posted 03-18-2002 03:32 PM            

Modern Production Line Silver: Fifties "Free Form" and Beyond
presented by: Jewel Stern, Artist and Historian

Ms. Jewel gave a very informative and engaging presentation that looked at design influences from the 1950's to present. She used to great effect many advertising images to illustrate her points. Her opening slides showed a sinuous model in pinched waist Christian Dior suit circa 1947 next to an equally curvaceous silver vase. The presentation continued with numerous examples of the 1950's biomorphic style including Towle's Contour pattern and Reed and Barton's Silver Sculpture designed by Rand in 1954. She proceeded to describe the unsuccessful commercial attempts to combine sterling and stainless in the form of the Contempora House pattern by Towle and Lunt's competing pattern Contrast. Ms. Jewel moved onto the trend in the mid 1950's to produce silver with multiple purposes such as Gorham's stacking candlesticks and covered vegetable dishes with tops that could be converted to additional serving platters. Next she covered the color explosion that occurred in the 1960's, mostly with silverplate. Reed and Barton applied color to the inside of all manner of bowls in its "color-glaze" line. Ms. Jewel propelled us further forward with her discussion of Swid Powell, a company founded in the 1980's by two women designers inspired by modern architects such as Michael Graves. Finally, she concluded with the 1990's limited production flatware and holloware designed by Stephen Dweck for the Bergdorf Goodman Dweck Home Collection as well as the designs of Ted Muehling.