Lester Howard VAUGHAN, born 6 Nov 1889 and died 30 May 1961, began his metal working career at the giant Reed & Barton Silversmiths just a few blocks down the street from his home in Taunton, Massachusetts. LHV left R&B in 1915 to start his own business which began in the rear of his home on West Brittania Street. In 1921, he married Maria PARKER and the two of them became life long companions and business partners. They bought another home a short distance away on Clifton Street that became the factory with the showroom upstairs, manufacturing downstairs and a couple outbuildings for materials. (Both exist today and are used as residences.)  

LHV was professionally affiliated with The Society of Arts and Crafts of Boston and was elected Master Craftsman and a life member in 1918. LHV also was a member of the Chicago Art Guild. He had one man shows at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Art Institute of Chicago and the International Trade Center in Cleveland. Long term displays were also given at the Philadelphia Art Alliance and other locations. Winning numerous gold medals for his work at various expositions, he soon began receiving private commissions for his work mostly in pewter but occasionally in sterling silver and copper.

In the early 1930s his 56-page catalog had over 150 various items. During this period, Eleanor Roosevelt became a fan of his work and acquired several pieces for her home, now a state museum in New York. Some of those items are on display today. The use of small ads in magazines like House Beautiful, Harper's Bazaar and Collier's was his main method of advertising.

Tureen 8 1/2" high

The pinnacle of his career came a little later when FDR was elected President of the United States. LHV was commissioned to make four sets of coffee/tea service for the private portion of the White House. If you drank tea in the residential part of the White House, you drank from LHV pewterware.

He is credited by many as being responsible for the Colonial Revival Period in tableware in the United States.

Recently, a seller on ebay claimed that LHV pewter had little or no lead content. This was recklessly incorrect. His pewter formulation was 92% tin, 4% antimony and 4% lead. The current maximum permissible level for lead content in food service vessels today, as established by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is .08%. A significant difference. Modern-day pewter has no lead and uses very low percentage combinations of copper or bismuth mixed with tin and antimony.

Depending on the level of exposure to various chemicals in both the air and liquids (including water), it is possible for oxidation and corrosion to take place that results in "blisters" or discoloration on the surface as seen in the picture above. This is most common on the inside of pouring vessels and the topside of bowls. These areas may allow lead carbonate and other substances to form which may migrate to the skin if handled. Do not use these vessels for preparing or serving food or beverages for consumption. I would not put apples or other fruit in a LHV bowl if they will be eaten later. Even if they will be peeled.

(Pewter was used extensively by the Vikings but very few examples exist today because it has literally oxidized away, completely disintegrating into nothing!)

Cleaning in regular dishwashing soap then drying with a clean cloth should remove most surface dirt and minor corrosion. I would avoid the handling of pieces showing signs of corrosion especially by children. Washing in a dishwasher using common dishwasher detergents will speed up the ultimate corrosion because of the harsh chemicals in them.

LHV pewter may be polished if desired. It is the antimony content that makes the brightness. Do not re-use a polishing cloth on any other item that may be used for food service (like silverware) that has been used to polish LHV pewter. 

His three primary touch marks are a little less than a 1/4" square box with "LH" in the top half and "V" in the bottom half. The "V" is in the form of a cross-section of his signature design bowls. His second mark is a upright oval with an eagle in the center with "L H VAUGHAN" around the top half and "TAUNTON" around the bottom half. The third mark is a plain upper case stamp of  "L H VAUGHAN" on the top line, "TAUNTON, MASS." on the second line and "PEWTER" on the third. There was no established pattern of which mark would be present or in what order top to bottom. Due to space restrictions like on a vase or candlestand, sometimes the only mark present is the name stamp.

Absent a receipt, there is no accurate dating of specific pieces between 1915 to 1961. A receipt or letter accompanying a commission would add significant value to any piece. His production was dramatically affected by the onset of World War II and there was little output beginning in 1942 to the end of the war. It almost closed the business.

Although not considered to be highly desirable among high-end collectors, his work is none the less exceptional and vastly under-rated. The proportions, shapes and lines are very pleasing to the eye and will easily survive the passage of time and the whims of style. The viewer's perception of the singular beauty of a piece should be the determining factor in acquisition.

There are two collections of his work open to the public. They are owned by the Old Colony Historical Society (Taunton) and the Berkley (Mass) Historical Society.

 

Note rings on handle
6 3/4" teapot, 4 1/4" sugar & creamer

After his death, Maria operated the business for a while with longtime employee Clement Hutchins eventually selling it to Gorham Manufacturing Co. Maria's personal touch is seen in the woven rattan covered handles and in the fitted Bakelite ring decorations in the handles of teapots. Maria died 16 Nov 1989. They are buried in Raynham close to Taunton. Their headstone bears a likeness of his "LH over V" touchmark.

Note rattan handle
5 1/2" creamer, 10" plate

Drop me a line of you have any questions or comments.

I am not a dealer and I do not sell.

Ralph Vaughan