posted 04-22-2012 09:47 PM            

In any event silver and Tennessee was well represented at this Symposium. The folks at the Hermitage have a very nice collection of President Jackson’s silver and Sarah Campbell Drury the speaker at the Symposium gave a very learned talk about his silver and its importance of it in his life.
It was also interesting that after the talk, Dr Ben Caldwell and curator of the Hermitage fielded questions on the Jackson silver. Dr. Caldwell also brought some of his collection of early Tennessee silver just to look at and I am glad that he did. It was also noted that it was 23 years ago that his book on Tennessee silver was published.

Dr. Caldwell’s son, Ben Caldwell Jr. is a silver/copper smith and makes beautiful objects. He was at the last Nashville Antique and Garden show, but now seems to do mostly copper with silver only done on special order due the increase in the price of silver.

I also questioned the people at the conference if the coin silver water dipper appeared in their area. They were not familiar with this form and that in my mind strengthens the idea that this form was mostly used in Georgia. It was at the Henry Green Symposium in Athens, Georgia several years ago that I first learned about this form and have often wondered why it was not a more popular form.