Silver Presentation Inkstand by Turner & Simpson Ltd.

This superlative silver inkwell was presented to Sir Arthur Steel-Maitland, the United Kingdom’s Minister of Labour, on the occasion of the opening of the Salford Bridge in Birmingham. The charming inkstand was designed by the noted Birmingham firm of Turner & Simpson, Ltd to resemble the single-arch masonry bridge. Three turrets serve as the removable, glass-lined inkwells, and the entire piece rest upon a blonde mahogany base. A silver presentation plaque reads, “Presented to Sir Arthur Steel-Maitland BT. M.P., Minister of Labour by the Public Works and Town Planning Committee of the Birmingham City Council on the occasion of the opening by him of the Salford Bridge on 13th October 1926.”

Sir Arthur Steel-Maitland, 1st Baronet was an influential British politician. He served as the first Chairman of the Conservative Party, founder of the Unionist Social Reform Committee and under-secretary of State, in addition to his service as Minister of Labour under Stanley Baldwin. 

Hallmarked Birmingham, 1926

16 1/4" wide x 11 5/8" deep x 7" high