RARE c1900 William Kerr, George St, Sydney Ladies Bracelet Box
William Kerr 1838 - 1896
William Kerr (1838-1896) was a leading watchmaker, jeweller and silversmith in Sydney during the last quarter of the nineteenth century. Born in Northern Ireland, Kerr came to the colony of New South Wales with his family as a child on board the New York Packet in 1841. Trained as a watchmaker, he established a small jewellery business with his two older brothers in Palmer Street, Sydney circa. 1857. In 1863, following the death of his brothers, William Kerr set up a business at 68 William Street in partnership with Frederick Morris. Between 1864 and 1875, he worked for Hardy Bros. before establishing his first shop at 574 George Street, opposite St Andrew's Cathedral. In 1882, Kerr opened a second shop in King Street and in 1883, his principal business was relocated to 544 George Street, Sydney opposite the Town Hall. William Kerr obtained many important commissions for commemorative items, often from the Sydney City Council.
Today, Kerr is mostly remembered for his distinctive silver trophies, three of them receiving an award (Highly Commended) at Sydney's International Exhibition of 1879. Designed in the form of a table centrepiece, or epergne, this impressive trophy standing 72 centimetres in height, was made to celebrate the success of the first all white Australian cricket team to tour Britain in 1878. (At the time it was thought by some to be the first Australian cricket team to tour England, however a team of Indigenous Australian cricketers had previously toured England, in 1868). It depicts a cricket match taking place under a large Australian native tree fern, surmounted with a glass comport below a tapered glass flower vase. The scene is flanked by two small palm trees each supporting a silver-mounted emu egg with a smaller flower vase on the top.
Measures 9.5cms x 5cms x 4cms high. Slightly tatty with a lot of surface wear & some surface losses, see photos. It's possibly a watch box, but maybe too early for that use.
Always happy to combine postage where possible & practical. HNCO are not responsible for import duties or customs charges. This is the buyers / importers responsibility.
_gsrx_vers_1653 (GS 9.7.5 (1653))
