Stories in Sterling Four Centuries of Silver in New York
Margaret K. Hofer with Debra Schmidt Bach. Essays by Kenneth L. Ames, David L. Barquist and Margaret K. Hofer
Published by GILES in association with the New-York Historical Society
Release Date — May 2012 (UK and USA)
Dimensions — 352 pages, 279 x 216 mm (8½ x 11 in)
Illustrations — 265 colour and 175 b&w illustrations
Hardback price — UK£45.00/US$69.95
ISBN — 978-1-904832-65-2
Trade Orders — Please visit our Trade Orders section
Press Release — Stories in Sterling: an enlightening survey of a...
Sales Points
“Stories in Sterling gives readers a major opportunity to evaluate and understand how silver objects can be understood as both aesthetically pleasing works of art and as historical documents that provide evidence of many aspects of human life and behavior. It will surely become an essential volume in any library not only on American silver, but on social history and material culture as well.”
Gerald W.R. Ward, Senior Consulting Curator and Katharine Lane Weems Senior Curator of American Decorative Arts and Sculpture Emeritus, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
“Stories in Sterling: Four Centuries of Silver in New York is an engrossing slice of history as told through one of the most treasured metals. Anyone with a love of silver, an admiration for creativity or an interest in New York’s great history will want to own this beautiful book. It portrays stunning objects, brilliantly photographed and brought to life through eminently readable stories about the notables for whom they were commissioned and the talented craftsmen who made them.” Donald Fennimore, Curator Emeritus, Winterthur Museum
“This beautifully illustrated, scholarly volume is an outstanding contribution to the literature on American silver. Stories in Sterling presents in a thoughtful and thorough fashion a wealth of well–documented information, while at the same time evoking through each object’s story the social, cultural, political and economic history of New York….Margi Hofer and her colleagues are to be congratulated heartily for this important achievement. Stories in Sterling will undoubtedly become one of the standard reference books on American silver and an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the rich social and cultural history of New York and its inhabitants.” Beth Carver Wees, Curator of American Decorative Arts, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
About the Book
Stories in Sterling is the first comprehensive survey of the New-York Historical Society’s superb collection of early American silver, one of the finest in the United States. It features the full range of silver works, from masterpieces like the 1772 salver by New York City silversmith Lewis Fueter, to the simpler, but no less significant teapot made for the Schuyler family by the Albany silversmith Kiliaen Van Rensselaer in 1695 – one of the earliest teapots made in New York.
Seven chapters consider silver from a range of perspectives: its reflection of the multiethnic character of colonial New York; the impact of industrialization on its manufacture and consumption; its role in honouring public achievement or marking rites of passage; and, finally, its ability to express its owners’ social standing. With a wealth of related objects and original documents, Stories in Sterling is a vital reference tool for for scholars, collectors and enthusiasts of American silver and culture. It features extensive and superbly illustrated entries with full dimensions, makers’ marks and weights in troy ounces, and an appendix and checklist
Accompanies a major exhibition showing at the New-York Historical Society from May 4 to September 2, 2012.
