Coin-Silver Soup Ladle Engraved “Remember Jetta Gerstley” by Solomon Ralph Biesenthal

Coin-silver soup ladle made by Solomon Ralph Biesenthal of Louisville, Kentucky (1829-1903). Engraved “Remember Jetta Gerstley.” Marked: “SRBiesenthal Louisville.” The ladle is dated circa 1854, based on Jetta Gerslet's marriage to Solomon Schoenfeld in 1854. The style of the ladle correlates with the mid-19th century. The inscription is a loving reminder to the bride of her former identity. There's no indication the couple remained in Louisville; a Jetty Schoenfeld died in Brooklyn, New York in 1902. The object's provenance is from the private collection of S & B B of VA, patrons and purveyors of Virginia and early Southern material culture. Additional information about the maker, Solomon Ralph Biesenthal, his life in Louisville, Kentucky, and the socio-economic context of Jewish silversmiths in the antebellum American South is included in the accompanying documentation.

Associated People/Businesses

• Biesenthal, Solomon Ralph / Schoenfeld, Jetta "Gerslet"

Geography

No geographic information available.

Subjects

• Silverware
• Jews--United States
• Silverwork
• 19th century

Physical Location

Arc.MS.56, Objects Box 1