Locket

[pgoudeau]

Hello,

I have searched online as well as on the AC forums, but alas i still have not found quite what I'm looking for.

How common was the simple locket? I know they became very popular during the late Victorian Era. During the time of the civil war, who could afford this item? Was it common to have a photograph inside or a lock of hair. If it was a photograph, how did the photographer shrink the image to fit inside.

The main reason I ask these questions is that I want to buy a locket for my sweetheart. I want it to be correct for the time period. I was thinking of putting a photograph as well as a lock of my hair inside for her.

Thank you for any advice.

[Stonewall_Greyfox]

Re: Locket

Paul,

I am not sure how common they were, but I do have an original that I will try to get pics of over the next few days. The locket is about 1.25 inches in diameter and has some basic engraving on the outside (hash marks and a scroll). Contained within the locket is an image of a man and of a woman. The images were not shrunk down, they were produced that way by the photographer (just one of many sizes typically offered; gem, 1/4, 1/2...)

I missed a bid on ebay a few weeks ago, that locket was virtually identical the one I already own and it sold for about $20. I picked mine up from a "local" antique store up here in Perrysburg, OH for about $60. So you can see prices range from low to high (I've seen lockets sell for over $100~a factor of time, place and desirability).

Paul

RAH VA MIL '04
23rd VA Vol. Regt.

[ElizabethClark]

Re: Locket

I'm not up on a lot of jewelry, but one resource you could investigate should be at your local library--all the antique guides for jewelry collectors. Often, they'll have extensive information on styles, sizes, original prices, distribution, features... as with many aspects of material culture, a collector's guide can be a very valuable tool in getting familiar with common period styles, as well as the finer details of construction.

[pgoudeau]

Re: Locket

Elizabeth Clark,
I thank you for telling me what to look for. Sometime when I go to the library I get lost and have no clue to what exactly I need to look for. I'll go sometime next week and hit the Big library downtown. They surely would have things of that type down there.

Paul,
If you do get the images up I would love to see them. Thank you also for letting me know that the images would not be shrunk. I had no clue photographers of the time worked in such small scales. I wonder how hard it must have been to make such as small image.

Thanks again.

[ElizabethClark]

Re: Locket

Paul, my best advice is to make friendly with the librarian. :) Most adore being asked for help in finding information, and will lead you right to the specific section you need. We book geeks are weird like that. :)

[Carolann Schmitt]

Re: Locket

Paul -

These references may serve as a starting point:
Bell, C. Jeanenne. Collector’s Encyclopedia of Hairwork and Jewelry. Paducah, KY: Collector Books, 1998.
Campbell, Mark. The Art of Hair Work. Berkeley, CA: Lacis Publications, 1989.
Dawes, Ginny Redington and Corinne Davidov. Victorian Jewelry. New York: Abbeville Press, 1991.
Flower, Margaret (Cameron Coss). Victorian Jewelry. New York: A.S. Barners, 1973.
Gere, Charlotte. European and American Jewelry 1830-1914. London: Heinemann, 1975.
Luthi, Ann Louise. Sentimental Jewelry: Antique Jewels of Love and Sorrow. Great Britain: Shire Publications, 1998.
Muller, Helen. Jet Jewellery and Ornaments. Great Britain: Shire Publications, 1980.
O’Day, Deirdre. Victorian Jewellery. London: Charles Letts Books, 1982.
Scarisbrick, Diana. Jewellery. Costume Accessory Series. London: B.T. Batsford, 1984.
Speight, Alexanna. The Lock of Hair: Its History, Ancient and Modern, Natural and Artistic, with The Art of Working in Hair. 1872. Reprint. Berkeley, CA: Lacis Publications, 2004.

Regards,

[Miss Elodie]

Re: Locket

Hello,
A couple more titles you may find useful include:

Nineteenth century jewellery by Peter Hinks
Publisher: London : Faber and Faber, 1975.

http://www.worldcatlibraries.org/oclc/1993380&referer=brief_results

Victorian sentimental jewellery
by Diana Cooper; Norman Battershill
Publisher: South Brunswick, A.S. Barnes [1973]
ISBN: 0498012611 9780498012617 | OCLC: 600255

http://www.worldcatlibraries.org/oclc/600255

I hope they help you with your research!

[Stonewall_Greyfox]

Re: Locket

Attached you should find copies of the locket recently sold on ebay. I still need to try and post images of the locket in my collection.

Attachments:

locket 1.jpg
locket 2.jpg
locket 3.jpg

Hope this helps,

Paul B. Boulden Jr.

RAH VA MIL '04
23rd VA. Vol. Regt.