A late Victorian patent silver Bookmark.

A late Victorian patent Book or Pagemarker, London 1893, Walter Cross. Stamped on the inner side 'Cross's Patent' and engraved on the front with 'G.C.' below a baron's coronet. \nThe silver clip is applied with a plated spring strip with a wire pin at the end. \n \nCross, a watchmaker, became bankrupt in 1898. His name and the word 'Patent' have been recorded also on watch dials. \nThe Watchmaker, Jeweller, and Silversmith magazine for January 1889 has the following in relation to Cross's patent book markers - 'The new book marker to which attenton is called in an advertisement on another page, is the invention of the patentee, Mr. Walter Cross, of 62, High Street, Bllomsbury. It is a very simple and effective contrivance for filling an obvious want of all book readers. It is made in various metals and many artistic designs, and its prosepctive appreciation by all classes of the public should commend it to the attention of jewellers, to whom the qualities of utility, popularity and lowness of price, make it a desirable novelty to stock.' Another entry in the magazine has the notice: 'Messrs. Walter Cross & Co. report a good sale for their new patent book marker, (advertised in this and former issues). They are now making it in new and chaste designs in gold and silver specially suitable fo presentation books. ' 'The Standard' newspaper also carried Cross's advertisements - 'Olympia. - To be seen at back of Orchestra, a self-acting BOOK MARKER. It is bound to point to where you were last reading no matter how the book gets closed. It fits any book, and is just the thing for a present. - Vide "Queen". One Shilling each to be had of any Jeweller or Bookseller, or postfree from Patentees, Walter Cross and Co., 62, High-street, London. W.C.' Condition: \n

Good with some wear to the silver-plated bar.

Length - 9.80 cm.; Width - 3.10 cm.; Depth - 0.60 cm.; Weight - 10.10 gms.