Silver Sugar Spoon c. 1936

This is Francis Law Durand's drawing of a silver sugar spoon. Durand was born in 1855, a time when industrialization was changing the landscape of both production and consumption. Within this drawing we see echoes of Victorian ideals of refinement but also a changing landscape of labor and class. Silverware, once a symbol of elite status, became more accessible to the burgeoning middle class. Yet, the realities of colonialism and enslaved labor that facilitated sugar production are also subtly present. Consider this spoon as more than a tool; it reflects societal desires, aspirations, and the complex web of global histories that shaped its existence. This drawing serves as a reminder of the objects that quietly participate in narratives of power, taste, and the sweetness that belies complicated truths.