Set of 6 Durgin Black Starr & Frost Sterling Silver “ABS” Shot Glasses
About the Item
- Creator:Durgin Silver Company (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 2.25 in (5.72 cm)Diameter: 2.125 in (5.4 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 6
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:20th century
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Please note: 1 piece has 2 areas of damage as photographed.
- Seller Location:Atlanta, GA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU7838234408422
Durgin Silver Company
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Shipping from: Atlanta, GA
- Return Policy
More From This Seller
View All20th Century American Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
20th Century American Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
20th Century Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Barware
Glass
Early 20th Century British Edwardian Sterling Silver
Crystal, Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Barware
Glass
You May Also Like
Vintage 1940s French Art Deco Barware
Metal, Silver Plate
Mid-20th Century American Barware
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Barware
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary English Modern Barware
Sterling Silver
20th Century Spanish Modern Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century European Centerpieces
Silver
