3. Objects of Refinement

While most of the United States didn’t have forks at all in the Eighteenth Century, people of political affluence, the social elite, and the economic elite took pride in owning refined objects which made a statement about their manners and status. The more ornate and silver the object, the higher the status.

The middle class aimed to follow this practice and created less expensive versions of these objects which is still a commonality today as most Americans have at least one metal silver spoon in their cutlery drawer. On display in the exhibit is a slew of the finest silver spoons, wine bottles, bowls, and other expensive objects of status that could be seen in the White House in the 1800s.