Souvenir Spoons

Q: While going through my 93-year-old mother’s things, I found two teaspoons, one with Gloria Swanson’s picture and signature and another with Norma Talmadge. Both are in good shape. Do they have any value?

A: Souvenir spoons were popular collectibles from the 1890s into the 1920s. Your spoons are two of a set of 12 silver-plated spoons featuring silent film stars of the day. They were made by Oneida Silversmiths for Hearst Newspapers, and used in a 1925 advertising campaign in Photoplay, one of the first American film fan magazines. Each spoon has a facsimile signature of an actor or actress on the handle and a raised portrait on the tip. Besides your two, other stars represented were Marion Davies, Richard Dix, Douglas Fairbanks, Thomas Meighan, Mae Murray, Pola Negri, Ramon Novarro, Mary Pickford, Norma Shearer and Lois Wilson. Oneida was formed as a utopian community in the mid-19th century. In 1879, conflicts caused a split and members voted to form Oneida Community Ltd. in 1880, to be owned and operated by former community members. Oneida is still one of the largest marketers of stainless steel flatware and tabletop products. Your spoons sell for $5 to $15 each. A complete set may add a little to the value.