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Arts & Entertainment

Coming of Age: Early American Silversmiths Masters, Apprentices, Trade Partners and Taste

Macculloch Hall Historical Museum presents Coming of Age:  Early American Silversmiths; Masters, Apprentices, Trade Partners and Taste in the upstairs gallery of the Museum.  Co-curated by the museum’s Curator of Collections Ryan Hyman and member Ken Miller, the exhibit explores the relationships between various makers in Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, the centers of 18th century American silver making.  The museum’s collection complements objects on loan from private collectors, featuring pieces made by renowned silversmiths including Paul Revere, Jr. of Boston, Myer Myers of New York, and Joseph Richardson, Sr. of Philadelphia.  The exhibition opens on Sunday, February 20, 2011 and will run through October 30, 2011. 

 

Throughout the 18th century, silver objects in America were produced in many different forms.  Bowls, cups, cream pots and other pieces were the most common hollowware (forms able to hold liquid) shapes produced.  Flatware forms were much more ubiquitous as they were affordable and essential to the colonial Americans.  Spoons were the most common, though silver still remained rarer than pewter alternatives. 

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Silver was an expensive metal and the labor required to make the pieces was substantial.  As such, domestic silver in early America was owned and commissioned by wealthy merchants, senior members of the government, and by churches or synagogues.  

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Many of the silversmiths working in the period had master/apprentice relationships; many knew one another through partnerships or a professional organization.  Renowned New York City silversmiths Myer Myers, Cary Dunn and William G. Forbes all belonged to the Gold and Silversmiths Society.  Whatever relationship the makers shared, their common bond was the silver on which their livelihood depended.

 

Macculloch Hall Historical Museum preserves the history of the Macculloch-Miller families, the Morris area community, and the legacy of its founder W. Parsons Todd through its historic site, collections, exhibits, and educational and cultural programs. It is located in the heart of Morristown’s National Historic District. Macculloch Hall's Offices are open Monday - Friday –   9 a.m. to 4 p.m.  The Museum is open for house and exhibit tours Wednesdays, Thursdays & Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. The last tickets for admission are sold at 3 p.m.

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