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Day 3 – The Salem Witch Spoon

Behold! The proto-tacky spoon! Designed by Daniel Low and manufactured by the Durgin Company in Salem Massachusetts, the Salem Witch spoon is considered to have started the souvenir spoon collecting craze that swept through America in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Small spoon with the word Salem and the depiction of a witch on the handle.

This is the first pattern of the Salem Witch spoon, released in 1891. It proved so popular that the Gorham Silver Company hired Low to design another version of the spoon for them. This “second pattern” of the witch spoon was released in 1892. I don’t own that one. Yet.

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Day 2 – The Lord Timothy Dexter Spoon

Y’all know my love of tacky souvenir spoons, right? If not, read on. I have a funny story to share.

newburyport-spoon

I have a collection of more than 300 spoons from all over the world. Recently, I thought it might be fun to merge my family history and the souvenir spoon collection into one glorious hobby: Finding antique spoons from towns and cities where my ancestors lived.

I started with the town of Newburyport, Massachusetts, where my g-g-grandparents, William and Sarah (Bagley) Johnson lived. I didn’t think there was any event or person from Newburyport that could be particularly spoon-worthy, but was proven wrong when a “Newburyport” spoon showed up on Ebay.

I didn’t pay much attention to WHO was on the spoon until I got it in the mail. It has the name “Lord Timothy Dexter” above a jaunty looking fellow in a top hat with a cane.

Not familiar with who he is? Truth is stranger than fiction, so please take a moment to read about “Lord” Timothy. You will NOT be disappointed.

http://jimcofer.com/personal/2013/04/16/amazing-lives-timothy-dexter/