"Razor and surgical instrument makers in business for approximately 150 years.
Trade card in Banks Collection (D,2.145) and photograph of the same card in Heal Collection (Heal,52.91) advertise "Paul Savigny Successor to the Late Widow How at the Halbert and Crown in St. Martin's Church Yard, London Makes Good Razors, Scizors, Lancets, Penknives, Pocket And Case-Knives and Forks, Cooks-Knives & Pruning Knives, Shagreen and Fish Skin Cases, Blades fitted up in Silver, All sorts of Surgeons Instruments & Fine Hones, at Reasonable Rates. N.B. Old Work Carefully Ground & Set." Heal's annotations on mount: "Banks Collection c.1700? J.H. Savigny, a famous maker of surgical & dental instruments of King Street, Covent Garden, published a finely illustrated catalogue in 1798 & died the same year. Compare later cards in A.H. collection of Savigny, Everill & Mason, 67 St. James St. removed from Pall Mall and King Street, Covent Garden. In London Directory 1793 is a John Savigny, surgeons' instrument maker at 129 Pall Mall. John Tessier Savigny, razor maker at the Acorn & Crown, Gerard Street, insured in 1726 with Sun Insurance Company." On the verso of the mount is an extract from an article by Heal dated Dec. 1944. Heal's annotations: "Extract from Sotheby's catalogue of sale 19. Feb. 1942. of the collection of Knives, Forks & Spoons, formed mostly by H. Clifford Smith of V & A Museum, & subsequently acquired by Mr. E.J. Ridpath. This collection included two items (lots 85 & 225) of knives bearing the mark of Ephraim How (b.1652-d.1720) who 'had a shop on Saffron Hill, Holborn... in 1705/6 he was made Master of the Cutlers' Company... He was succeeded by his son, John How (1685-1737) who later took into partnership his brother in law Robert Cole (1706-1768'." The extract itself states "...Paul Savigny would appear to have died or retired from business about the year 1720 for in 1726 I find a John Tessier Savigny, razor maker at the Acorn & Crown in Gerard Street. The Savigny family persisted in the trade through later generations; in the London Directory of 1793 is recorded a John Savigny, surgeons' instrument maker at 129 Pall Mall, and I have an early Victorian card of Savigny, Everill and Mason, 'removed from Pall Mall and King Street,' wholesale and retail cutlers of 67 St. James's Street, at which address they are shown in the Directory of 1851. Thus we are able to locate this family business at various addresses for about a hundred and fifty years." Heal,52.92 and identical card, Banks (D,2.229) advertise "Savigny, Everill & Mason Wholesale & Retail Cutlers & Surgeon's Instrument Makers, No.67, St. James's Street. From Pall Mall and King Street. And at their Manufactory Wardour St. London. Patent Razors." Heal's annotations on mount: "1839 Directory gives Savigny & Co. at 67 St. James's St. 1851 Directory gives Savigny & Co. at 67 St. James's St." Heal,52.93 is identical to the 52.92, except giving the address of the manufactory as Westminster. Heal's annotations on mount as above except: "About the middle of the 19th century the business was carried on as 'Wicker & Blaise' & in 1838 [?] by Philp [sic] & Wicker."" - https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG159416, 10.09.2023
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