Founded in 1831 in Providence, Rhode Island, the Gorham Manufacturing Company became one of the most influential silver manufacturers in the United States over the course of more than a century. Its creations came to symbolize taste and prestige, and the company’s artistic and technical excellence rivaled that of leading European firms.
HISTORY OF THE COMPANYThe company was established by Jabez Gorham, a skilled jeweler specializing in handmade spoons. In 1847, leadership passed to his son, John Gorham, who undertook a major industrial expansion. He introduced machinery imported from England, hired European craftsmen, and implemented advanced technologies such as casting, stamping, and electroforming. These innovations made Gorham the first American company capable of competing with Tiffany & Co. and top British brands.
The factory quickly earned a reputation as an official supplier to the elite. In 1859, Gorham produced a silver service for the White House at the request of First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln. In the years that followed, its silverware was commissioned for U.S. presidents, diplomats, major corporations, and members of high society.
One of the company’s landmark achievements was the Century Vase (1876), created to commemorate the centennial of American independence. Large-scale commissions and participation in international exhibitions—Paris 1889, Chicago 1893, New York 1939—cemented Gorham’s reputation as a symbol of American silvermaking.
DECLINE AND LEGACYAfter World War II, interest in heavy silverware waned in favor of lighter materials and simpler design. Economic pressures and competition from low-cost manufacturers led to the acquisition of Gorham by the industrial conglomerate Textron in 1967. Despite changes in ownership, the Gorham brand continued to exist, focusing on silver-plated goods, flatware, and giftware.
By the 1990s, the company had become part of Lenox Corporation, marking its transition from a manufacturing enterprise to a heritage brand. Production facilities were downsized, and some archives and molds were lost. Nevertheless, the Gorham name is still used today for the sale of classic flatware patterns and historical design reproductions.
MUSEUM COLLECTIONS AND ANTIQUE VALUEOriginal Gorham silver pieces made before the 1930s are now considered museum-quality artifacts and are part of the permanent collections of major institutions:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York) — teapots, candelabra, and Art Nouveau works;
Smithsonian American Art Museum (Washington) — examples of decorative silverwork;
Museum of Fine Arts (Boston) — includes the Century Vase;
RISD Museum (Providence) — archives and factory-made objects.