Silver Pieces - The Strange and Peculiar: Durgin-Gorham

The Story Behind this Blog

Being from the South, Silver is a very big part of my life. It doesn't have anything to do with wealth. Although those with more money - old money, tend to have more of it. New money tend not to spend their money on Silver. They do not have the appreciation for the warmth of the metal, the beauty of the patina, the story it tells of the generations past who have used it. A true southern girl comes of age when she chooses her silver pattern, long before she chooses her mate. If she is smart, she chooses that of her mother, grandmother, or favorite great aunt who in their benevolence will pass their silver on to her. It is the pieces in those sets, the pieces on our tables, along with the pieces we find in the corners of the displays in antique stores that prompted me to start this blog. They are beautiful, they are odd, but what are they, and what in the hell do you do with them?

Showing posts with label Durgin-Gorham. Show all posts

Monday, December 18, 2017

Colfax by Durgin-Gorham

Colfax was introduced by Gorham in 1922. If you notice you can see a design starting at the bottom of the terminal running down the stem.

Cream Soup Spoon (5 3/8 inches)

Tomato Server (8 1/8 inches)

Short Pickle Fork (5 5/8 inches)

Individual Fish Knife (7 3/4 inches)

Friday, August 4, 2017

Hunt Club by Durgin

Like many patterns by Durgin, you can find this one listed under the same name by Gorham since Gorham assumed Durgin. The Hunt Club pattern was designed by Barton P. Jenks and introduced in 1930 by Durgin. Jenks was also known for Watson's Marlborough (1918) pattern, Durgin's Lenox (1912) pattern, as well as Gorham's Lansdowne (1907) and Shamrock V (1931) patterns. If you look at these 5 patterns you will definitely see a familiar design that must have been Jenks' style.

Designer : Barton P. Jenks

Fork (7 1/4 inches)

Butter Spreader (5 1/2 inches)

Lemon Fork (5 1/8 inches)

Monday, October 19, 2015

Fairfax by Durgin / Gorham

Durgin's Fairfax pattern (later to be bough by Gorham) dates back to 1910. Although a simple pattern with clean lines, it remains one of the most popular patterns of today.

Salad Fork (6 1/8 inches)

Tomato Server (8 1/4 inches)

Small Sugar Tongs (3 1/2 inches)

Sugar Spoon (5 7/8 inches)

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

The Gorham Corporation, Its Sterling Division and its Markings

What is now The Gorham Corporation dates back to 1831 when Jabez Gorham founded it in Providence, Rhode Island. And in the years following it has been the choice of Mary Todd Lincoln, its pattern Chantilly is used on Air Force One, and it has successfully bought, merged with, or absorbed many of its smaller competitors to become one of the largest sterling silver flatware companies around at one time.

If you ever question whether or not a piece of flatware is a Gorham pattern, look for the markings. Below are the markings they have used over the years. Of course you may have a piece from a company they acquired, years before it was "gobbled by Gorham".

Some of these companies include: Mt. Vernon, Roger Williams Silver, Whiting, William B. Durgin, Alvin (which remained a separate entity), McChesney, Quaker Silver Co., Friedman Silver Co., and Graff, Washbourne, and Dunn. In 2005 The Gorham Company was sold to Lenox. Then 2007 Lifetime Brands acquired Gorham's Sterling Silver division.

And through it all, its most popular pattern has remained Chantilly.

Friday, January 9, 2015

How Gorham Became One of the Motherships

Over the years Gorham managed to adsorb, purchase, or make many of the smaller silver companies part the Gorham Company. Here is a chart of how they managed to get some familiar companies such as Mt. Vernon, Alvin, Durgin, Knowles, Whiting, and Woods and Hughes just to name a few, under their umbrella. Often after several years of having the smaller companies on board, Gorham would break the dies and casts of the smaller company's designs. The idea being that there was not enough demand for production of so many different patterns. The more popular patterns were kept.

I'll offer my caveat - The following is best I could do to chart out the flow. It may not be correct. The information is confusing at best coming from different sources. But it gives you an idea of how all the smaller companies ending up merging.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Iris by Durgin

Iris by Durgin/Gorham is a fabulous pattern (in my humble opinion) with the rich ornate motif of irises on the terminal with the long intertwined leaves making up the stem. The pattern was introduced in 1900 by Durgin which was later bought by Gorham. An interesting feature is the serving pieces. You will not find them in this pattern. The serving pieces for this "Iris" pattern are included in the New Art pattern by Durgin, which also has pieces listed as "Narcissus", "Orange Blossom", and "Lily".