CATALINA SOUVENIR SPOONS: CHARLES M. ROBBINS CO., ATTLEBORO, MA
CATALINA SOUVENIR SPOONS: CHARLES M. ROBBINS CO., ATTLEBORO, MA
The C.M. Robbins Co. of Attleboro, MA (1892 – present) was one of the more prolific producers of Catalina souvenir spoons, including both teaspoon and demitasse sizes. Charles May Robbins (1856-1929) founded the Chas M. Robbins Company in 1892 and ran it for the next 18 years. Having become wealthy, he retired from it in 1910. In 1912 the company renamed itself to Robbins Company. The company grew to become a dynamic force in the jewelry manufacturing business, earning a unique place in history as a manufacturer of military badges, Olympic medals and NASA medallions to name a few.
Charles May Robbins (1856-1929) = [1885] Lucy B. Pratt (1854- )
- 1. Lawrence Brigham Robbins (1886-1953?) [born in NY]
- 2. Chester May Robbins (1895-1973) [born in MA] = Ruth Johnson
C. M. Robbins died on September 13, 1929 in Attleboro, Massachusetts at age 73. He is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery, Attleboro, MA.
According to Santa Catalina Island souvenir spoon expert, Dr. Harry V. Merrick: “All of Robbins’ Catalina spoons are, in a sense, specialty spoons created especially for the Catalina tourist trade, as most prominently display captions “CATALINA”, “CATALINA ISLAND” or more frequently “CATALINA ISLE”, on their stems, even those spoons displaying general non-Catalina themes, like fruit and flowers, and California landmarks and attractions. Robbins updated their spoon designs relatively frequently to reflect the changing landscape and tourist attractions at Catalina. Besides producing sterling spoons they also produced “pearl silver” (nickel silver or silver plated) souvenir spoons. Although Robbins produced one embossed bowl design with a ca. 1910-1915 Avalon Bay scene, it appears very infrequently. Moreover, Robbins did not apply it to a wide variety of spoon designs as was the practice of most other prominent Catalina spoon manufacturers producing Catalina scene embossed bowls. Most of Robbins’ Catalina demitasse spoons are simply miniature versions of their teaspoon designs.”
Robbins is one of only two makers to include the Hotel Metropole on a manufactured spoon. (J. Mayer & Bros. figural tuna spoon is the other.) It appears on the reverse of a C.M. Robbins spoon featuring Sugarloaf Rock, a tuna and "Catalina Island" on the front. If one can rely on the image of the glass bottom boat on the reverse, which appears very "Emperor" like, a date of ca. 1912 is probable. [H. V. Merrick]
ROBBINS TEASPOON WITH SQUARED HANDLE
ROBBINS TEASPOON WITH POINTED AND NON-PIERCED HANDLE WITH AVALON BAY SCENE
Bowl: plain
Top: UN-Pierced handle: AVALON; 1 pier; steamship; Metropole; Sugar Loaf
Reverse: plain
Maker: Charles M. Robbins (3-part hallmark)
Length: 5-⅝"
[original in SCIF archives: Kwiat Collection; 2021.31.9]
The pre-1909 harbor configuration with Hotel Metropole and Big Sugar Loaf clearly shown.
Notice only one main pier in the harbor before 1909.
Bowl: plain
Top: AVALON; TUNA; ST. CATHERINE (1918); CATALINA ISLE
Reverse: plain
Maker: Charles M. Robbins (later Pennant R mark)
Note: This spoon is the same as the one above, but with a plain reverse and later Pennant R mark
Length: 5-¾"
[original in SCIF archives: Haffey Family Collection; 2020.24.H24]
ROBBINS TEASPOON WITH POINTED AND PIERCED HANDLE WITH AVALON BAY SCENE
Bowl: plain
Top: Pierced handle: AVALON; 1 pier; steamship; Metropole; Sugar Loaf
Reverse: plain
Maker: Charles M. Robbins (3-part hallmark)
Length: 5-⅝"
[original in SCIF archives: Haffey Family CollectIon; 2020.18.H18]
The pre-1909 harbor configuration with Hotel Metropole and Big Sugar Loaf clearly shown.
Notice only one main pier in the harbor before 1909.
Bowl: plain
Top: Pierced handle: AVALON; 1 pier; steamship; Metropole; Sugar Loaf
Reverse: plain
Maker: Charles M. Robbins (3-part hallmark)
Length: 5-⅝"
[original in SCIF archives: Haffey Family CollectIon; 2020.18.H18]
The pre-1909 harbor configuration with Hotel Metropole and Big Sugar Loaf clearly shown.
Notice only one main pier in the harbor before 1909.
Bowl: plain
Pierced handle: AVALON; 1 pier; steamship; Metropole; Casino
Reverse: plain
Maker: Charles M. Robbins (later Pennant R mark)
Length: 5-¾"
[original in SCIF archives: Haffey Family Collection; 2020.3.H3]
It is interesting to note this spoon shows both the Casino, which opened May 29,1929, and the old Metropole Hotel, which burned down in 1915. Therefore, this scene would be impossible.
Bowl: plain
Pierced handle: AVALON; 1 pier; steamship; Metropole; Casino
Reverse: plain
Maker: Charles M. Robbins (later Pennant R mark)
Length: 5-¾"
[original in SCIF archives: Haffey Family Collection; 2020.3.H3]
It is interesting to note this spoon shows both the Casino, which opened May 29,1929, and the old Metropole Hotel, which burned down in 1915. Therefore, this scene would be impossible.
Bowl: pointed/fruit
Top: Pierced handle: AVALON; 1 pier; steamship; Metropole; Sugar Loaf
Reverse: plain
Maker: Charles M. Robbins (3-part hallmark)
Length: 5-½"
[original in SCIF archives: Kwiat Collection; 2021.33.AK]
The pre-1909 harbor configuration with Hotel Metropole and Big Sugar Loaf clearly shown.
TEASPOON
Bowl: plain
Top: pierced Oranges pattern
Reverse: plain
Maker: Charles M. Robbins (3-part hallmark)
Length: 5-⅜"
[original in SCIF archives: Putnam Collection #26]
Modern style cutout with three oranges with distinctive tilted block lettering.
Likely produced after about 1930 through the 1960s according to Harry Merrick.
Bowl: plain
Top: pierced OLD BEN; tuna
Reverse: plain
Maker: Charles M. Robbins (3-part hallmark)
Length: 5-¼"
[original in SCIF archives; 2021.13]
This is one of several C.M. Robbins spoon designs which displays an identified image of Old Ben. This particular design appears to be their only one exclusively produced in homage to Old Ben. Here “Old Ben” is outlined in the pierced handle of a sleek modern Art Deco style spoon. The only other image on the spoon, just beneath Old Ben, is a fish, likely a tuna (?). The caption “Catalina Isle” runs down the stem. The reverse is undecorated, save for the Robbins’ maker’s marks and “Sterling”.
Bowl: plain
Top: bell; EUREKA; STATE CAPITOL
Reverse: bell; MISSION GARDEN; GOLDEN GATE; OIL WELLS
Maker: Charles M. Robbins (3-part hallmark)
Length: 5-¼"
[original in SCIF archives: Kwiat Collection; 2021.36.AK]
C.M. Robbins California themes spoon with “Catalina Isle” on the stem and a mission bell terminal. The obverse features the Great Seal of California, the “State Capitol”, a California poppy and “Catalina Isle”. The reverse features a mission garden scene, the Golden Gate, oil wells(!) and grapes. (Oil wells appear on a Shepard Catalina/California themes spoon design as well. By 1903 California was reported to be the #1 oil producing state in the U.S.) Unlike the Watson, Shepard, J. Mayer and Bros. and Paye & Baker firms which each produced several California themed spoon designs displaying various multiple California elements upon whose bowls embossed Avalon scenes were applied, C.M. Robbins appears to have produced just a single “generic” California themed spoon design with the caption “Catalina Isle” applied to the stem. Robbins seldom produced spoons with Avalon scene embossed bowls, and typically used the caption “Catalina Isle”, or more rarely “Catalina Island”, on the stems of their other non-Catalina specialty spoons, like fruit and floral designs. [Harry Merrick]
SMALLER THAN TEASPOON—LESS THAN 5 INCHES
LESS THAN 4 INCHES
