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Reviews of Virginia Silversmiths~Lives and Marks
Catherine Hollan's Herculean undertaking is as eagerly anticipated as it is urgently needed, and promises to provide new insights into the cultural and economic history of the early South.
--Sumpter Priddy III, dealer in fine Southern antiques and author of American Fancy, Alexandria, VA.
Catherine Hollan has produced the most comprehensive and encyclopedic volume within the field of Southern silver. This tome takes its place among the most ambitious and successful studies of regional American decorative arts ever written.
--Jeffrey S. Evans, auctioneer, scholar, and author specializing in Virginia decorative arts and American glass, Mt. Crawford, VA
I‘ve been waiting for this book. It exceeds my every expectation, and it instantly becomes the standard and classic reference book for anyone who studies, collects, or cares about Virginia silver and those who made and sold it.
--James C. Kelly, Former Director of Museums, Virginia Historical Society, Richmond, VA
Hollan’s careful, thorough pursuit of the lives and working practices of Virginia’s earliest precious metals craftsmen yields an indispensible text giving rich context and veracity for this branch of American silver research. She untangles hundreds of individual biographies, offers crucial information about maker’s marks using clear photos, and refines our understanding of silversmiths’ business habits during diverse economic conditions.
-- Ann Wagner, Associate Curator of Decorative Arts, Winterthur Museum, Wilmington, DE
Wow, what vast quantities of useful information...an invaluable resource for students of early southern metalwork.
--Ronald L. Hurst, V.P. for Collections, Conservation, & Museums, and Chief Curator, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Williamssburg, VA
Virginia Silversmiths Lives and Marks is the result of many years of intense research and study into a historically fascinating and important part of American history... a landmark achievement in the field of American decorative arts.
--Mark B. Letzer, V. P., Maryland Historical Society, co-author of The Diary of William Faris, The Daily Life of an Annapolis Silversmith, Baltimore, MD
A very detailed and very welcome addition to the literature on Virginia silversmiths and their trade. Since so many Virginia artisans found their way to Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and elsewhere, its value extends well beyond Virginia’s borders.
--Scott Erbes, Curator of Decorative Arts & Design, The Speed Art Museum, Louisville, KY
With meticulous research, Catherine Hollan has resurrected the silversmith’s trade in early Virginia, masterfully documenting both the men and the metals that produced some of the finest and most historically important silverware crafted in America.
--Robert Leath, V.P. Collections & Research, Old Salem Museum & Gardens, Winston-Salem, NC
This long-awaited tome is rightfully the definitive, end-all work on Virginia silversmiths. It will surely be a Bible of information for artisans, historians and researchers for many generations... a great contribution to the historical community.
--Wesley E. Pippenger, past president of the Virginia Genealogical Society and author of many Virginia reference books, Tappahannock, VA.
