Obviously, they put "Stolen From" on it knowing full well that patrons were going to nick these things as mementos. Could it have held straws, rolled napkins, or whatever? (Or maybe a drinking vessel for someone who liked to get their teeth chipped.) TIA

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dragonflywink
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Re: Gorham #04731 Silverplated centerpiece?

Post by dragonflywink »

Would think for parfaits...

~Cheryl
Traintime
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Re: Gorham #04731 Silverplated centerpiece?

Post by Traintime »

Thanks Cheryl. You got me looking again for fountains and drug stores with soda facilities, and I may have hit upon an answer to the location.
This one's a long route...may start with Swift's Pharmacy at Second & Pike (here in 1907): https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/data ... 1/1106.pdf

Bartell's was another firm which was agressively growing with their own brands (even chocolates) and apparently took over Swift Drug Company's downtown location in the later 1920's. During this era, these large stores were all setting up soda fountains near this prime shopping district (Bon Marche was accross from Swift's. Bartell close by. They both had built chains of outlying store, but this was the center for activity in those days.

Now there was a fellow named Ormond Melville Patterson who was managing Swift Drug Company at that downtown store address in 1919, and seems to be there into 1921-22. Turns up in 1940 census still living in Seattle, but that leaves a gap as to where he went. Patterson, from Genesse Idaho, studied a course in Pharmacy at the State College of Washington (aka Wash. State University) and was in the class of 1906. Swift opened that store around then, but I don't know when he started with them. Unlike Bartell which controlled everything, Swift seems to make space available to other vendors as there is a report of a tobacconist (cigar shop) who was supposed to relocate from his location to theirs. Some shoe company is found occupying the second floor in this building at one point. Now we know Swift had a fountain, so it may be possible that Patterson somehow came into a position where his name was used there...all conjecture at this point. No other Patterson in the area seems to be so close to a food service operation at this time. At least we've now got a likely use for this Gorham product. (If you need to find a missing druggist, check the bottle hound sites. They've been tracking names forever.)
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