James Dixon & Sons

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James Dixon & Sons egg cup and toast rack designed by Christopher Dresser James Dixon & Sons eggcup and toast rack.JPG
James Dixon & Sons egg cup and toast rack designed by Christopher Dresser

J Dixon & Sons (James Dixon & Sons), founded 1806 in Sheffield, was one of the major British manufacturers of the Industrial Revolution. They were manufacturers of pewterware, electroplated Britannia metal, silverware and electroplated nickel silver. Their products included hundreds of items for use in the kitchen (e.g. bowls, cutting-tools) and the dining room (e.g. tea services, cocktail shakers and mixers) as well as items such as candlesticks. They were a world leader in manufacturing shooting accessories through nineteenth century and exported powder flasks in large quantities to America, They were known as whistle makers, which like most of their products were of outstanding quality; they were one of the 4 great whistle makers, the others being W Dowler & Sons, J Stevens & Son & T Yates. [1]

Contents

It was located first at Silver Street (1806), Cornish Place (1822) Sheffield.

Their registered trade mark since 1879 was a Trumpet with a Banner hanging from it. Although registered in 1879, the "Trumpet with Banner" logo was used at times before registration and appears on some of their silver plate pieces. They were one of the foremost names in EPNS and sterling silver tableware including silver tea services and hollowware pieces. They also made silverware serving pieces and had a wide catalogue of patterns. Their tea sets and hollowware pieces produced in silver are very valuable as antiques.

They were also famous for their sporting trophies. Two of the most well-known are the Hales Trophy commissioned in 1932 (sometimes called the Blue Riband) though this really refers to the pendant flown by the sailing ship currently holding the record for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic. The trophy was then held by the owners of that ship. The other great trophy is the one presented to the winner of the American Masters Golf tournament held annually in Augusta Georgia. This trophy is a scale model of the clubhouse made in 1959-60 and contains 453 troy ounces of silver.

The firm continued to be a family run enterprise until 1976. The patterns are currently owned by another Sheffield firm who export products mainly to the Middle East. [2]

Whistles

Early history

Whistles first appeared in a Dixon catalogue in 1883 though some of their whistles appeared in gun, rifles & sporting goods catalogs of American manufacturers & distributors as early as 1872 for [dog call]s made of Britannia metal, [3]

Early models of Dixon horn made Round pea whistle were in use with carriage drivers & railway conductors since the 1840s and mailmen of the Post Office as early as 1850 .

Models, whistle types & Materials

Dixon manufactured whistles of sterling silver, German silver (also known as nickel silver), gun metal, Britannia metal, ivory, and horn, often using cocoa wood for fipples, A unique feature by which their round pea whistles can be identified.

Dixon models were intended mostly for outdoor sporting goods, such as hunting related dog calls, shooting gadgets combination whistles, extractors of various kinds and round whistles (in multiple sizes of over 50 different models), Beaufort whistles & double chamber type . D Dixon did not make Escargot-type whistles. It was not known that Dixon & Sons made general service whistles (GSWs) until 2006 when one was discovered.

At 1938 The family donated a collection of whistles made by Dixon to the City of Sheffield, the collection is displayed at the City Hall and pictured at a brochure about Sheffield's arm accessories makers.(See Picture in External link).

Body stamps

Most of the Dixon whistles found are not stamped, as it was not customary to stamp whistles in the earlier Victorian era, except for the ones made of sterling silver .

As a result, all of Dixon stamped whistles are very rare; the ones stamped J. Dixon & Sons are a bit less rare than the others, as is the Dixon Logo of Trumpet and Banner.

Stamps found on their whistles are: "Durham county constabulary " on Tappered round whistles, some refer to as short Beauforts. Distributors name stamps found include "C. Parker Late Merry Parker & Merry", "Merry Phipson & Parker", "C. Parker", " Priest Oxford St.", "F. Sykes", "Patstone Southampton", "Swaine & Co. London" . The stamps: "Nimrod " and " Patent No.33196 " (Moffatt's patent 11396 of 1887) are to be found on extractors and shooting gadgets as well as stamps of numbers 8, 12, & 16, showing the extractor ([cartridge puller]) gauge.

Some rare sterling silver whistles are found with the standard British silver hallmarks of the time and initials "J.D & Sons".

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sterling silver</span> Alloy of silver containing 92.5% by mass of silver and 7.5% by mass of other metals, usually copper

Sterling silver is an alloy of silver containing 92.5% by weight of silver and 7.5% by weight of other metals, usually copper. The sterling silver standard has a minimum millesimal fineness of 925.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nickel silver</span> Shiny alloy of copper, nickel, and zinc

Nickel silver, maillechort, German silver, argentan, new silver, nickel brass, albata, or alpacca is a copper alloy with nickel and often zinc. The usual formulation is 60% copper, 20% nickel and 20% zinc. Nickel silver does not contain the element silver. It is named for its silvery appearance, which can make it attractive as a cheaper and more durable substitute. It is also well suited for being plated with silver.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silversmith</span> Craftsperson who makes objects from silver or gold

A silversmith is a metalworker who crafts objects from silver. The terms silversmith and goldsmith are not exactly synonyms as the techniques, training, history, and guilds are or were largely the same but the end product may vary greatly as may the scale of objects created.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cutlery</span> Eating utensils

Cutlery, includes any hand implement used in preparing, serving, and especially eating food in Western culture. A person who makes or sells cutlery is called a cutler. The city of Sheffield in England has been famous for the production of cutlery since the 17th century and a train – the Master Cutler – running from Sheffield to London was named after the industry. Bringing affordable cutlery to the masses, stainless steel was developed in Sheffield in the early 20th century.

A hallmark is an official mark or series of marks struck on items made of metal, mostly to certify the content of noble metals—such as platinum, gold, silver and in some nations, palladium. In a more general sense, the term hallmark can also be used to refer to any distinguishing mark.

Sheffield plate is a layered combination of silver and copper that was used for many years to produce a wide range of household articles. Almost every article made in sterling silver was also crafted by Sheffield makers, who used this manufacturing process to produce nearly identical wares at far less cost.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Britannia metal</span> Type of pewter alloy

Britannia metal is a specific type of pewter alloy, favoured for its silvery appearance and smooth surface. The composition by weight is typically about 92% tin, 6% antimony, and 2% copper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gorham Manufacturing Company</span>

The Gorham Manufacturing Company was one of the largest American manufacturers of sterling and silverplate and a foundry for bronze sculpture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Household silver</span>

Household silver or silverware includes tableware, cutlery, and other household items made of sterling silver, silver gilt, Britannia silver, or Sheffield plate silver. Silver is sometimes bought in sets or combined to form sets, such as a set of silver candlesticks or a silver tea set.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christofle</span> Luxury high end cutleryware

Christofle is a French silverware and tableware company founded in Paris in 1830 by Charles Christofle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bench jeweler</span> Artisan who makes and repairs jewelry

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martelé (silver)</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silver hallmarks</span> Stamp indicating the purity of silver objects

A silver object that is to be sold commercially is, in most countries, stamped with one or more silver hallmarks indicating the purity of the silver, the mark of the manufacturer or silversmith, and other (optional) markings to indicate date of manufacture and additional information about the piece. In some countries, the testing of silver objects and marking of purity is controlled by a national assayer's office.

W Dowler & Sons, founded in 1744 in Birmingham, was a large-scale manufacturer of numerous goods, notably buttons, Vesta matches, hand bells, letter balances, swords, corkscrews and whistles.

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J Hudson & Co was founded in the 1870s in Birmingham by Joseph Hudson (1848–1930) and his brother James Hudson (1850–1889). The company became a manufacturer of whistles and continues as Acme Whistles. Acme is the world's largest and most famous producer of whistles. They are headquartered in the Jewellery Quarter district of Birmingham, England.

Henry Arthur Ward (1838–1903) was a Birmingham whistle maker who made whistles of high quality, all rare and hard to find. He made whistles from 1876 to 1903.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cornish Place</span> Building in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England

Cornish Place is a listed building situated in the Neepsend area of the City of Sheffield. The building was formerly the factory of James Dixon & Sons, a Britannia metal, Sheffield plate and Cutlery manufacturer. In the late 1990s the disused building was cleaned and converted into apartments, it is regarded as the most impressive cutlery works that still stands in Sheffield and rivals the cotton mills of Lancashire and the West Riding in terms of architectural quality and heritage. The east and west ranges of the structure are the most spectacular, with Grade II* listed classification, while the rest of the works receive the lower Grade II category. The "Cornish" in the buildings name is thought to derive from the manufacture of Britannia metal which is made up of 93% tin which came from Cornwall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leah's Yard</span> Building in South Yorkshire, England

Leah's Yard is a former collection of small industrial workshops situated on Cambridge Street in the city centre of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. The building has been designated as a Grade II* listed building because of its importance as an example of Sheffield's industrial heritage and is currently undergoing a significant restoration to bring it back into use.

R. Wallace & Sons was formed in Wallingford, Connecticut, and incorporated in 1879. As of 1893, this company manufactured silver and plated ware and cutlery and had about 600 employees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Rasch</span> German-American silversmith

Anthony Rasch von Tauffkirchen was a German-American silversmith, active in Philadelphia (1804-1820) and New Orleans (1820-1858). According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, his works are credited with being "among the most sophisticated silver vessels produced in the United States in the early nineteenth century."

References

  1. Gilchrist, M. (2005). More whistles. ISBN   0-9550231-0-6.
  2. Books Made in Sheffield, the Story of James Dixon and Sons, silversmiths Pauline Cooper Bell, A Rare and Special Collection! Pauline C. Bell (www.lulu.com)
  3. J. H. Johnston at Great Western Gun Works, Pittsburgh, PA. catalog