Whose Tea Set Was This, Anyway?

The other day, when I visited my stepfather, Joe, he surprised me with a dusty, dirty box full of silver. Well, silver plate, but gosh, were they a mess. As you can see in the photo, I have not yet cleaned the teapot, but each piece looked like that teapot. I have been rubbing and polishing just one piece a day, and then today, he gave me two large black and tarnished platters. I still have some bowls and candlestick holders to clean, but I got to work on that platter.

Whose Tea Set Was This, Anyway?

The problem with this set is that I’m unsure where my mom got it from. And Joe, my mom’s husband, can’t remember either. I know my grandparents, Albert and Rose, had a tea service, but was it this one? This may be a wedding gift from my mom’s first marriage to my father in the 1950s. I just don’t remember.

What Do I Do With It Now?

At first, I just looked at the box on my table for a few days, wondering NOW What? What do I do with them? Do I pack them away for my kids to one day wonder what to do with them? Is that what my mom did? Is that why they were in the basement? Or it could be when they built their new house, she just never got around to bringing them upstairs, and then it was too late as her memories faded. Looking on eBay, they do not even sell for much, if they sell at all. However, I cannot imagine selling them right now.

My Own Silver Memories

The only silver I have personally is my Sterling Towle Old Master flatware, which I received as a bride. I love it and keep it all in my silver chest so that it won’t tarnish. It’s been a few years since I brought them out to use. I no longer seem to cook big family dinners. I wonder whether one of my children or grandchildren will want them or if they will end up online or at a yard sale.

Finding Joy in the Shine

I finally got to work and started cleaning the tea set a few days ago. It has been slow going, but the more I rub, the more I remember cleaning the silver of Sally Lewis, who lived next door to us in Beltsville. I also had to help my grandmother polish her silver. Maybe it was this very tea set? At the time, I hated it, but now there was something about watching the silver appear from under the grime of many years, sitting out in the basement. Something that made me wonder when people stopped enjoying things like having a silver tea set. Is it because of the work needed to keep them looking beautiful? Maybe we are all just so busy that there isn’t enough time.

I will keep this set on my table for now. And one day, I might have my grandchildren rub them as I explain the difference between silverplate and sterling silver.