Description

Immediate dispatch from Somerset. Nice book in great condition. Pages in excellent condition. Hardcover. English. See images for condition.

About the book >.>.> Arthur Grimwade’s London Goldsmiths will un- doubtedly be considered the most important contribution to the study of English silver since the publication of Sir Charles Jackson’s English Goldsmiths at the beginning of the century. It is the result of twenty years’ research by the author. For the first time it provides alphabetic- ally arranged lists of all known makers’ marks from the commencement of the registers at Goldsmiths Hall in 1697 down to the year of Queen Victoria’s accession. Nearly 4000 marks are reproduced from the actual registers – a large number of them never having been published before – and there are many new identifications and corrections to previous attributions. In addition to the main section on London makers’ marks which contains seven-eighths of the total number illustrated there is an illus- trated section covering provincial makers who registered their marks in London and another on unregistered marks with tentative attribu- tions. To complement these three illustrated sections there are seven further sections – most of them substantial – listing the marks of gold- workers watchcasemakers bucklemakers hilt- makers and other specialists registered at Goldsmiths’ Hall none of which have appeared in print before. The book’s second major contribution to knowledge is its massive biographical diction- ary of makers totalling about 2500 names. This includes for the first time the makers’ parentage and apprenticeships wherever possible as well as numerous hitherto unrecorded details of their careers from many sources including family descendants. Arthur Grimwade is one of the senior directors of Christie’s. Nobody with an interest in English silver can afford to be without his book. (MP)