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Thursday, August 29, 2013
I Forgot to Show Off My Spoon!
I can’t believe I forgot to post photos of my beautiful pewter spoon that I told you about yesterday! Especially since I declared my undying love for it.
Here it is, my Round Bowl Spoon.
Isn’t she purty?
A little extra info about the spoon from Jon Gibson: The Round Bowl Spoon, also known as a “Puritan Spoon” for its simple design, is a reproduction of an early 18th century Dutch style that was made in N.Y.C. circa 1700.
Posted by Jane Maynard at 8:55 am 3 Comments
Categories: fab faves, the goods Tags: gibson pewter, pewter |
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Wednesday, August 28, 2013
A Visit to Gibson Pewter in New Hampshire
One of the many lovely spots in the northeast that we visited this summer was Hillsborough Center, NH. This quaint hilltop village is not far from where Nate grew up and seriously feels like a movie set. In fact, my sister-in-law Jess and I were convinced that all the residents had been abducted by ghosts or aliens, leaving the village quiet and pristine with nary a soul to be seen! It was almost creepy how perfect it was. The homes and buildings are original to the 18th-century and are beautifully kept, including a church, a one-room schoolhouse and a cemetery. Of course I had to wander about the cemetery and we even found a grave for a Revolutionary War veteran. It doesn’t get much more Colonial New England than that! I read the historical marker in town, which gave a lot more info on the area. I should have taken a photo of the plaque because I can’t find that info online and of course I don’t remember it! I do know that it said descendants of the original settlers still live in town.
Gibson Pewter is located in Hillsborough Center, so we stopped in to check out their wares. Nate’s mom said that I would love it and she was right. Jon Gibson is a second-generation pewterer and a world-class craftsman. His father opened the business in their 200-year-old barn in 1966 and ran the business seasonally. Jon now runs the business year-round and carries on the family tradition. Gibson Pewter owns many traditional patterns and creates contemporary pieces as well. I could have spent a fortune in the shop but limited myself to just one treasure, the Round Bowl Spoon, which is a reproduction of an early 18th-century Dutch-style spoon. I am completely in love with this spoon. I know, I’m crazy. I’m in love with a spoon. But it’s beautiful! (For some reason I forgot to add the photos of the spoon in this post, so click here to check it out!)
The store and Jon’s pewter workshop are located in the basement of the barn and are tiny. Jon said that he keeps nice and warm in the wintertime and didn’t complain at all about the heat of the summer. He is certainly dedicated to the craft!
It was so interesting chatting with a craftsman of Jon’s caliber and imagining what it would be like to have a job like his. I am so happy we visited and look forward to heading back there again!
Posted by Jane Maynard at 1:25 pm 4 Comments
Categories: fab faves, the goods, travels Tags: gibson pewter, new england, new hampshire, pewter |