An American Silver Five-Piece Tea and Coffee Service

J.E. Caldwell and Co., Philadelphia, PA, Late 19th/Early 20th Century

comprising a coffee pot, a teapot, a covered sugar, a creamer, and a waste bowl, all bearing monogram, "LBT"
each marked 'Sterling' to underside
103 ozt 5 dwt gross
together with an octagonal silver-plate tray by Gorham Mfg. Co., Providence, RI, and an octagonal silver serving tray by Redlich & Co., New York, NY, both bearing monogram, "LBT;" 7 items total.
Height of coffee pot 12 1/4 inches.

Property from the Buck Family Collection, Philadelphia

This lot is located in Philadelphia.

William "Bill" Clifton Buck (1928-2023) was a successful businessman, avid sportsman, and leader within the Philadelphia community. Bill attended Lafayette College, where he majored in Economics, and later joined the family business, Smith Kline and French (later GlaxoSmithKline). Alongside his brothers, he founded and expanded The Drug House and later established TDH, a venture capital firm that invested in major companies such as ESPN and Staples. Bill married Laura Thomas (1931-2024) in 1954, and they enjoyed a vibrant 68-year marriage. Together, they were active philanthropists, supporting numerous organizations and causes in Nantucket, Vero Beach, and Philadelphia, including the Barnes Foundation and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. In addition, Bill’s lifelong passion for baseball led him to become a partner in the Philadelphia Phillies in 1981, and he cherished the team's successes, including the 2008 World Series win.

“Bucktucket,” their beloved Nantucket residence, offered an impressive backdrop for the couple’s collection of Nantucket art. The furnishings of Bucktucket, a traditional cedar-shake house, and of the couple’s Villanova residence seamlessly blended their varied interests into an inviting and cohesive aesthetic. Bill and Laura loved discovering just the right things to fill their homes, meeting artists and dealers along the way. Their collection is marked by several spectacular pieces, including fine period furniture, maritime painting, scrimshaw, sailor’s valentines, wool-work pictures, ceramics, and folk art, offered within this single-owner sequence.