The spoons in this exhibit have bon bon style bowls but represent a particular place . Most likely these spoon were acquired by tourists and thus are properly termed "souvenir spoons". Some people may assign some of these spoons to the class of sugar shell spoon.
A lovely little souvenir spoon from San Francisco, California. The bowl is designed in the shape of a poppy (the state flower), The handle is clearly art nuevo in styling with San Francisco in cutouts. Manufactured by Gorham and retailed by Shreve. Similar spoons are also available for a few other cities.
A nicely hand made spoon in the arts and crafts style. The round bowl has very delicate engraving around the edge and the bowl is engraved Dartmouth. The finial is the city seal.
The bowl of this spoon has a nicely engraved view of the Charlevoix, Michigan light house with scattered logs in the foreground. The handle has a sail boat and other nautical symbols
The gold washed bowl has a n interesting pierced design. The front of the handle features George Washington, a ship and a redwood tree. The back of the handle features a scene of a volcano, a hardrock mining scene and a salmon.
There are two spoons with the same handle (the enamel is slightly different color), but as you can see the bowls are customized for the location where the spoon was to be sold. This procedure was quite common in the souvenir spoon era. The full figured indian is frequently found on Canadian spoons. The cutout bon bon bowl is very nicely done and a little rarer. The top bowl shows the Canadian coat of arms and the bottom bowl shows a caleche which was a popular tourist activity.
Montreal, Canada bon bon spoon with a nice embossed picture of the skyline and ships in the foreground
Typical multi-picture souvenir spoon from Montana. The handle features the state seal, a smelting operation, cow, miner on the front and on the back the capitol building, buffalo, elk, and a monument
A nice bon bon with a simulated cloissone sailboat from Norway. This is actually champleve which is a much cheaper and easier process.
silverplated king with a church embossed in the bowl--prob. Norway