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Gorham was founded by
Jabez Gorham, born in 1792 as one of eight children. When he
turned 14, he began a 7 year apprenticeship with well known
18th century New England silver and jewelry craftsman Nehamiah
Dodge. Determined to start his own business, Jabez established
the company which bears his name in 1831 in a shop on Steeple
Street in Providence, Rhode Island. The business struggled in
the early years as they made French filigree jewelry and uniquely
woven gold chains, but in 1831 they began making coin silver
spoons, or silver made from melted coins, as public demand exploded.
Gorham business grew steadily despite the occasional turmoil
of ownership changes as Jabez sold and then repurchased the
company, and eventually he brought his son John in as a partner.
John wanted to use financial leverage to expand the company
beyond its nichce market making primarily silver spoons, and
his father sold him his entire stake in the company as part
of a financial restructuring wherein the company took on debt.
It was a good investment, for the company grew rapidly into
one of the best known silversmiths in the world and the sole
U. S. company aside from Louis
Comfort Tiffany who could realistically claim that distinction.
The company moved into
a new headquarters in Providence, RI in 1890 as employment surpassed
500, and in 1905 they opened a retail outlet on Fifth Avenue
in New York City that they had commissioned from renowned architect
Stanford White. Throughout the latter half of the 19th century
and into the 20th, Gorham thrived as they attracted some of
the best designers and silver artisans in the world. Their rapidly
expanding business of doing one-of-a-kind pieces on commission
for major world figures and events expanded their profile and
introduced Gorham to an international clientele. Among Gorham's
major commissioned works are the statue of George Washington
in the U. S. Capital rotunda, the statue of Theodore Roosevelt
at the Museum of Natural History in New York City, and many
U. S. Presidents have chosen Gorham sterling silver tableware
for use during their years in the White House including Abraham
Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, and both Bush presidencies. Gorham
also created the trophies for some of the world's premier sporting
events including the Indianapolis 500 race and the America's
Cup trophy for sailing. Gorham continues to operate today reflecting
the principles of its founders, and it signifies the best in
American silverwork comparable to the best of Europe and the
far east. Today, Gorham is perhaps best known for its silverware
which it produces in hundreds of well known pattens, the most
famous of which include exquisite patterns, including Chantilly
(the best selling flatware pattern in the world), Strasbourg,
Melrose, Fairfax, and Buttercup. Gorham also bought Quezal
and other top American art glass and added its own sterling
silver flourishes such as overlay and tops, and they then sold
the pieces through their own sales channels. Gorham utilized
a numbering system for identifying its works and dates of production
until 1898 at which point it was expanded to use letters as
well in various prefex and suffix forms- properly dating and
identifying Gorham patterns requires a good reference book or
the assistance of an expert.
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