With "S.J L.& Co" name and "Leviathan Plate" trade mark it didn't take long to find the bowl's maker, "S.J Levi & Co" of "Squirrel Works" Birmingham, UK. The slightly crisper image of the squirrel pictorial mark suggests "Squirrel Brand" was also a trademark or trade name for "S.J Levi & Co . I was a bit dime really as I did not immediately work out that the surname "Levi" was in "Leviathan Plate".
I, like many members of our Forum probably are, was familiar with the company "Levi & Salaman" and their "Potosi Silver" trademark and wondered if there was a connection to this "S.J Levi & Co" as they were both Birmingham based concerns. On our Forum we appear to have only 1 reference to "S.J Levi & Co" but many on "Levi & Salaman Ltd". Below is the "S.J Levi & Co" reference that is in a list of :
"Noted members of the Birmingham Jewellers' & Silversmiths' Association who carried on an export trade in 1920:"
Levi (S. J.) & Co., Ltd.
Levi (S. M.).
Levi & Salaman, Ltd.
Apart from "S.J" and "L&S" we see an "S.M.Levi" and there is a reference on the Forum for that firm at
viewtopic.php?f=38&t=14729&p=82603&hili ... ham#p82603
I thought I would look for more information on "S.J Levi & Co" but it seems a bit scanty. They appear to have turned up in Birmingham from nowhere.
Peck's Trades Directory of Birmingham, 1896-97 has
Levi & Salaman, Ltd. as Silversmiths at 143 Newhall St
and a "Samuel M. Levi" Jewellers at 16 Frederick St
I could not find an entry for "S.J Levi" in any expected category though.
Bennett's 1914 Business Directory for Warwickshire did however have 2 entries,1 as "Electroplate Ware Manufacturers", at "Squirrel Works, 8 St Georges Terrace, Brearley". The other entry was at "Squirrel Works, surprisingly at "Regent Place", where S J Levi & Co were "Silversmiths & Electroplate Manufacturers". I think, Squirrel Works, 8 St Georges Terrace, is an earlier address as Squirrel Works, Regent Place was a purpose built , factory constructed after 1912.
This is a quote from a heritage project relating to Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter.
"1912 Planning consent granted for the demolition of the original buildings on site and construction of a new purpose-built three-storey manufactory designed by architect John G. Dunn..."
https://th.jewelleryquarter.net/researc ... %20Company
The website silvermakersmarks.co.uk, gives information regarding the "silversmithing" part of the concern, stating that a Birmingham silver mark was registered Dec 1901. The address for S J Levi & Co says "Squirrel Works, 32 Regent Place, Birmingham", but silver items have only been noted as being hallmarked 1923..1936. I noted a thimble hallmarked for 1919 while researching but several other items I saw were pierced work.
If you put "S.J Levi & Co" in a "Google" search, a late 19th century London company turns up, and not obviously an electroplating concern.
"Originally established by Samuel Joseph Levi (son of Joseph Levi) and based at 71 Farringdon Road, London. In 1892 A C Jones joined the company. In 1897 the company was dissolved...."
In the "Post Office London Directory, 1895. [Part 4: Trades & Professional Directory]", this "S.J Levi & Co" is a "Photographic Apparatus Manufacturers (who) 71 Farringdon Rd London" (I think the "who" in the entry may mean "wholesaler"). They were selling among others a "Leviathan" brand of camera?
The Birmingham S.J Levi & Co is suggested to have gone out of business in the late 1930's but does anyone have any Ideas on the earlier history of "S.J Levi & Co", "Silversmiths & Electroplate Manufacturers".
Fishless
In my research I came across a few more "Levi" references for Birmingham, and I offer them up here for others.
Business Directory of Birmingham, by Morris 1862
Jacob M Levi 119 Vyse St Jeweller
Peck's Trades Directory of Birmingham, 1896-97
Levi & Salaman, Ltd. 143 Newhall St Silversmiths
Levi Samuel M. 16 Frederick St Jeweller
Bennett's Business Directory for Warwickshire, 1914
S Levi 67, 68 & 69 Vyse St. Electroplate Ware Manufacturers
S M Levi 67, 68 & 69 Vyse St. Silversmiths
This entry in "White & Co.'s Commercial & Trades Directory of Birmingham, Vol. II, 1875", relating to the Potosi Silver Co, I think is interesting.
"The Potosi Silver Metal & Electroplate Spoon & Fork Co" is at 21 Barr St, Birmingham using the name they had before being part of Levi & Salaman. Elsewhere it is stated "Potosi Silver Co" is a "Subsidiary of Levi and Salaman Ltd. of 143 Newhall Street, Birmingham" and "1870: Company established by J. W. Salaman and P. H. Levi" (Joseph Wolff Salaman and Phineas Harris Levi).