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Gorham Manufacturing Company Jewelry Boxes

American

For nearly 160 years, the Gorham Manufacturing Company turned out a wide range of beautiful silver flatware, tea sets, serving bowls and other silver pieces, indelibly influencing the field of decorative arts in ways that still resonate.

When silversmiths Jabez Gorham and Henry Webster started making coin silver teaspoons and jewelry out of a small workshop in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1831, the pair likely had no idea that their modest operation would one day become the largest silver manufacturer in the world.

While some name changes and personnel shifts preceded the foundry officially being established as Gorham Manufacturing Company decades later, growth of the business between its early days and the mid–19th century can largely be attributed to the work of Jabez’s son John, who assumed control of Gorham in the 1840s.

John Gorham introduced steam power at the manufactory. He entered into a partnership with Michael Gibney, the first American silversmith to register a design patent for a flatware pattern. Gorham wanted to expand the business, seeking to produce forks and spoons adorned with decorative flourishes adapted from British patterns. The company hammered out the silver flatware, which it sent to Gibney in New York to apply decorative patterns before returning to Gorham. Consequently, Gorham found Gibney’s work unsatisfactory, and he purchased his own rolling press to do the work himself.

The partnership between John and Michael soured but the company thrived. Sales grew to more than $20,000 per year, and the staff of silversmiths expanded. To keep up with demand, Gorham had to retire its horse-powered rolling press and import a steam-powered drop press from England — the first used in the United States. Designs created at Gorham drew on natural-world motifs as well as artistic traditions from all over the world — alongside its tableware, the company would soon be producing cups and pitchers adorned with polar bears and forest creatures, while tea services and other serving pieces were crafted in a range of styles that included Art Nouveau, Egyptian Revival and Rococo.

Around 1860, Gorham delved into bronze casting. When it opened a division dedicated to bronze work, Gorham collaborated with sculptors such as Daniel Chester French, Anna Hyatt Huntington and Alexander P. Proctor.

By the 1920s, Gorham had employed thousands of workers and had partnered with Danish modernist silversmith Erik Magnussen. However, the Great Depression ground production to a halt. The company was sold to Textron, Inc. in the late 1960s and it changed hands several times before it sold to Department 56 in 2005.

Today, the work of Gorham Manufacturing Company continues to be exhibited in galleries and museums. The RISD Museum in Providence houses a collection of nearly 5,000 works.

On 1stDibs, find a range of antique Gorham Manufacturing Company serveware and decorative objects.

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Creator: Gorham Manufacturing Company
Antique Gorham Edwardian Regency Box for Jewelry and Keepsakes
Antique Gorham Edwardian Regency Box for Jewelry and Keepsakes

Antique Gorham Edwardian Regency Box for Jewelry and Keepsakes

By Gorham Manufacturing Company

Located in New York, NY

Edwardian Regency sterling silver box. Made by Gorham in Providence in 1917. Square with straight sides. Cover hinged with gently curved top and scrolled top. Allover engine-turned w...

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1910s American Regency Revival Vintage Gorham Manufacturing Company Jewelry Boxes

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By Shreve, Crump & Low, Gorham Manufacturing Company

Located in New York, NY

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Gorham Manufacturing Company jewelry boxes for sale on 1stDibs.

Gorham Manufacturing Company jewelry boxes are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of sterling silver and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Gorham Manufacturing Company jewelry boxes, although silver editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original jewelry boxes by Gorham Manufacturing Company were created in the Victorian style in united states during the early 20th century. Prices for Gorham Manufacturing Company jewelry boxes can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $625 and can go as high as $2,800, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $1,538.