Certain generic images develop which make people think of specific areas. If I say "Statue of Liberty", everybody thinks of New York. If I say "movie making", everybody thinks "Hollywood", despite the fact that movies are made all over the world. For wealthy easterners around the turn of the century, California and Florida were thought of as warm weather resort areas. The predominent image which exemplified those areas was the Palm Tree. Thus it is not particularly surprising that we have a number of images of palm trees on souvenir spoons.
left:Palm tree handle engraved 2-22-07
right: full figured palm bowl engraved with aligator from Anniston, Alabama
I live in Los Angeles, and have grown accustomed to seeing palm trees all of my life. They are indeed stately looking trees, but most of the palms which we have do not look like the images of the date palms pictured on these spoons. Nevertheless, this is what the tourists wanted.
This is the bowl for the handle shown above
Three cutout Royal Palm trees, Florida
The left spoon sports an enameled Canadian Shield (reg'd 1902) with a palm tree bowl from Bermuda Island including a donkey and cart. The right spoon bowl is also from the Royal Palms, Hamilton, Bermuda, and sports an art neuvo handle.
This very cute spoon has a palm tree with a coconut as the stem and finial. The bowl is in the shape of a monkey (enlarged and rotated) scratching his head. Is he trying to figure out how to get the coconut? The spoon is engraved, but is unmarked. I am not sure of its origin or purity.
Cute demitasse set of 8 filigree spoons which are designed to look like palm trees. These hand made spoons are unmarked but are quality silver and are available for trade.
Note: this section is scheduled for improvement in the future
Oakland, California
redwood logging scene
Sequoia
Tree, California
Pine Tree
If you haven't had enough palms--more are pictured at the Florida exhibit
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