Summer Lecture Series

The Mathews Museum will host a discussion of the use of silver in the colonial period. The presentation will be in the Museum’s newly renovated and updated media room. It is open to the public and there is no charge for this event.

The presentation will provide an overview of the history of the use of Virginia silver in the 1700s and 1800s. The guest speaker will be the Museum’s Vice Chair, Tom Karow, who is a silver historian and is a member of the Mathews VA250 Committee. He will discuss the silversmiths of Virginia prior to 1865, when silversmithing was considered a craft and appreciated as an art form.

The displaying of coin silver and sterling silver was once considered a sign of wealth and status. Examples of the art of fine dining during the 1700s, with displays of silver, can still be viewed at Mount Vernon and Monticello. Karow will have on display, a wide selection of silver on loan from area dealers and owners, showing examples of Virginia silver that represent pieces of historical significance, some dating back into the mid 18th century, handmade by some of Virginia’s most renowned silversmiths. Karow, a well known local historian and Mathews resident, is President of the Fairfield Foundation and a member of the Mathews VA250 Committee.

Come join us as we step back in time at the Mathews Museum! Reservations are not required.