Durgin Silver Company Candle Holders
In its heyday, the Durgin Silver Company was one of the largest sterling silver flatware and hollowware manufacturers in the United States. Responsible for the trailblazing Fairfax pattern — one of the most popular patterns in the U.S. for a time during the early 20th century — Durgin Silver established a reputation for quality and durability.
The company was founded in 1853 in Concord, New Hampshire, by William Butler Durgin. Raised by farmers in Campton, New Hampshire, in 1833, Durgin grew up learning about agriculture from his parents. To their dismay, he decided life as a farmer wasn’t for him, and he shifted his focus to jewelry.
Durgin left Campton for Boston, where openings in the jewelry trade were scarce at the time. Undaunted, he became an apprentice to a silversmith named Newell Harding. In his second year as an apprentice, however, Durgin fell ill and returned to New Hampshire, settling in Concord. After he recovered, Durgin established his eponymous company.
Over the next 50 years, the Durgin Silver Company earned accolades for its role as one of the finest producers of sterling silverware in America. From its large brick factory in Concord, the firm manufactured exquisite tableware, serving pieces, tea sets and home decor such as candleholders. Its variety of elegant patterns, including Chatham, Chrysanthemum, English Rose, Louis XV, Victorian, Orange Blossom and the aforementioned Fairfax, were extraordinarily popular.
In 1878, Durgin’s son George Francis, who had learned silversmithing from his father, became a partner and the company enjoyed considerable success around the turn of the 20th century. Among their clients were the Packard Motor Company, the Davis Cup, the National Cash Register Company and the battleship U.S.S. New Hampshire, for which they made a 72-piece silver service and bell.
Durgin died in 1905 of cystitis and pneumonia, and tragically, George died soon afterward. That year, Durgin Silver became a division of another well-known American silver firm, the Gorham Silver Manufacturing Company. Today, Durgin Silver remains highly coveted among collectors of American silver.
On 1stDibs, find a range of antique Durgin Silver Company serveware and decorative objects.
1910s American Vintage Durgin Silver Company Candle Holders
Sterling Silver
Early 1900s American Antique Durgin Silver Company Candle Holders
Sterling Silver
1920s English Neoclassical Revival Vintage Durgin Silver Company Candle Holders
Sterling Silver
Early 1900s American Rococo Antique Durgin Silver Company Candle Holders
Sterling Silver
1890s English Neoclassical Antique Durgin Silver Company Candle Holders
Sterling Silver
1890s English Neoclassical Antique Durgin Silver Company Candle Holders
Sterling Silver
Early 19th Century English Antique Durgin Silver Company Candle Holders
Sterling Silver
19th Century English Edwardian Antique Durgin Silver Company Candle Holders
Silver, Sterling Silver
19th Century British Victorian Antique Durgin Silver Company Candle Holders
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Israeli International Style Durgin Silver Company Candle Holders
Sterling Silver
Early 19th Century English George IV Antique Durgin Silver Company Candle Holders
Silver, Sterling Silver
1880s Danish Antique Durgin Silver Company Candle Holders
Silver, Sterling Silver
Early 1800s English George III Antique Durgin Silver Company Candle Holders
Silver, Sterling Silver
1910s English Art Nouveau Vintage Durgin Silver Company Candle Holders
Sterling Silver
1910s American Vintage Durgin Silver Company Candle Holders
Sterling Silver
1930s American Vintage Durgin Silver Company Candle Holders
Sterling Silver
Durgin Silver Company candle holders for sale on 1stDibs.
Creators Similar to Durgin Silver Company
- 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 22, 2021Yes, the International Silver Company produced real silver products. The marking IS, or International Silver, does not indicate the purity of the silver. In order to determine if the piece is real silver, look for the mark “925,” which indicates sterling silver.
- 1stDibs ExpertMay 3, 2024No, the International Silver Company is not still in business. In 1981, the company stopped producing silver due to financial troubles. By 1983, its assets had undergone complete liquidation, and in 1984, Katy Industries Inc. purchased the company. On 1stDibs, shop a selection of International Silver Company silver wares.