Coffeepot 1825 - 1835

This silver coffeepot was crafted in Philadelphia in the mid-1820s by Robert and William Wilson. As a historian, what strikes me is how an object like this can open a window onto the social rituals of the time. The coffeepot speaks to the rise of a refined domestic culture in the early 19th-century United States. Coffee, like tea, was becoming a central element in social gatherings. The coffeepot’s neoclassical design, with its clean lines and delicate engravings, reflects a desire for elegance and order. Notice the engraved heraldic shield: it is a marker of status and lineage, suggesting that this pot was made for a wealthy family keen to display their social standing. Objects like this offer invaluable insights into the material culture and social hierarchies of the past. Auction records, newspaper advertisements, and genealogical resources, help us understand the world inhabited by those who commissioned and used such objects.