subject: The Famous Gorham Silver [print this page] In the year 1831, in Rhode Island, Jabez Gorham founded the Gorham Silver Company which is one of the supreme producers of sterling silver and silver plate in America. While working for the company in the year 1895, the well known designer, William C. Codman developed one of the famous silver patterns known as Chantilly. This pattern has remained one of the best known patterns even today.
Gorham silverware has immense charm and desire, even among the administrations of the White House. It has remained in the demand list of many presidents from Ulysses S. Grant to George W. Bush. A special sterling vase was created for the event of the diamond jubilee year of the United States on the request of Mrs. Grant and was kept on the display at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibit. The vase was 62 inches long and 50 inches in height. The vase was viewed once again in Paris and Chicago. But it was destroyed in the passage of time.
In their designs of silverware the company was prolific and a new pattern was created every few years. Gorham Silver stood distinctly apart when compared to all other silver makers in England. All over Europe Gorham turned out to be most recoginized for their flamboyant patterns and remarkable engraved details depicted in their dyes.
At the time of second World, weapons and other armaments were manufactured by the company to meet the demands of war. Actually, Gorham manufactured an array of shell casting for the Army and Navy.
One of the most known and most famous collections is that of the late Henry Jewett Furber. This collection contains 606 pieces of tableware and 132 pieces of hollowware. The company bought back the collection in 1949 at which time it was estimated to be valued at $1 million dollars. In today's market that would be worth far more. Today the collection belongs to the RISD Museum after being donated by Gorham Silver.
Among all the famous monuments designed by Gorham Silver, the George Washington monument located in the enclave of the capitol is highly acknowledged. The statue of Theodore Roosevelt was also carved and crafted by the company, which can be seen in New York near the Museum of Natural History. The well known statue of the "Independent Man" can be found at the centre of Rhode Island's state house is another of the company's conceptions.
The family of George W. Bush had asked the company to provide flatware for use on Air Force One and the company without delay provided it. The pattern selected was Chantilly. In the mist of all other evident attainment, the company had carved two splendid trophies namely; the Indianapolis 500 trophy and the Borg-Warner Trophy.
In the most recent times the company has feathered out into the production of dinnerware. Their Chinese patterns are versatile and of highest quality even though they are delicate. The impressive designs and the quality products made the company stand out amongst the companies manufacturing quality dinnerware.
