Silver Novelties in the Gilded Age: 1870-1910 Crosby, Deborah

Name: Silver Novelties in the Gilded Age: 1870-1910 Crosby, Deborah
Price: 50.00 USD
Availability: InStock
Author: Crosby, Deborah
ISBN: 9780764312953

✍️ Crosby, Deborah

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📚 ABOUT THE BOOK

Unearth the forgotten spirits of the Gilded Age, captured in intricate silver novelties.

Step into the opulent world of America's Gilded Age with this meticulously curated volume, revealing nearly 600 captivating figural silver pieces. From the elegant dining table to the intimate nursery, these charming and often whimsical creations served both practical and symbolic roles in daily life. Deborah Crosby’s work goes beyond mere display, offering profound insights into the manufacturing techniques, historical context, and the cultural significance embedded within these miniature masterpieces, making each object a window into a vanished era of luxury and artistry. Discover the secrets held within these gleaming artifacts.

Key themes

{'title': 'Gilded Age Grandeur', 'body': "This book immerses the reader in the lavish aesthetics and societal aspirations of the Gilded Age. It showcases how everyday objects, even those seemingly minor, were imbued with an extraordinary level of craftsmanship and design, reflecting the era's pursuit of beauty and luxury, and hinting at the hidden lives of those who possessed them."} {'title': 'Artistry in Miniature', 'body': 'Explore the exquisite artistry and intricate detail of figural silver items. The book highlights the ingenuity of artisans who transformed silver into delightful, functional sculptures, from playful animals to mythological figures. It demonstrates how these small pieces were not just utilitarian but served as personal expressions and markers of status and taste.'} {'title': 'Material Culture Revealed', 'body': 'Beyond their aesthetic appeal, these silver novelties offer a tangible connection to the past. The book delves into how specific items, such as matchsafes or chatelaines, reveal the daily rituals, social customs, and technological advancements of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, acting as silent witnesses to forgotten practices and sensibilities.'}

In stock

🏛 Schiffer Publishing 📅 2001 📖 244 pages 📔 Hardcover 📐 Hardcover ISBN: 9780764312953

Fun fact

Deborah Crosby's 'Silver Novelties' is a glittering portal to the Gilded Age, offering unparalleled visual splendor and scholarly depth. It excels in contextualizing these charming artifacts, revealing their historical and cultural weight far beyond mere aesthetics. While it might not delve into the explicit esoteric symbolism some of our patrons seek, its exploration of forgotten craftsmanship and the 'spirit' of an era through its objects is profoundly resonant. This is an essential reference, meticulously organized, and a true treasure for anyone seeking to understand the material echoes of the past.

📝 Description: Silver Novelties in the Gilded Age: 1870-1910 Crosby, Deborah

This beautiful book showcases hundreds of figural silver items that were used for many purposes during the luxurious Gilded Age. These endearing and sometimes whimsical designs, shown in nearly 600 color photos, include accoutrements for the dining room, the writing desk, the sewing room, the nursery, and much more. Among the items shown and described are spoons, tea balls, napkin rings, inkwells, pens and pencils, matchsafes, cigar cutters, thimbles, chatelaines, belt buckles, and baby rattles. Historical background plus valuable information on manufacturing techniques and marks is also included. With values provided in the captions and an extensive bibliography, this is a wonderful book for new and experienced collectors of figural silver novelties.

⭐ Reader reviews

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⭐ Esoterica editorial review Editorial rating 4.6/5

★★★★★

For the discerning collector of historical artifacts, the material culture enthusiast, or anyone drawn to the exquisite craftsmanship of a bygone era. If you seek to understand the unspoken language of objects and the hidden stories they tell, this compendium will illuminate your path.

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❓ Frequently asked questions

While it features extensive imagery, this work provides rich historical context, details on manufacturing, and insights into the cultural significance of each piece, elevating it beyond a simple visual inventory to a historical exploration.

Absolutely not. While invaluable for collectors, it also appeals to anyone interested in Victorian-era history, decorative arts, material culture, or the unique blend of practicality and whimsy found in objects from this fascinating period.

📖 Who should read this

🎯 Key themes and symbolism

Gilded Age Grandeur

This book immerses the reader in the lavish aesthetics and societal aspirations of the Gilded Age. It showcases how everyday objects, even those seemingly minor, were imbued with an extraordinary level of craftsmanship and design, reflecting the era's pursuit of beauty and luxury, and hinting at the hidden lives of those who possessed them.

Artistry in Miniature

Explore the exquisite artistry and intricate detail of figural silver items. The book highlights the ingenuity of artisans who transformed silver into delightful, functional sculptures, from playful animals to mythological figures. It demonstrates how these small pieces were not just utilitarian but served as personal expressions and markers of status and taste.

Material Culture Revealed

Beyond their aesthetic appeal, these silver novelties offer a tangible connection to the past. The book delves into how specific items, such as matchsafes or chatelaines, reveal the daily rituals, social customs, and technological advancements of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, acting as silent witnesses to forgotten practices and sensibilities.

💬 Quotes from the book

«Each silver owl, perched with its tiny glass eyes, silently observed the unfolding dramas of dining rooms and parlors, a miniature guardian of domestic secrets.»

«The meticulous detail in a simple thimble or a whimsical napkin ring speaks volumes about an era where utility was inseparable from the pursuit of ornate beauty and symbolic meaning.»

📜 Historical context

The Gilded Age (1870-1910) was a period of immense economic growth and social change in America, marked by unprecedented displays of wealth and the rise of a new industrial elite. This book places its silver novelties squarely within this context, illustrating how these objects embodied the era's fascination with ornate design, technological innovation, and the desire to infuse even the most mundane items with artistic flourish, reflecting the spiritual and material aspirations of the time.

📚 Glossary

Figural Silver
Matchsafes
Chatelaines

📔 Questions to reflect on

{'prompt': 'Choose one figural item from the book that resonates with you. What forgotten narratives or energies do you imagine it still holds?'}
{'prompt': 'How might the intricate craftsmanship of the Gilded Age silver novelties reflect a broader societal desire for meaning or enchantment in everyday life, now lost to us?'}
{'prompt': 'If you could bring one of these silver novelties into your own life today, what would it be, and what modern ritual or purpose would you imbue it with?'}