Four (4) Whiting Mfg. Sterling Silver Dinner Forks in the stunning, ornate 19th c. Pompadour Pattern. The pattern was designed by Charles Osborne and patented in 1895. Each fork measures 7 3/4". Weight on all is 230 grams. All have NO Monograms. Charles Osborne was a designer of patterns for silver objects, active during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was employed first by the Whiting Manufacturing Company and then by Tiffany & Co. In 1888, he returned to Whiting where he eventually became a company vice president. Osborne patented designs and an improved method of shaping ornamental borders of silverware. He was a member of the Art Students League of New York City and was active in New York's community of artists, although for part of his career he resided in Attleboro, Massachusetts. A 1905 article from a North Attleboro newspaper cast favorable judgement upon Osborne when it commented: "The work of Mr. Charles Osborne in the production of graceful art objects in silver have placed him among the foremost designers of the world of silversmiths." REF: The Winterthur Library. PROVENANCE: A Charleston SC Private Estate.

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