Paul Revere's silver shop was the cornerstone of his professional life.
Although he became involved in other businesses, silversmithing was his
earliest and most enduring pursuit. Revere began his career as an
apprentice to his father. His earliest maker's mark was the same as his
father's, and evidence suggests that they shared patterns for casting
handles and other parts. The elder Revere died in 1754, before Paul was
old enough to run the shop on his own. However, within a year of
returning from service in the French and Indian War, Revere took over
his father's shop inheriting its customer base, tools and good
reputation.
Revere's business ledgers reveal that his shop was an active place. He
trained a number of young men in the trade including several family
members. He also employed journeyman silversmiths who had completed
their formal training but lacked the capital to establish independent
businesses. As the master of the shop he was responsible for both the
workmanship and the quality of the metal. Silversmithing requires the
heavy labor of pounding metal flat or raising it into shapes, a good eye
for design, knowledge of the elements of style and a steady hand for
engraving. Revere was personally involved with the fabrication
of silver in the early years of his career; however, his daily
involvement
with the shop declined after the Revolution as he began to expand into
other business concerns. By the 1780s, his son Paul
took charge of the silver shop on a daily basis, leaving Paul Revere to
pursue other business opportunities -- a hardware store, foundry and
eventually a copper rolling mill. Click here to view an ad for Revere's shop
that appeared in the Massachusetts Centinel on June 6, 1787.
The Master Silversmith at Work
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Silversmithing in the tradition of Paul Revere is alive and well today
at Old Newbury Crafters. Click
here to view images of their recent
demonstration at the Paul Revere House and learn how Revere produced his
silver work in the 1700s.
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