FINE MATCHING PAIR OF ANTIQUE GORHAM SILVER LAMP SHADES

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Stunning Pair of Pierced Antique Silver Lamp Shades by Gorham Silver Company This is the prettiest pair of Lamp Shades I have ever had the pleasure of selling. They measure 9 cm from the top of the shade to bottom edge. The diameter at the edge is 14 cm. They are stamped at the top edge with the Gorham Co. |Mark and the number O 65. There is also an impressed mark before the word Gorham, which I cannot make out. There is a tiny space at the bottom edge of one of the shades where the silver has been bent back. Weight: 45 grammes Below I have given a history of the Gorham Factory. No Reserve Please . I offer a no quibble, full refund if a buyer is not happy with their purchase. Check out my other items ! HISTORY Gorham Silver was founded in Providence, Rhode Island 1831 by Jabez Gorham, a master craftsman, in partnership with Henry L. Webster.The firm's chief product was spoons of coin silver . The company also made thimbles, combs, jewelry, and other small items. In 1842, a tariff which effectively blocked the importation of silverware from outside the United States was passed, which aided the American silver industry. Jabez Gorham did not take full advantage of this opportunity, but in 1847 Jabez retired and his son, John Gorham succeeded him as head of the company. John Gorham introduced mechanized production methods, enlarged the premises in downtown Providence , improved the designs, and expanded the product line. In 1852 Gorham toured many of Europe 's silver workshops and manufacturers, speaking with individual specialists, including master craftsmen and toolmakers. He also sought out highly skilled foreign workmen to train his American workers. George Wilkinson , a premier designer and workshop manager, was hired from England . In 1865 a charter was granted by the Rhode Island legislature by the name of "Gorham Manufacturing Company". In 1890 the company relocated to a factory on Adelaide Avenue in Providence . During the heyday of American silver manufacturing, approximately 1850 - 1940, Gorham was highly influential. William C. Codman, one of Gorham's most noted designers, created Chantilly in 1895, which has become the most famous of Gorham's flatware patterns. Matching holloware has been made in both sterling and silverplate. In 1884, the company opened a store in the Ladies' Mile shopping district in Manhattan , New York City , but moved in 1905 to a Fifth Avenue building which was designed for the by Stanford White . In 1906 Gorham purchased another long-time rival, Kerr & Co , which was based in New Jersey . The company was purchased by Textron in 1967, a move that some critics claim decreased quality due to management's lack of understanding of Gorham's specialty, producing high-quality sterling silverware and holloware. Gorham was owned by Brown-Forman Corporation from 1991 to 2005 until it was sold to Department 56 in the Lenox holdings transaction. Ma jor commissions The White House has used Gorham silver services during many administrations. Mary Todd Lincoln purchased an impressive tea and flatware service for use in the White House in 1859. The tea service was presented to the National Museum of American History in 1957. Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant asked Gorham to commemorate the country's one-hundredth anniversary with a spectacular Century Vase that contained over 2,000 ounces of sterling silver, and a grand "loving cup" composed of 70,000 dimes was designed for Admiral George Dewey in 1899. The largest single commission Gorham ever received was the famous Furber service. Ordered by Colonel Henry Jewett Furber , the president of Universal Life Insurance Company of New York, the opulent 740-piece service represents Victorian era dining at its most elaborate. The monumental silver and parcel-gilt "Neptune" epergne made for Furber as part of this service was displayed at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in 1876. A large portion of the service now ... read more

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