Soup Ladle

The mid-nineteenth century witnessed an efflorescence of creativity in the American silver industry, fueled by the burgeoning middle class’s increasing demand for refined luxury goods. Silversmiths devoted considerable time and creative energy to generating an endless variety of new designs and patterns. During the 1860s and 1870s silver flatware ornamented with portrait medallions inspired by antique coins and cameos enjoyed widespread popularity, with virtually every American silversmith producing their own proprietary "medallion" pattern. The Saint Louis, Missouri firm of F. A. Durgin created this ladle, the shank of which bears marked similarities to the earliest known medallion pattern patented by New York silversmith John R. Wendt in 1862. (See for example TR.572.7.) Although his pattern is not a copy, it is clear Durgin was familiar with Wendt’s design. An 1878 publication entitled A Tour of St. Louis celebrates Durgin’s firm for "elevating the tastes of our people to the very highest appreciation of fine art," and goes on to report that Durgin "turns out the most elegant articles of solid silverware to be found in the United States….and the superiority of his work has secured for him the patronage of the best and wealthiest citizens of the West."