Takoma Horticultural Club Donates Flower Show Trophies

The Takoma Horticultural Club recently donated to Historic Takoma eleven engraved trophy cups, plaques, bowls, and platters from the Club’s and other annual flower shows. These items, which date from 1933 to 1985, were handed down through the Club’s leadership over the decades. Ten of the eleven items are sterling silver or silver plated. Three of these are on display in Historic Takoma’s Reading Room.

Established in 1916, the Takoma Horticultural Club is the longest continuously operating civic group in Takoma Park. Producing flower shows was one of the Club’s main community activities for many decades. The full history of the flower shows can be found on the Club’s website. Following the donation of the items to Historic Takoma’s archives, volunteer Read More

Janet Douglas inventoried and documented the items for our archives records and cleaned and prepared them for storage in accordance with museum conservation practices. 

The complete inventory of the trophies is found in the table below:

Description	Date of Item	Artist/Creator
Takoma Horticultural Club trophy, cup with two handles, silver plated. Inscription reads: Brookland Woodbridge Business Association Trophy, Dahlia Show, 1937. Exterior is silver plated, the interior is gold plated(?). Cup is attached to a hollow black plastic base, and inside base is a metal (brass?) tag that reads: Wallace Trophies T30-10.	1937	Wallace Trophy
Takoma Horticultural Club trophy, bowl, silver plated. Bowl is oblong with an oblong foot. Inscription reads: Takoma Horticultural Club, Gertrude Harrison Trophy, Flower Arrangement. Inscription also lists names of the winners for 1958 to 1985. No winners listed for 1968, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1983. Bottom is inscribed with the following: EPNS WILCOX IS International Silver Co., Apple, Plain 2685. Note that EPNS means Electroplated Nickel Silver.	1985	Wilcox, International Silver Co.
Takoma Horticultural Club trophy, bowl with foot, sterling silver. The inscription reads: The Oliver E. Sweet Perpetual Trophy; 1955. Inscription also lists names of the winners for 1955 to 1963. No winner is listed for 1962. Bottom is inscribed with: STERLING 90 Durham.	1955	Durham (?)
Takoma Horticultural Club trophy, bowl with foot, sterling silver. The inscription reads: Takoma Horticultural Club Presidents’ Perpetual Trophy Awarded at One Flower Show Each Year. The inscription also lists the names of the winners for 1954 to 1987. No winners are listed for 1956, 1961, 1965, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1985. Bottom is inscribed: STERLING 89 Durham.	1954	Durham (?)
Takoma Horticultural Club trophy, bowl with foot, sterling silver. The inscription reads: The Winn T. Simmons Trophy, Awarded by Takoma Horticultural Club to the Winner of The Most Blue Ribbons Each Year. Inscription also lists the winners for 1953 to 1972. No winners are listed for 1968. Bottom is inscribed: Preisner STERLING 168.	1953	Preisner
Takoma Horticultural Club trophy, bowl with foot, silver plated. The inscription reads: Potomac Chrysanthemum Society Trophy, Best Entry in Chrysanthemum Section, Takoma Horticultural Club, 1964. The inscription also lists the winners for 1964 and 1965. Bottom is inscribed: Wallerford Silver Co., Silver Plate 507.	1964	Wallerford Silver Co.
Takoma Horticultural Club trophy, plate with scalloped rim, silver plated. The inscription reads: 1968 National Capital Flower and Garden Show, Presented by The Evening Star. Bottom is inscribed: Reed & Barton 159, Chippendale.	1968	Reed & Barton
Takoma Horticultural Club trophy, cup with two handles, silver plated. Inscription reads: Evening Star Trophy, Grand Prize, National Capital Dahlia & Iris Show, Washington, D. C. The inscription also lists the club winners for 1933 and 1934. Bottom is inscribed with Essex EPNS, E12-15. Note that EPNS means Electroplated Nickel Silver. The trophy is accompanied by a hollow black plastic base which could be reattached if desired.	1933	Essex
Takoma Horticultural Club trophy, cup with two handles, silver plated. Trophy is attached to a hollow black plastic base. Inscription reads: Brookland – Woodbridge Business Assn, Dahlia Show Troffy, 1936, Awarded to the Takoma Horticultural Club. Inside the plastic base is a stamp that reads: Restored by Abercombrie & Co., Silver Spring Maryland. The plastic base obscures the bottom of the trophy so the maker’s marks cannot be seen.	1936	unknown
Takoma Horticultural Club, cup with two handles, silver or other metal plated. Trophy is attached to a hollow black plastic base. Inscription reads: Abertson Rose Trophy, Takoma Horticultural Club. The winners are listed for 1953 to 1960. The plastic base obscures the bottom of the trophy so the maker’s marks cannot be seen.	1953	unknown
Takoma Horticultural Club plaque, brass on wood. Inscription reads: The City of Takoma Park Maryland, Presented to the Takoma Horticultural Club Honoring its Fiftieth Anniversary of Service and Beautification to the Community, Mayor George M. Miller and City Council, January 25, 1966.	1966	unknown

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