CATALINA SOUVENIR SPOONS: L. D. ANDERSON, READING, PA
CATALINA SOUVENIR SPOONS: L. D. ANDERSON, READING, PA
Louis David Anderson (1876-1945), born in Reading, PA., was a manufacturer of jewelry and souvenir spoons, active 1901-1939. He learned the jewelry business from his father, Cornelius T. Anderson. For decades, he and his family over-wintered in Florida, hence the large number of Florida souvenir spoons. They also lived in Los Angeles for three years.
In addition to Louis Anderson, the other partner was John H. Snyder. The two men were together for the entire duration of the business. Of interest to note is that the company changed from manufacturing jewelers to wholesale jewelers around 1935.
The Louis D. Anderson firm, (“L.D.A.”) was one of three manufacturers, along with Watson and Paye & Baker, to produce souvenir spoons with an Avalon Bay scene on the handle. According to Catalina souvenir spoon historian, Harry Merrick, the firm [LDA] made at least two themed spoons with Catalina elements designed in them. Design #1 features a very simplistic Avalon Bay scene on the handle front in a roundel. The spoon obverse displays the State Seal (w/ Minerva and “Eureka”), “California”, a flower, Avalon Bay and the “Mt. Lowe” railway. The reverse displays the “Santa Barbara Mission”, a bear, the early 1900s San Francisco “Cliff House” and poppies. Marked: “LDA”, “Sterling”. The Avalon scene is a pre-1906 view of the harbor, featuring a single pier in the harbor, Holly Hill House, and the pre-1906 configuration of Sugarloaf Point.
They produced spoons with the name of a California city inscribed in the bowl: Catalina Island, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Pasadena, Pomona, Redlands, Redondo Beach, San Jose, San Pedro and Santa Barbara. Each of these ten cities is known on a spoon with Design 1, the Santa Catalina Island element on the top. To date, only one example of Design 2, with the island element on the back, has been observed—on a spoon engraved San Pedro.
LDA also engraved Catalina Island Cal in the bowl of stock 'oranges' pattern spoons. In addition, they also produced shell jewelry and items.
ADDITIONAL L. D. ANDERSON SANTA CATALINA ISLAND SPOONS NOT IN SCIF ARCHIVES
Louis David Anderson (1876-1945) = [1898] Tillie A. Sauers (1873-1950)
- 1. Katherine Anderson (1900-1901)
- 2. Helen Mildred Anderson (1904-1995) [Mrs. James E. Nidre, North Wales, Pa.]
- 3. Dorothy M. Anderson (b. 1907) [Mrs. Dorothy M. Focht, Sayre, Pa.]
- 4. Florence Louise Anderson (1909-1990) [Mrs. Louise A. Moore, Stafford, Pa.]
L. D. Anderson died in Pinellas, Florida in 1945. He was 68 years old.
TEASPOON
L. D. Anderson art deco Washington pattern spoon with bowl engraved with Avalon Bay scene HARBOR engraved on handle end.This delicate “Art Deco” style spoon, although marked “L.D.A.”, it was designed by The Howard Silver Co. who initially produced this pattern (patented 1895) and subsequently at least two other manufacturers, Mt. Vernon and the Roger Williams Silver Co. continued to produce spoons in this design. It features an engraved inscription, “CATALINA ISLAND CAL”, on the handle and a simple impressionistic view of Avalon Bay engraved “HARBOR” on the bowl. At least three other very similarly decorated and inscribed spoons have been observed, all displaying slightly varying captions. Two of those (Caption 5) display either “Catalina Is. Bay “ or Bay Catalina Is.” The third spoon’s caption reads “Harbor, Catalina Is. Los Angeles Cal.” (Caption 12). It is possible the same engraver was responsible for all four engravings. The very simple, impressionistic Avalon Bay scene depicts the overall setting of Avalon Bay, featuring hillsides and shoreline. Minimal man-made elements are included, limited to a single pier, and two simple buildings, one perhaps representing the Hotel Metropole? Boats and Holly Hill House are notably absent. The date of this engraved spoon remains enigmatic. The depicted Sugarloaf Point configuration points to a pre 1906 date, but beyond that, there is little else to suggest its possible age. [Harry Merrick]
Top: Top: Eureka; CALIFORNIA; CATALINA ISLAND; MT. LOWE
Reverse: Santa Barbara Mission; Cliff House
Maker: L. D. Anderson
Length: 5-½"
[original in SCIF archives: 2022.35]
Two palms planted by Father Junipero Serra of the Portolá expedition
in Old Town San Diego are now gone (1957).
CITRUS SPOON
SMALLER THAN TEASPOON
