The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-12-14

Five boxes, containing the $4,000
silver service to be presented to the
battleship Florida in this city next
Monday. arrived in THE city last night,
coming by express from Tampa. where
it had been on display for two or three
days. AS soon as 1t arrived the e&-
press company officials stored the
boxes in the office near the union
depot, where they remain until this
morning, when they will be brought
down town and received by Messrs.
Jennings and Blount, the local mem
bers of the commission.
AS soon as the service is unpacsled
and checked it will be placed on dis
play in the center show window at the
store Of Watson, Parker & Reese,
where it will remain, guarded by a
special detachment of police officers.
who VIII remain there both night and
day.
CHARACTERISTIC OF STATE.
The elaborate service was made by
The German Company. of New York
and Providence, the makers of most OF
the services in the United States navy.
In designing the service for the battle
ship Florida, the artist has based the
service upon the classic forms OF the
Colonial style. which is the character
istic style of silverware for this coun-
try. At the same time the artist has
chosen a very free and rather ornate
rendition of this style, adding to the
usual elements of decoration motifs
expressive of the state of Florida.
bringing in the birds and beasts char
asteristic of and native to the state.
and conventional forms expressive
either of the battleship, the service to
which 1t belongs, or the nation.
IDEAS OF THE ARTIST.
The artist believes that in choosing
the Colonial form he has arrived at
he fol fro
sible. The effects are reached by
beauty and massiveness of form. the
richness of decoration enhancing and
being subordinate to the form rather
than clouding and smouldering the
lines of the service--and this is char
acteristic of all good art. The form is
the most important thing and the dec
oration should always be kept sub
servient.
The designer calls attention to the
fact that the simpler services are kept
very restrained in decoration, while
the more decorative pieces, such as
the punch bowl, center pieces, ETC.. are
enriched to a large extent. This is
done from a practical point of view
and it is believed that the utmost ele-
gance has been reached and that the
service is truly emblematic of the state
of Florida, it's donor.
STATE SEAL PROMINENT.
The state seal occupies a very
prominent position on every piece of
the service, this being, so to speak.
the signature of the state. Associated
with the state seal is the navy seal
embiematic Of the navy to which the
ahip belongs and emblematic OF the
national government. Emblematic OF
the ocean, the destined home of tho
battleship, are dolphins and other ma
Tine ornaments.
Descriptive of Florida, and showing
h. oIo l,s~
tory, agriculture and animal life are
the portraits of Osceola and Juan
Ponce de Leon, and oranges, oak,
palm, magnolia, pecans, alligators.
The decorative features of the ser
vice are made by response and fiat
chasing. cast handles, arms. spouts
etc, being used and applied to the
various pieces. The various pieces
speak for themselves but a brief de-
scTiption of some of them are not
PUNCH BOWL ELEGANT.
The punch bowl is the most impor-
tant. most prominent and largest IN
capacity, being made to hold about 16
gallons. on it and on its plateau are
represented the state SEAL and the
navy seal. The handles are repre-
sented by pelicans. one of the wild
birds of the state. The upper part of
the bowl rises from a. sea shell sup
ported by alligatOrs at the four cor
ners. and shows the orange. palmetto
and jassamine, while crowning all is
the American eagle holding an olive
branch in his claws. The scene on the
| front Of the bowl represents a Semi
mole Indian scene of the younger gen
Grafton, and on the reverse side. the
| landing of Ponce de Leon, with medal
lion of Ponce de Leon underneath and
the date of March 27. 1912.
FT. MARION ON CENTER PIECE.
o~r-fn acyIo he
| dies with orange blossom and jsssa-
mine and a scene representing Fort
| Marion at st. Augustine on one side.
| The upper part of the vessel rises
| from a shell the base carrying the
state seal. with the seal of the navy
| on the reverse side. Twenty four
! CONTINUED on Third Pagc)