Holmes & Edwards Other Mark Again??

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We've had this B.S.Co. mark arise before with the conclusion that it was the H&E other mark (maybe Bridgeport Silver Company abbreviated) used until just after the turn-of-the-century (i.e. 19th to 20th) by successsor International Silver. Why it is important here to be certain is that it could date this item to help ensure that the spoon is in fact from the Inside Inn hotel of the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. Due to a realized lack of guest accomodations in the city, hotelman Ellworth Statler built this one-shot wonder within the fairgrounds itself, but none of the original china or silver has been known to be documented before now. The structure with entry towers was dismantled after the fair dates and lost to history. The pattern seems not to be identified nor shown as one for the H&E B.S.Co., so if anyone has another opinion on the maker and era, please weigh-in before someone shouts "Let's get ready to rrrumble!".

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Sorry, should read "Ellsworth Statler"...tried to edit the entry preview, but like Fay Wray and King Kong I got caught in a cellular jam and had to back out.

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Footnote: In 1907, the Jamestown Hotel Corporation also operated an "Inside Inn" within the grounds of the Jamestown Exposition. Amazingly, the manager from St. Louis three years prior was also in charge at this establishment. Nothing so far indicates that any furnishings were re-used, but those from 1904 were reportedly sold off with the closing of that establishment.

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Gad Zukes! It gets worse..another Inside Inn at San Francisco PPIExpo in 1914-15.

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Something good may have come of all this. In searching all these inns, Google brought forth new sources that had not surfaced in earlier attempts. In one, which included several photos and plans, the dining room made its' appearance. Further, Larry Paul was able to ferret out information indicating Onandaga Pottery/Syracuse China supplied the ceramics. Since Statler went with an established quality firm, it seems more likely that the silver was also provided by H&E (through ISCo), and we have seen the mark on this item used in commercial services before. Not a bankable conclusion, but at least a start.

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No photos have been found of the European Plan restaurant interiors of the first version of The Inside Inn. Hotel Monthly for August 1904 did present a view of the American Plan venue. [The visible china appears rather plain which may suggest no excesses of decoration are to be expected.]

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Same pattern (??) carrying Holmes & Edwards mark (H. & E.) and produced for Hotel Alexandria of Los Angeles, possibly in this same era circa 1904-05: viewtopic.php?f=18&t=52125&p=174211&hil ... 95#p174211

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The last known "B.S. Co." pattern dates to 1903. [There is also a large gap for "Bridgeport Silver Company" before their final pattern in 1913.] Holmes & Edwards apparently introduced this "Knot Pattern" in 1909, leaving a six year gap to be explained. The simple answer seems to be that this was a H.&E./B.S. Co. pattern (circa 1902-4), perhaps only used for commercial clients, which was then released for public consumption at the later documented date. Until actual patent filings can be found, it remains a mystery.

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This pattern surfaced again in a Worthpoint listing for the PIG'N WHISTLE restaurant chain (West Coast) but was improperly described as E & H Silver Company. These restaurants begin around 1908, and a later era soupspoon in the DOHRCO PANAMA A1 pattern is enough to reveal that Dohrmann Hotel Supply would have furnished the wares by then, if not from the very beginning. [The Knot pattern in this case may have been used with the Wood & Sons (England) china pattern identified on the Restaurant Ware Collectors Network (RWCN) in the idWiki section (still available online). None of this would be unusual for Dohrmann to provide.] P&G appears to have used both Gorham and International Silver hollowares in the 1920's era.

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The P&W use of Knot Pattern and two images of P&G knives that match the Dohrco Panama pattern (though they seem to be unmarked here):

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Extra word references for knot patterns: Gordian Knot and Knotenmuster .