Plate 1780 - 1788

Curator: This photograph from the late 18th century, taken by Joseph Danforth, features a simple plate. Editor: The immediate impression is one of quiet utilitarianism— stark and circular. It feels weighty, solid, despite being rendered in black and white. Curator: Danforth's photographic "Plate" is composed of silver and other metals; the craftsmanship speaks to the values of colonial-era production. How was this plate formed, hammered, and whose hands shaped it? What were the labour practices and access to the materials used in its creation? Editor: And who ate from it? Was this piece part of a grand dining service displayed in the homes of the wealthy elite or was it the cherished, and likely only, piece of dinnerware belonging to an indentured servant? This piece prompts questions about domesticity, consumption, and hierarchy in the colonies. Curator: Precisely. The object, so plainly rendered, invites us to consider the lives connected to it through use and trade, consumption habits, and more. I am curious about the division of labor in its making, especially what roles were occupied by women and enslaved people in metalworking trades during the colonial era. Editor: It challenges our modern throw-away culture, too. This photograph makes visible an object made to last. Something treasured, or at least treated with more care, than much of what we surround ourselves with today. It invites us to reconsider value, both monetary and cultural. Curator: Absolutely. Examining Danforth's "Plate," we might also look at its role beyond merely domestic utility, how such metalworks also became tools for constructing political and social status and solidifying power structures. Editor: This is especially true with the growing anti-tax sentiments towards the crown as independence movements grew stronger in the latter half of the eighteenth century, as consumers looked more and more towards local craftsmen such as Danforth. Curator: Considering the plate as both artifact and subject allows us a more holistic glimpse into this era. Editor: I’m struck by how much a single object can tell us when we look closely and consider the context in which it was made and used.