Albert Frederic Saunders and George Switzer

comprising cocktail shaker, six cups and tray

The New Yorker, October 8, 1932, p. 73 (for an illustration of the "Nocturne" tray in a full-page advertisement introducing the five trays designed by George Switzer for the Westinghouse Manufacturing Company)
Benedict Manufacturing Company Catalogue,  circa 1932-1934, pl. 1873 (for an illustration of the "Nocturne" set including the tray, shaker and cups)

Overall very good condition and all finishes appear to be original. The cocktail shaker with one postage stamp size area of loss to the silver plate, and the exterior has minor scratches and scuff marks to the body. The Catalin finial is in excellent shape and the strainer is a separate piece, which fits snuggly into the cap. The six cups are in good shape with a few pin-point corroded losses to the finish and minor rubbing and abrasions. The aluminum inlaid Micarta tray is in superb shape for a work of this composition, showing only normal wear and abrasions throughout, with heavier abrasions to the bottom as expected.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The cocktail shaker by Alfred Frederic Saunders is the tallest of the 1930s cylinder-form cocktail shakers (see Stephen Visakay’s authoritative Vintage Bar Ware, 1997, where its absence underscores its rarity).  It tops the well-known Wilcox Silver Plate Company’s shakers, no. 5833 and “Tall Boy” no. 5840, by Lurelle Guild, by one-quarter inch.  The Benedict Manufacturing Company paired the Saunders cocktail shaker and cups with the Switzer “Nocturne” tray (introduced by the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company in 1932) to form a set which they named “Nocturne” in one of their salesman’s catalogues of about 1932 to 1934.  The tray’s proprietary plastic “Micarta” (urea/formaldehyde) inset with anodized and dyed aluminum was promoted as impervious to smoldering cigarettes and alcohol making it a suitable accompaniment for cocktail sets.  Switzer was prominent among American industrial designers prior to his early death in 1940.  A “Micarta” tray designed by Switzer is in the collection of the Yale University Art Gallery.

See sothebys.com for the Benedict Manufacturing Company catalogue illustration of the "Nocturne" set.