William Kerr antique silver jewelry

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Nymph Art Nouveau sterling silver brooch. Early 1900s. William Kerr antique silver jewelry

William Kerr antique silver jewelry
The history of William B. Kerr Co, one of the oldest American silver manufacturers, began 166 years ago in Newark, New Jersey. Founded in 1855, the company, along with flatware and hollow-ware produced silver and gold jewelry and accessories. Most often, these were buckles, brooches, pins and pendants with images of angels, flowers and Art Nouveau women. Antique silver items of this brand are kept in museums in the USA as an example of Art Nouveau jewelry art.
From about 1855 to 1892, markings included their trademark medieval ax logo, later a hammer and three X’s, followed by the words sterling and the mold number. Noteworthy, the company ceased to exist in 1927, absorbed by the largest silver brand Gorham Manufacturing Company. Gorham owned the company for 40 years and then sold it to the Textron Corporation.