Lot Essay
A Lazy Susan (or Lazy Suzy) is a rotating turntable placed on a table or countertop allowing diners to share dishes with ease.
The origins of the term Lazy Susan—and the identity of Susan—are lost to history. Some folk theories suggest it originated in America, citing an advertisement in Vanity Fair (1917) for Ovington's "$8.50 mahogany Revolving Server or Lazy Susan." However, the device predates both the advertisement and likely even the country itself.
Part of the mystery stems from the broad use of the term dumb waiter (now dumbwaiter) for various serving devices. A British article in The Gentleman’s Magazine dating from the early 18th century described how silent serving mechanisms had replaced overly talkative servants. By the 1750s, the poet Christopher Smart praised these "foreign" but discreet devices, though they were likely wheeled serving trays similar to those Thomas Jefferson later introduced to America from France, where they were called étagères. By the late 18th century, the term dumb waiter also referred to rotating trays. By the 1840s, Americans were using it for small food elevators as well. The invention of George W. Cannon’s mechanical dumbwaiter in 1887 solidified this latter meaning, gradually replacing the earlier definitions.
James Robinson Inc., established in 1912 in New York City, specialises in antique silver, jewelry, porcelain, and glass. Meanwhile the Nayler Brothers, based in London, were renowned silversmiths active during the mid-20th century. They crafted high-quality silver items retailed by James Robinson Inc. such as an assembled English silver five-piece tea and coffee service.
The origins of the term Lazy Susan—and the identity of Susan—are lost to history. Some folk theories suggest it originated in America, citing an advertisement in Vanity Fair (1917) for Ovington's "$8.50 mahogany Revolving Server or Lazy Susan." However, the device predates both the advertisement and likely even the country itself.
Part of the mystery stems from the broad use of the term dumb waiter (now dumbwaiter) for various serving devices. A British article in The Gentleman’s Magazine dating from the early 18th century described how silent serving mechanisms had replaced overly talkative servants. By the 1750s, the poet Christopher Smart praised these "foreign" but discreet devices, though they were likely wheeled serving trays similar to those Thomas Jefferson later introduced to America from France, where they were called étagères. By the late 18th century, the term dumb waiter also referred to rotating trays. By the 1840s, Americans were using it for small food elevators as well. The invention of George W. Cannon’s mechanical dumbwaiter in 1887 solidified this latter meaning, gradually replacing the earlier definitions.
James Robinson Inc., established in 1912 in New York City, specialises in antique silver, jewelry, porcelain, and glass. Meanwhile the Nayler Brothers, based in London, were renowned silversmiths active during the mid-20th century. They crafted high-quality silver items retailed by James Robinson Inc. such as an assembled English silver five-piece tea and coffee service.