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 American Silver before sterling
 Goldsmith vs Silversmith in the 18th c. - William Hollingshead
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| Author | Topic: Goldsmith vs Silversmith in the 18th c. - William Hollingshead |
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CEB Posts: 6 |
posted 05-16-2007 07:58 AM
  
I found a listing online of Philadelphia silversmiths, in which William Hollingshead (fl. 1754 - 1785) is listed as a "Goldsmith" while other contemporaries are listed as "Silversmith". Hollingshead clearly produced plenty of silver, so what was the distinction in 18th c terms? IP: Logged |
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swarter Moderator Posts: 2920 |
posted 05-16-2007 01:04 PM
Occupations are taken from a variety of sources: tax lists, censuses, directories, advertisements, city/couty histories, family histories, etc. A smith could have been listed for any one or more of these occupations for any of a variety of reasons: goldsmith, silversmith, clock and/or watchmaker, jeweler, instrument maker, gunsmith, etc. Especially outside of the major population centers, a smith had to be versatile in order to survive, and many were well versed in a variety of metalworking techniques. How one might be listed in ads or directories depended on the demand for his services at that time and the type of work he wished to attract. In the case of tax lists, the smith was taxed on his income and assets, and was listed for the major source of his income in that tax year. Census takers put down whatever they were told - in some cases the smith might have been listed twice (improperly) if his shop and home were in different districts, and he and his wife might have given different occupations to the census takers. IP: Logged |
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CEB Posts: 6 |
posted 05-16-2007 01:48 PM
Many thanks for your reply. I think you may have mis-interpreted my post, however. Hollingshead was listed as a "Goldsmith", while it was other, different smiths, who are listed as "Silversmith". The two trade descriptions are presumably not exactly synonymous - so what was the distinction between the two? Obviously there was significant overlap, as Hollingshead produced plenty of silver work - but why list himself as a "Goldsmith" while other contemporary smiths in the same context listed themselves as "Silversmith"? I ask because I have an object that is made of silver and gold, that I believe may have been made by Hollingshead. IP: Logged |
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swarter Moderator Posts: 2920 |
posted 05-16-2007 02:17 PM
No misinterpretation - William Hollingshead may have been no different from any number of others in that regard, able to work in both metals as the market demanded -- for example, he himself advertised in the Pennsylvania Gazette as both a goldsmith (1762) and a silversmith (1774). IP: Logged |
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CEB Posts: 6 |
posted 05-16-2007 03:05 PM
Thank you for the clarification. It is clear a goldsmith could also be a silversmith, but is the reverse true? Was there anything that you could have done in a goldsmith's shop that you would not expect to find available in a silversmith's shop? IP: Logged |
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argentum1 Posts: 602 |
posted 05-16-2007 11:51 PM
As Swarter said in his reply, there are multiple reasons why Hollingshead may have used Silversmith. For all intents and purposes a Goldsmith is a Silversmith and a Silversmith is a Goldsmith. In England and the Continent the term is generally seen as Goldsmith. For some reason the term has been Silversmith. Possibly due to the fact that most items made and seen as well as collected are made of silver. One had to be Very wealthy to afford gold so not much is seen. Just remember that if one could make something from a sheet of silver then using a sheet of gold is essentially no different. By the way, gold and silver items were made by starting with an ingot of the metal prior to about 1780-1790. After that approximate date both gold and silver could be purchased by the smith as ready made sheets. Enjoy the confusion because there is a lot of it out there. IP: Logged |
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argentum1 Posts: 602 |
posted 05-17-2007 09:10 AM
I forgot to add something to the last message. In the 18th century in New York there was a Gold and Silversmiths Society. Obviously there was a distinction. I doubt there was a separate group as the demand for gold only smiths and items would most likely have lead to a financial demise of the gold only smith. As it was silversmiths drifted from occupation to occupation as their income varied. Small town smiths did not have the population to support silversmithing as a sole source of income. I am starting to ramble again so I will get out of here. Just remember the prime rule ENJOY. IP: Logged |
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