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4 antique BROWN & BROS. "german silver" spoons - who/what was "ETTIE"???

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    Posted 6 years ago

    AnythingOb…
    (1778 items)

    I think I gave a single whole buck for this little bundle of silverplate spoons (rummage sale last wknd) simply because they looked old and maybe interesting. Turns out they're probably a good bit older than I would have first guessed?! :-) Each one is marked "BROWN & BRO.S 6" on its backside, and the front of each handle is engraved "Ettie" in elegant cursive script. They do appear 'well-used', as the outer plating is sorta uniformly worn away at friction spots around their edges and backsides where they'd lay against the table. For these pics I cleaned one [LH in 1st pic, bottom in 4th pic] with silver polish, the other 3 are as-found. They are just under 6" long.

    Searching on the "BROWN & BROS." name yielded this website, which gives a great deal of detailed information about the Company and its leaders, active in Waterbury, CT (USA) from 1851 - 1885 producing various sorts of metalware including "German silver" tableware and flatware. (the term "German silver" apparently being the name for a particular variety of plating process, not necessarily indicative of its country of origin)

    https://queenofsienna.wordpress.com/2016/02/21/brown-and-brothers/

    These spoons seem to have examples of a handle form which they patented (#9311) in 1876. Scrolling down that page eventually shows the patent (for the exact shape/profile of the handle, specifically the middle part of it, I guess??) and even further down there's a drawing which seems to show this same 'plain' design amongst other more decorated styles.

    SO -- now I seem to know something about who made them and when -- but one big question remains:

    WHO (or WHAT) the h*ck was "ETTIE"???? Could that have been the name of a restaurant, hotel, steamship, or somesuch place where lots of people would have dined using custom-engraved silverware -- or just a (wealthy?!) 'family name' from somebody or other's home?

    This is probably a longshot, but I'm gonna call it an 'unsolved mystery' just in hopes that something about the name ETTIE might 'ring a bell' to somebody out there in CW-land...???

    Unsolved Mystery

    Help us close this case. Add your knowledge below.

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    Comments

    1. AnythingObscure AnythingObscure, 6 years ago
      Thanks so very much to

      vetraio50
      antiquerose
      fortapache
      officialfuel
      raccer4four
      Brunswick
      and
      aura

      for having a look and tapping the <love it> button!! :-) :-) :-)

      Nobody wants to guess who/what ETTIE might have been...?? ;-)

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