I’ve spent the last two days in Centennial, Colorado, just outside of Denver.
I’d love to go visit all of the places featured on my antique spoons, if the places still exist, and one that’s been on my list is the Denver Auditorium, shown in the bowl of this antique spoon. Didn’t make it this trip. Maybe next time!
The Denver Auditorium was built in 1908 and the very first event in July of that year was the Democratic Convention (William Jennings Bryan was the party’s nominee. He lost to William Howard Taft in the general election.)
The Auditorium has been through many changes over the years. Its decorative domes on each corner were removed in the 1950s and in 1978 it was remodeled into a performing arts center. In 2002 it was renamed the Quigg Newton Denver Municipal Auditorium, which is part of the larger Denver Performing Arts Center—or “The Plex,” as the kids call it.
This spoon has a maker’s mark from the Baker-Manchester Company of Providence, Rhode Island.
I’ve had a hard time tracking down when exactly this company was in business, but most sources say they operated under this name from 1904 to 1914. I’d venture a guess that this spoon dates to somewhere between 1908 and 1915.