Teaspoon

Object Name:

Teaspoon

Object ID:

1995.505.01

Creator:

Durgin, William B. Company; Lieutenant Schwarks

Place of Origin:

Concord, NH

Date:

circa 1891

Description:

Souvenir Spoon. Made by the William B. Durgin Company, Concord, NH. Silver. Cast handle/shank in form of totem pole (totem pole image is on the front of the spoon only). Egg-shaped bowl, with a polished satin finish. Totem pole has several human-like characters with masks, as well as two animal masks. Uppermost figure is of a bare-chested person wearing a conical hat (the hat also has a face on it), with arms crossed; below is another masked figure, in front of which is a small human figure wrapped in what appears to be a coat; below is a long-snouted animal mask; below is a small round human face; below which is an animal mask, with tongue sticking out. "ALASKA", in upper-case stylized letters, is spelled out vertically below the totem pole. Stamped on back of stem: "D", in upper-case script (for William B. Durgin Co.), within a circle mark; "STERLING" in upper-case roman letters, incuse; "PAT.APD.FOR." in upper-case sans-serif letters, incuse; and "J.H.JOHNSTON" in upper-case sans-serif letters, incuse. There appears to be a small mark after Johnston, but it is illegible.

Material:

Metal
Silver

Dimensions:

W-1.125 L-5.875 inches

Provenance:

Totem Pole design said to be a miniature of "one of the best totem poles existing at the time the spoon was designed, one that stood in the Museum of Natural History in Central Park." Designed by Lieutenant Schwatka of the World's Columbian Fair Commission. Made by Durgin Company, Concord, NH. Marketed by J. H. Johnston & Co., New York, NY. A similar spoon has a patent date of March 3, 1891.

Credit Line:

New Hampshire Historical Society Collection

People:

Durgin, William B. (1833-1905), Johnston, J. H.

Subjects:

Totem poles