www.925-1000.com

Thanks to the wonderful folks at google, we are now able to bring you the entire text and illustrations of a number of earlier silver reference books. Added to the website today were:

Old London Silver: Its History, Its Makers and Its Marks by Montague Howard 1903

Old French Plate; Its Makers and Marks by Wilfred Cripps 1893

Der Goldschmiede Merkzeichen by Dr. Marc Rosenberg 1890, European hallmarks & makers' marks (in German)

A History of English Goldsmiths and Plateworkers by William Chaffers 1899

American Silver of the XVII & XVIII Centuries By Alphonso Trumpbour Clearwater, Clara Louise Avery 1920 - the Metropolitan Museum of Art Clearwater Collection

Suggest clicking on the "contents" button to navigate them, the "search" function also works well.

Enjoy!
Tom

Two more added:
Veitch's 1908 work on Sheffield Plate and Markham's 1898 Handbook of Foreign Hall Marks.
There is now a navigation page to the books in the top menu - Reference E-Books

Regards, Tom

updates to the eBooks section have continued over the last month and there are now 19 available.
http://www.925-1000.com/eBooks_01.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

For those of you interested in tribal jewelry, the pair of Eudel books (in french) on North African work are an exceptional resource.

The 326 page trade catalogue of the Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Co. is a treasure trove of late Victorian & reproduction Georgian silverwork. Both sterling & silverplate works are illustrated including a good number fairly obscure 19th century novelties, should help in identifying some mystery pieces.

1899 Catalog - Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Co.

Regards, Tom

I am having trouble accessing the E-Books. I haven't been able to open any. If I click on one a new page opens with a square with a white strip at the top and nothing else happens. What are the software requirements to open the E-Books, please?

Linda

My experience is the same as magpie's . I've also tried via Google books and got a bit of "Old London Silver: Its History, Its Makers and Its Marks by Montague Howard 1903 " but no more than a few bits
Help us poor people please !

I've learned that this may well have to do with the country from which your computer is accessing the web. When you access material, your ip address indicates country of origin, if there are copyright issues on the available works in your country, either you draw a blank or limited viewing. However, my understanding of this rather vague, and your own computer settings may have some effect.
Why not get a poll going and compare viewability.

I've just checked and have full view of all 19 books. (NY, USA)

Patrick, can you double check US access?
Trev & Carling, can you let us know about England?
Doos, the Netherlands please?

The rest of the world, please don't be shy, let us know what is available to you and what is not.

Appreciate the help.
Thanks, Tom

Hi Tom.

I can access all 19 from Illinois.

If I were having trouble, the first thing I would check would be if an upgrade to Adobe was necessary.
I have Adobe reader 9 right now.

Pat.

I believe the problem is software related. I have Adobe Reader 5 and can't upgrade as I am running Windows 98. Yes, I know I need a new computer! However I have never before had a problem opening a document in Adobe Reader 5.

Don't think the viewing software is pdf based or relies on any adobe software, it is javascript run API. Basically that means if you can view a google map on your computer, you should be able to use the book viewer. If you can view the dark green website menu at the top of this page, you already have java enabled. Let's see if we hear from another New Zealander before you trash your computer.
Tom

I can view the menu at the top, and also google maps.

I have now tried all E-books and have had some success with only the two books listed under 'Personages'. The google window with a scroll bar came up but it was extremely slow to use. I was forever waiting for 'remaining items' to load.

Hi Tom,

It appears to be copyright issue, I also can only load the Thomason/Brasbridge books. There is a dateline cutoff, maybe around anything issued after 1850's.

Trev.

I am not sure about that. I think it is a software issue. With even these two books I can now only get as far as the google window with scroll bars, and nothing in it. I can sit there for ages and nothing happens. My computer says the application has stopped reponding.

I don't understand why all these books would be available in the USA but not England or New Zealand?

I am in UK and cannot get any I have tried. I have used Internet Explorer and Firefox with equal lack of success.
I think the little green men in my computer are all against me as usual.

Thanks for checking, we now know the US is clear for all, UK seems to have copyright issues as does New Zealand.
How's about?
France
Spain
Ireland
Canada
Germany
Israel
Poland
Netherlands
Denmark
Sweden
Norway
Finland
Italy
Argentina
Australia...
to name just a few

The rest of the world, please don't be shy, let us know what is available to you and what is not.

Thanks, Tom

ps. from Google: "Google respects the user's local copyright restrictions, and as a result, previews or full views of some books are not available in all locations."

Working to find a way to get these viewable worldwide. Trying a new book reader and texts from Open Library.
Unfortunately, the reader lacks a search function.

try these:

http://www.925-1000.com/b_meriden_cat1883.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.925-1000.com/b_ling_malay1910.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

if these are viewable in the UK and/or Europe and/or the Pacific Rim, I'll see what other books are available and add them to the site.
Please let me know.
Tom

I can see all of both these books. Is the first one meant to be on its side? It would be wonderful to be able to access some more.

Hi,

The last two book links work for me.

I can't access any of the other books either (also some other books that are not on this list). It has nothing to do with the software as I can't access them from google direct neither.
I tried phoning google about it a few weeks ago, but couldn't get further than the answering machine.

I think it is copyright related indeed, but I would think most are copyright free by now.

Maybe I should try using a proxy server.

p.s.: tried through a German proxy, no luck.

I have the same as Magpie - perfect reception on both although the first is on its side .
The Montague Howard (1903) and the Chaffers ( 1899) would be very helpful for me if they could be available via the same magic.

Many thanks for help.

Terrific, they have a few of the volumes that we already have listed from google, I'll start by making mirrors of those. Unfortunately, they have no where near the expansive selection that google offers.
I'm a little tied up in another project, will be about ten days before I can get to this. Will keep you posted.

Tom

ps. Yes, the Meriden catalog is oriented badly here too, just happens to be the way they scanned it.