The Gorham Chantilly Duchesse Trays

The #Gorham #Chantilly collection debuted in 1895. It was probably Gorham most popular collection and it was created by one of the company’s famous designers, William Christmas Codman. The Gorham Company was created by the partnership of Jabez Gorham and Henry Lamson #Webster, in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1831. At the time, the company was named: Gorham and Webster. When their partnership ended in 1840, Jabez partnered with his son, John Gorham to form the Gorham Manufacturing Company in 1841. Jabez, himself was an exceptional silversmith who did his apprenticeship under Nehemiah Dodge, between 1807 and 1812.
In 1848, John Gorham took over as the head of the company. He introduced machinery to the industry which allowed the company to lower prices and increase production. That, along with the company’s initiative of advertising through their catalogues propelled the company to the leading of position of one the largest and best-known manufacturers of Sterling Silver and #Silverplated items in the United States and in the world. Before 1945, which marked the debut of the company’s decline, Gorham Company had factories in several states, in #England, and in #Australia. Between 1879 and 1893, the company in partnership with Tiffany & Co participated yearly at every International Fair where they won both public accolades and prizes every time. By 1920, the company employed nearly 2000 workers. Gorham furnished silver tableware to the Whitehouse and Bronze statues across the U.S. Capital.
We could say that the end of Gorham Company happened in 1967 when it was sold to Textron who didn’t understand neither its importance nor legacy as a silver manufacturing company.