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| Hotel Silver |
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A bowl from Compagnia Italiana Grandi Alberghi, a hotelier in Italy, is from the 1920s.
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Many pieces show nicks and dents from everyday use, such as this serving dish with leaf handles from the Ritz in London.
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Pieces light on ornamentation were also easier to
clean, a point not lost on today's collectors, who tend to serve with
rather than stash their silver. It does not need to be polished as often as
sterling and was designed to withstand rigorous washing in hot, soapy
water. Many of the larger pieces are ideal for entertaining. "I fill
pitchers with herbs and pile pears on big oval platters," says
Kilbane. Cindy Smith, owner of the Charlotte-based Circa Interiors &
Antiques, agrees. "Rather than formal silver, this has an everyday
elegance. It can go with a contemporary or 18th-century look."
Though it is still made for luxury hotels, the most
collectible hotel silver dates back to the first few decades of the
20th century, when deluxe hotels commissioned major silver companies in
Europe and the United States -- Reed & Barton, Christofle, Ercuis,
Mappin & Webb, and others -- to manufacture wares to hotel
specifications. Not long ago, retailers such as Williams-Sonoma began
making inexpensive reproductions stamped with generic crests. To meet the
booming demand, Kilbane even started her own line of reproduction hotel
silver. But her first love is still the vintage stuff, the kind whose worn
surfaces stir the imagination with unknowable stories.
| JUST THE FACTS |
| Country of origin: Made mostly by companies in Europe and the United States, hotel silver was used at fine hotels (and trains and ships) all over the world. |
| Time period: Most dates to the golden age of travel -- 1900 to 1940. Nineteenth-century hotel silver is rare. Newer hotel silver typically does not have a sought-after patina and is not as collectible. |
| Identifying characteristics: The most telling detail is a stamped crest or engraved hotel name. Vintage hotel silver tends to be whitish (rather than pewter-colored) and has a "liquidy" luster from tiny scratches accrued over the years. European flatware is generally larger than its American counterpart. |
| Where to find it: Scour the usual haunts -- antiques shops, auctions, flea markets (especially those sprawling through the streets of European cities). Growing popularity and limited supply has made it harder to find. |
| Authenticity: Look for signs of age. Few scratches and dents may signify a reproduction. If there is wear, check for yellowish copper or brass peeking through; that may mean the piece is a cheap imitation. |
| Cost: Prices vary according to quality, age, and origin. "People collect things that evoke memories," says Crabtree. "A piece of hotel silver from the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond would bring a premium price in Richmond." Generally speaking, prices can range from $20 for a luncheon fork to several hundred dollars and up for teapots, platters, and other larger pieces. |
RESOURCES: All hotel silver from Hôtel through
Bergdorf Goodman (R), 212/753-7300.
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