£2,250
Auction: Design Since 1860
sycamore with cedar handles
Provenance: From The Millinery Works Collection.
Provenance: The Goddard family
Note: Important local patrons of the arts, much of the Goddard family’s collection can still be seen today in the Leicester Museum. Joseph Goddard was a chemist, who was often asked to assay some of the finest silver owned by Leicester wealthy elite. It was during this time that he developed a rich appreciation for the arts and instigated his passion for collecting objects he admired. After the introduction of electro-plating, silver-plate became more readily available to the masses. Goddard developed a non-mercurial plate powder – a substance which, unlike standard issue polish with mercury, did not cause silver-plate to disintegrate. The invention was a huge success and soon after Goddard expanded his firm and began to produce a range of similar products suited to a wide use of materials, such as furniture. Goddard was significant advocate for the arts, so much so that he encouraged excursions for his workforce, including the 1851 Great Exhibition.