Programs

The Silver Study Society will take a field trip to the Houston Museum of Natural Science to see the Faberge Exhibit Collection

Does Anyone Collect Silver Anymore?!
Presentation by Karen Rigdon, Vice President,
Fine Silver & Decorative Arts, Heritage Auctions

When Gorham Manufacturing opened its doors in 1831, the silver company was located on Steeple Street in Providence, where RISD’s multi-purpose Washington Place building now stands. So, it’s fitting that Gorham Silver: Designing Brilliance 1850–1970—the most comprehensive exhibition about the historic manufacturer ever mounted—is on view just 100 yards away at the RISD Museum. From this small shop founded by Jabez Gorham, the Gorham Manufacturing Company was an inimitable force in the city and around the globe, boldly growing into the largest silver company in the world. As they created some of the most exceptional works ever made in silver, they forever changed the landscape of American decorative arts.

Curated by Elizabeth A. Williams, the exhibition showcases 600 Gorham pieces created during the company’s heyday.
“We wanted to reach beyond the end product itself—the silver—to also focus on the people who made Gorham what it was within the contexts of social history, design history, industrial history, manufacturing and advertising,” says Williams.