Elkington & Co. - Information and Advertisements

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Elkington & Co.Ltd. - London - 1910

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Christmas and Coronation Novel Gifts

SOME DELIGHTFUL GIFTS AT MESSRS. ELKINGTON'S



My readers will be looking for the information about the presents ready for this festive season in the show-rooms of Elkington and Co., 22, Regent Street, and 73, Cheapside. It will be found worth having; the firm have a wonderful assortment of delightful gifts. Particularly appropriate is a brooch bearing in pearls the numerals of the Coronation Year, on which we shall so soon enter. It will be seen that these numbers have been cleverly made to form "G.V.," for his Majesty King George V. An Imperial crown in gold and red enamel surmounts the pearls, and the price is but two guineas, in a neat case. A gold cigar-cutter is a useful and very handsome gift for a man–in 9-carat gold it costs only £1 7s. 6d. Very useful and very practical is a new sovereign-purse, in gold, to take ten sovereigns–it is £5 5s.; and to take fifteen, £6. For a lady, a pair of amethyst-and-pearl earrings, of the hew long shape, at £3 12s. 6d., is a present to be confidently recommended for a woman friend. A pendant miniature-case, in fine gold and platinum, for £4 5s., is another always acceptable gift. Extraordinary value is a gold-mounted stylographic pen at 17s. 6d. Very seasonable are the pretty and useful silver things ornamented with a jester's head. The "Jester" sweet-dish is £2 5s. The head is beautifully modelled, and is on seals, bells for the table, hat-pin stands, ash-trays, and cigar-rest stands–in fact, on a whole series of silver niceties. The illustrated list is beautifully produced and well worth sending for.

Source: The Sketch - 14th December 1910

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Elkington & Co.Ltd. - London - 1910

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THE BRADFORD EXHIBITION


The firm of Elkington & Co., of Manchester and London, display a large collection of useful domestic articles as well as more costly ones of an ornamental character. The chief attraction is "the Venus Dish," executed in bas-relief, in which Venus is navigating the sea on the back of a triton. There is a smaller, but not less beautiful, composition illustrative of the seasons, a very fine tankard in the Nuremberg style and a gilt and oxydised biscuit-box after Flaxman's designs. There are also a white tankard, two beautiful chased cups, massive ivory and plated tankard. Japanese tea and coffee sets, centre pieces and candelabra of very fine workmanship, and other articles of a highly-decorative character.

Source: The Furniture Gazette - 29th July 1882

Elkington & Co. were awarded the Gold Medal for their exhibits at the Bradford Exhibition.

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London, June 23.–Particular attention is being paid just now by retail jewelers of the metropolis to the sale of combined glass and silverware. Such high-class firms as Elkington & Co., the court jewelers of Regent St., are now making a special window display of cut glass ware of very high quality. The Elkington people's Regent St establishment boasts five large windows. One is devoted to cut glass dishes and bowls of very fine design. Many of the glass pieces run to as much as £500 each. Some are combined glass and silver goods for household use, but the majority are of glass alone. The gold and silver windows of this firm are also well worthy of attention. One window is devoted to a display of wonderful silver plate of chaste design every species of table ware being incorcorporated. In another window filigree gold dishes of beautiful workmanship are displayed. One window is devoted to a display of tiny wristlet watches of gold and silver of a size no bigger than a 25-cent piece. They are on moire ribbons. Space is also given to ornaments of ivory.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 5th July 1922

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Elkington & Co.Ltd. - London - 1910

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A Magnificent Trophy.–Another magnificent piece of work is the Clay Memorial Shield recently executed by Messrs. Elkington and Co., and although this is copied from one of the possessions of Prince Karl of Prussia, it is very fine in execution. The shield is cordate in shape, and on the centre panel is depicted the well-known legend of the revolt of the Titans. The majesty of Jupiter as he rides upon the eagle overthrowing the vanquished is beautifully brought out, and the whole effect does credit to the artist's original conception.

Source: The Watchmaker, Jeweller and Silversmith - 1st June 1893

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Laying of the Foundation Stone of the New Victoria Law Courts, Birmingham

PRESENTATION TROWEL AND MALLET

We give herewith an illustration of the trowel and mallet used by Her Majesty on the occasion of the laying of the foundation stone of the new Victoria Law Courts, Corporation Street, Birmingham, on March 23, 1887. They are the generous gift of Messrs. Elkington & Co., Newhall Street, Birmingham, and have been made by them expressly for the occasion, from designs prepared specially by the Architects of the Courts, Messrs. Aston Webb and E. Ingress Bell. The style is French Renaissnnce.





The Trowel, which is of solid silver, is partly in real repousse' and partly chased work ; the handle is built upon a triangular plan, and consists of three niches, divided by ornamental pillars, and containing the figures of Law, Justice and Mercy, in bold relief. Below these are small circular medallions enclosed in a wreath of laurel, on which is inscribed the name of the figure above ; the whole is gracefully surmounted by the Royal crown.

The blade is embellished with a view in perspective of the new courts, and the following inscription :–

" 'APERITE MIHI PORTAS JUSTITIÆ' –Ps. CXVIII. v. 19"

"THE FIRST STONE LAID BY HER MAJESTY QUEEN VICTORIA, FOR THE CORPORATION OF BIRMINGHAM, IN THE YEAR OF JUBILEE. 1887."

The Mallet is of ivory, silver mounted. The end of the handle is capped with silver, bearing the letters V.R., and the head is surmounted by the Royal crown. The whole is. enclosed in a suitable case of blue velvet, and is a work of art worthy of the occasion, and greatly adds to the credit of both designers and silversmiths, who have spared no pains in order to maintain the art reputation of Birmingham.

Source: The Watchmaker, Jeweller and Silversmith - 1st April 1887

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The opening of the new parish offices at Birmingham is said to have been a brilliant affair. The portion of the whole which concerns us most may be condensed into the following report, for which I am indebted to a local reporter :–Mr. Stout, on behalf of the Office Building Committee, the architect, and the builders, addressed the chairman, and he had great pleasure in presenting to him a gold key as a memento of the ceremony he now asked him to perform–namely, that of declaring the new offices open. He then handed to the chairman a case containing an artistically-made key in combination of silver and gold, the work of Messrs. Elkington & Co. On one side it bears the inscription, " Presented to William Price, Esq., Birmingham Parish Offices, opened March 3, 1885." On the other side are the Birmingham coat of arms, enamelled on a gold panel, with the figure of Charity in relief also on gold. On a silver plate upon the case is an inscription showing that the presentation was made on behalf of the Building Committee of the Parish Offices.

Source: The Watchmaker, Jeweller and Silversmith - 5th June 1885

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Elkington & Co.Ltd. - London - 1908

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SILVER CRADLE PRESENTATION

DAINTY WORK OF ART BY BIRMINGHAM (Eng.) SILVERSMITHS

(From Our Birmingham Correspondent)


By the kind co-operation of Elkington & Co., of Birmingham, (England), we are able to exhibit a photograph of a silver cradle recently manufactured by them for presentation to the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Alderman Sayer, who happens to be the first Lord Mayor of Birmingham whose mayoralty has had the additional distinction of a birth during his occupancy of the civic chair. It is an old custom in England, scarcely ever omitted, to present the Mayor and Mayoress with a silver cradle in connection with such an event, and as Lord Mayor Sayer is very popular his colleagues on the Council and a number of admirers took the opportunity of paying this little compliment to the family.

There was some competition among Birmingham silversmiths for the dainty little contract. But Messrs. Elkington have long since had a great reputation for this class of work, and their design secured the contract against all competitors. The distinguished gathering uttered an involuntary exclamation of delight as Alderman Beale, who made the presentation, carefully lifted the cradle out of its velvet-lined oaken case and place it on the table in front of the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress.



The cradle is of most charming appearance as will be seen from the photograph. It is 15 inches long and of the same height, weighing about ninety ounces. The base is ornamented with amorini, carrying festoons of flowers, this decoration being continued to the canopy. The body of the cradle is richly decorated with flutings, acanthus, and olive sprays. The mace is introduced into the design as an emblem of authority and the arms of Birmingham on one side. On the other side is the following inscription: "Presented to the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress of Birmingham, Alderman and Mrs. H. J. Sayer, by members of the City Council, co-opted members, and city officials to commemorate the birth of a son during their term of office, December 27, 1907."

Generally, it may be said that the cradle deserves the description applied by the Lord Mayor of "a beautiful example of the silversmith's art." At his lordship's suggestion the cradle will be on exhibition at a great charitable function held in Birmingham for the raising of money for Marie Hall Convalescent Home until finally deposited in his lordship's drawing room.

Source: The Metal Industry - June 1908

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SPECIFICATIONS OF RECENT ENGLISH PATENTS

George Richards Elkington And Henry Elkington, of Birmingham, for improvements in coating, covering, and plating certain metals. Enrolment Office, September 25th, 1840.

Four separate processes are claimed as constituting these improvements, which are set forth at great length in the specification; they are briefly as follows:–

1. A mode of coating copper and its alloys with silver, by fusing silver on the surface of the metal, whereby the silver becomes alloyed or united with the surface of the metal so coated.

The metal is first to be silvered in the usual manner, and then treated with a hot concentrated solution of nitrate of silver; it is then heated nearly to redness to get rid of the acid. A quantity of calcined borax is heated to the melting point of silver in an iron pot; the coated metal is moved about in the borax, and lifted out occasionally; when the borax runs off the metal, the process is complete. Any borax that may remain is removed by boiling the article in dilute sulphuric acid (one part acid to twelve parts water), and then the article is to he annealed, and its surface improved by boiling in dilute sulphuric or muriate acid.

2. Three methods of coating metals with silver: first, by oxide of silver dissolved in prussiate of potass, soda, or other analogous salt, or in pure ammonia; secondly, by means of the foregoing in connection with galvanism; thirdly, by means of a solution of silver in an acid, forming a neutral salt, in connection with galvanism.

The metal being first silvered, is to be immersed in the following hot solution: to 3 lbs. of prussiate of potass in water, add 5 oz. of oxide of silver, and boil them together; but if a thicker coat is required than can be obtained by this process, the solution of silver should be allowed to cool, and the article therein immersed should be exposed to the action of a galvanic current, as in the electrotype process. Another mode is to employ a solution of silver reduced by an acid to neutral salt, acted on as before by galvanism.

3. Two methods of coating or plating metals with gold; first, by gold in the metallic state, or oxide of gold, dissolved in prussiate of potass, or other soluble prussiate, or analogous salt; secondly, by using the foregoing in combination with galvanism.

To 2 lbs. prussiate of potass dissolved in a gallon of water, add 2 oz. oxide of gold or metallic gold in a finely divided state, and boil half an hour. For a thin coating the article is to be simply immersed; for a thinner coating it is to be exposed to a galvanic current, in the solution, as before directed with silver.

4. A mode of coating iron with other metals, by first cleaning it in a peculiar manner as a preparatory process.

The iron is first to be freed from all grease, and kept in an electro-negative state during the action of the cleaning acid, which is composed of one part sulphuric acid to sixteen parts of water, into which the iron is immersed, until a black scale of oxide is detached from the surface, which will leave it perfectly bright; the iron is then to be immersed in the following solution while boiling in a brass vessel: 1 lb. sulphate of copper, 3 lbs. water, and 2 oz. dilute sulphuric acid. When taken out it will be thinly, but firmly and evenly coated with copper, and may then be further coated either with silver or copper by the process previously described.

Source: Mechanics' Magazine and Journal of Science, Arts, and Manufactures - Sholto Percy - 1840

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Elkington & Co. - Birmingham - 1877

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APPLICATIONS FOR PATENTS

7143. Elkington and Co., Limited, and S. F. Rollason, London, " Stands for supporting articles in show cases, shop windows." Dated 25th April 1891.

Source: The Watchmaker, Jeweller and Silversmith - 1st June 1891

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Elkington & Co.Ltd. - London - 1907

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Elkington & Co.Ltd. - London - 1908

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'Empire' Lacquering

The following article on the cost of lacquering in England was recently published in the London 'Ironmonger'. It is of interest as indicating the state of the lacquering art in that country:

"Before Mr. Justice Coleridge in the King's Bench Division on June II and 14, Escare & Denelle (Lim.), of Wardour Street. Soho. sued Mr. Lynn Jenkins, of Logan Studios, Earl's Court, to recover £241 odd for lacquering, bronzing, shellacing, and also fitting up bronze-work in the United Kingdom Provident Institution building in the Strand. The defendant pleaded that the prices charged by the plaintiffs were excessive and unreasonable.

"Mr. Charles Maurice Escare said that his company specialized in 'Empire' coloring. One or two other people in England might do the same work 'more or less well.' Mr. Jenkins approached witness with reference to this work in the building in question, and said he could pay about 1s. 8d. per foot, but he (Mr. Escare) said it could not be done for that price, but would cost 5d. more. No price was actually fixed, but 2s. 1d. was, in his opinion, a very reasonable sum. The defendant wanted different colors eventually, and that raised the price to about 3s. a foot.

"Mr. Pollock, in opening for the defendant, said that the plaintiffs had been called in to do work which could be done by several firms. The price offered–1s. per foot run–was fair and reasonable.

"Evidence in support of the defendant's case was given by Mr. Ryder, works manager of Messrs. Elkington, who stated that his firm undertook all kinds of coloring work, including 'Empire' style. A Frenchman, who had been with them for fifty years, did nothing else but metal coloring, but his firm had made their name before that man entered their employ.

"Mr. Arnold Jones, English representative of the Wurtemburg Manufacturing Co., said that they did a large amount of artistic coloring work. He considered 9d. to 1s. a very fair price for lacquering and coloring.

"Other witnesses were called, and in the result the jury returned a verdict for the plaintiffs for £150., and judgment was entered accordingly."

Source: The Brass World and Plater's Guide - August 1909

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Russian Art Treasures. –A correspondent of the 'Athenæum' writes:–"The remarkable collection of reproduction of Russian art treasures in metal and other materials, which has been made by permission of the late Emperor of Russia for the Museum at South Kensington, will shortly be exhibited to the public. Included in it are many pieces of English plate of curious interest to those familiar with the history of our manufactures. The most striking of these is a great silver wine cistern, of must unusual dimensions, about 5½ ft. long and massive in proportion, the original weighing more than a quarter of a ton, and being made of the higher or ' Britannia ' standard. It stands on couchant leopards, and is decorated in repousse with groups of young bacchanals, gracefully designed, playing round cars drawn by leopards, and the edge is wreathed with vine leaves and grapes. The original forms part of the treasure of the plate-room in the Hermitage Palace at St. Petersburg, and is certainly one of the most remarkable pieces of English plate known to exist. It is hall-marked 1734-5 ; but besides the hall-mark there is the maker's mark, a shield bearing a mitre and the letters K. A. beneath. This has now been identified by Mr. Henry Rollason, of Messrs. Elkington's, as the mark, specially registered for plate of the Britannia standard, of Charles Kandler, who carried on business in St. Martin's-lane in 1727, and afterwards in Jermyn-street, near St. James's Church. There is a large contemporary engraving of this great piece of silversmith's work, bearing the name ' Henricus Jernegan Londini inuenit, 1735,' and the weight ' octo millium unciarum,' with the dimensions. Nothing of its history seems to be known in Russia, nor was it, until selected by Englishmen for reproduction, suspected to have been made in London."

Source: The Watchmaker, Jeweller and Silversmith - April 1884

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WAR EFFORT IN THE MIDLANDS

How a Birmingham, England, Metal Firm Make Munitions

The pictures here shown a taken from drawings by Artist S. Bigg in the London Illustrated News and portray how metal is handled in Birmingham, England. The casting shop and annealing furnace shown are at the plant of Elkington & Company, Birmingham, England. The workers in the first picture are pouring brass ingots from metal recovered and refined from scrap. This is substantially the same way we used to pour metal in the United States. The small floor mold has now practically gone out of use, the larger pouring unit now being preferred.



Our second picture shows rather a primitive method of of manning an annealing furnace for copper shell bands. The workman ought to make good "bombers" after such strenuous practice.



We would like to have another picture to see how they fish the bands out of the furnace. In this country of course the bands are loaded on shallow iron pans which would hold about three thousands pounds and then the pans are drawn into the furnace which is open at both ends. On completion of the annealing operation the pans are drawn out of the opposite end of the furnace.

Source: The Metal Industry - September 1918

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PREVENTING THE OXYDATION OF, AND COLOURING METALS.–MESSRS. ELKINGTON AND BARRATT's PROCESSES

In our 811th number we published a full account of the processes of M. Sorel, for the coating of iron and other metals, with zinc, to prevent their oxydation. We now lay before our readers descriptions of some further processes for the same purpose, and for giving iron and steel a brass colour, invented and patented by Messrs. Elkington and Barratt, of Birmingham, which, although they have not been found so effectually to answer the desired purpose, are nevertheless very ingenious, and worthy of the attention of those interested in the matter We may observe, however, that M. Fontainemoreau, in his patent, claims the application of amalgams of zinc, as also alloys of zinc with lead, tin, or bismuth; how far the peculiar processes of Messrs. Elkington and Barratt will enable them to uphold their patent, we will not take upon ourselves to say.

Messrs. Elkington and Barratt's invention consists of certain modes of coating metals with zinc, and zinc and mercury; and a mode of colouring iron and steel.

In order to coat copper and brass with zinc, there are mixed in an earthen vessel seven parts of muriatic acid, (specific gravity about 116.) and one hundred parts of water, both by weight and to these are added four parts of zinc, in the state of powder, or pieces. These articles are allowed to remain twenty-four hours, or until the acid and zinc cease to act upon each other, and the solution thus obtained is poured into a convenient vessel for boiling it, adding a quantity of zinc in powder, or in thin pieces. While boiling, the articles to be acted upon are immersed therein, bringing them in contact with the metallic zinc; and they will speedily become coated therewith. They are then removed, and washed with;, water and dried. In using this solution of zinc, if the articles are of iron or steel, they are previously coated with copper; and this is effected as follows: The articles are first cleansed, or pickled in dilute sulphuric acid, composed of one part concentrated acid to sixteen parts of water; and having prepared a solution of sulphate of copper, commonly called blue vitriol, the iron is immersed therein while cold, for few seconds, and speedily removed and washed. This is repeated one, two, or three times, or until it is found that the iron is perfectly coated; care must be taken not to allow it to remain too long in the solution of copper, or the copper precipitated on the surfaces becomes loose. If a strong coating of zinc be required, the processes of coppering and zincing are repeated, and it has also been found, that if the articles, when of copper, or if of iron, after they have been coppered, are introduced into a dilute solution of nitrate of mercury, and then again boiled in the solution of zinc, that the same object is obtained. The nitrate, or any other convenient solution of copper, may be substituted for the sulphate.

Another process is as follows: Take dilute muriatic acid in about the proportion of one part acid, (the specific gravity 116,) and thirty parts of water, into this introduce a quantity of zinc, in powder or in small pieces. The articles of iron are then to be placed in the acid, and kept in contact with the zinc during the process, which will require from two to five minutes, or until they are evidently coated with zinc; then remove, wash and dry them, as before.

Various metals, as iron, steel, copper, brass, &c., may be coated with the amalgam of zinc, and although this may be effected by using the two metals in almost any proportions, it has been found that six or seven parts of zinc, with one part of mercury, will answer best; these are amalgamated by heat, or by agitating the two metals in contact with dilute muriatic, or other convenient acid; the zinc being previously granulated, or reduced to small pieces. To this amalgamated zinc, when effected by heat, add dilute acid, as before, and then introduce the articles, which may require to be kept occasionally stirred. Instead of using the muriatic acid.some salts are employed, as the muriate, or sulphate of ammoniac, in the proportion of one of salt to thirty ounces of water, or thereabout ; and other acids than the muriatic may be employed, as ascetic sulphuric &c., and which require no other directions than to employ them of about the same strength as directed for the muriatic acid. It is preferable to employ these solutions in a hot or boiling state, as the effect is thereby obtained in a shorter period; but the processes where the free acid is used, may be successfully performed in a cold state, the acid and water to be added occasionally, as the solution becomes reduced in strength or quantity, by the boiling or action upon the metals to be coated.

An amalgam of zinc may be employed in a melted state for some articles, in which case, and particularly if they are of iron, they require to be well pickled or cleaned and also to be immersed in a solution of muriate of ammonia, to induce the perfect adhesion of the amalgam, which amalgam may be varied in almost any proportion of the two metals, but the proportions now given are considered best.

The oxides of the metals may also be used in the same manner, instead of the metals, or in conjunction with them; as, for example, a solution of zinc may be made with the oxide of that metal, instead of using the metal itself, and so also with the oxides of mercury. Messrs. Elkington and Barratt's processes may be applied in connection with the means patented by Messrs. Craufurd and Fontainemoreau, and detailed by us last week.

The process for colouring metals is as follows:–To colour iron and steel to imitate brass; first wet the iron or steel by means of a solution of copper as already described, and having afterwards boiled it in the saturated solution of zinc, having excess of zinc therein, until perfectly covered, remove it and dry it in saw dust and then submit it to heat in a closed oven until the required colour is obtained, and which is easily observed by looking occasionally at the articles during the process. They are afterwards to be pickled in a dilute acid and washed and dried.

A process called "Similoring," from the words "simile l'or," has been before practised for colouring copper and brass, and which consists in obtaining on the surface a thin coating of zinc, and submitting the articles so prepared to the action of heat till a colour approaching to that of gold is obtained. The object of the present invention, so far as it relates to coating copper and brass, is to obtain a good and sufficient coating of zinc on the surfaces, in order to prevent or retard oxidation. The use of heat is omitted, which would be prejudicial to the coating of zinc.

Source: The Mechanics' Magazine - 9th March 1839

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