What Francis I & The White House Have In Common...

You never know what to expect when going to estate sales. There have been many times where I have been disappointed, grossed-out, happy, and excited...and sometimes all in the same house! I know I just did a feature Blog Post, A Love Affair With Silverware, but this is just so exciting that I felt like I need to share it here!

I have lived in Portland for 4 years now and Jared has lived here his whole life. Neither of us has even seen or heard of this home until we had stumbled upon it the day of the estate sale. When Jared and I pulled up to it, we both laughed at the fact that there was going to be nothing that we could afford in this home. We were right...

I am a history buff, as well as a lover of old architecture, so I did some research and wanted to give a little background to this grandeur home. In 1912 this beautiful mansion was built for a mere $46,000.... YES, $46,000. Most people today own a car on the road that costs as much as this home did in 1912. In fact, this was actually the most expensive billed home of its time in Portland! The architect was David Williams who was well known around Portland for his great homes built by the rich and famous. This home in particular was built for a lumberman, Robert Lytle and his wife Ida. This was going to be there summer home (nice, right!), which is reflected in its style. The style of the home is a mixture of Colonial Revival and Mediterranean with the Corinthian columns that dress the front entrance, and the Italianate boxed window shapes with arches and the tile roof. It was like they could vacation to Italy, without the long travel! By the way I minored in Italian Art & Architecture, so I am weird when it comes to old homes, I tend to get excited...

After a few years, the house changed hands a few times going from a lumberman to a pulp mill owner to a forest products industrialist and then to an occasional radio station broadcasting studio. A cool fact too is that in this home the very first paid commercial broadcast by a radio station in the US took place on behalf of a Portland ice cream store. In the 1960s the home was badly neglected and needed a major overhaul. Recently the home has been carefully restored and turned into a reputable bed & breakfast. 

Most of the Original fixtures & finishes remain in the home, and the furnishings have all been carefully selected to complement a fine early 20th Century home. Even the original hand-painted French wallpaper and African mahogany trim can be found!!! Jared and I unfortunately were not able to see the whole house, only a few sections, but I can just imagine all the cool and interesting features I would find if I was able to be let free to roam! Ok, so enough about the home, this post is after all about THE FIND!

Now, I know what you might be thinking, I found this c.1540 Painting of Francis I by Francois Clouet...fooled you! Turns out, I did not but instead I found something much more useful, tangible, and exciting than this painting...

I found a 60-piece Sterling Silver Set of Reed & Barton Francis I Silverware! Francis I was king of France from 1515 to 1547. After looking at this flatware, it may not surprise you that he was the first King of France to be called, "Your Majesty." It is also said that this pattern is the sterling flatware of princes and presidents, which is fitting, right? He was also a Renaissance patron of the arts. Since it is a Renaissance-inspired pattern it exudes ornateness, decorated with voluminous scrollwork, leaves, blossoms, and fruit. Also, the sterling silver doesn't hurt the eyes with its eye-catching glittering qualities. 

It would only be fitting that Reed and Barton would hire the famous FRENCH silver maker, artist, and designer Ernest Meyer to create the pattern inspired by the opulent Francis I considering he ruled over France for 32 years. Since, Francis I was a lover of Renaissance art, the best person to model this flatware after would be no other than a 1515 metalwork artist, Benvenuto Cellini (to the left is an example of the detail in his work). I should note that Cellini was also in King Francis I court of artist and sculptors, so it is very clear who Meyer should use as a model! Something interesting that I came across in doing my research is that Meyer made an executive decision to create fifteen ornate designs that would decorate each piece of the flatware. Why, you ask? Because King Francis I ascended the French throne in 1515, hence, 15 pieces as a lucky number!

So, the interesting story with this silverware is that when Jared and I got married, we had this on our wedding registry, but seeing how expensive it was per a place setting and per a piece for that matter, we never received a single piece. I fell in love with it when I saw it then, and at the estate sale I fell in love with it all over again. I was unable to purchase it, because clearly I do not have a "Francis I - 60-piece - Sterling Silver - Flatware Fund" set up. However, the asking price was insanely a good deal! I called up one of my buyers, aka Mom & Dad, and now they have a beautiful set of silverware (in my opinion the best set of silver ever made). The best part is that I am going to get to use it and enjoy it for the holidays when we all come together and they put it on the table! So, thank you Mom & Dad for having the prowess to purchase the set!

You ask what Francis I and The White House have in common? I will tell you, one exquisite set of sterling silver flatware that is both historical and beautiful!

Below are more images of the flatware, I would advise you to click on the images because they will open up to a much larger size so that you can appreciate the fine intricate detail in the pattern better...