A shining example of Aurora’s industrial and artistic history is on display at the Governor’s Mansion in Springfield, thanks to the Aurora Historical Society (AHS). It is an ornate silverplate water pitcher made in 1892 and the public can see it while taking free tours of the mansion through the end of the year, the Illinois bicentennial.
“The art historian for the exhibit came to us several years ago,” said John Jaros, executive director of the historical society, “wanting to know if we had anything special enough for this first-ever public presentation of historical art in Illinois. She loved several of the things we showed her, but decided on the Aurora Silverplate Company pitcher because it tells so many different stories at once.”
The art piece on loan from Aurora is a tilting water pitcher with outrider goblets. These were popular wedding and special-occasion gifts in the Victorian era and this one is a brilliant example of the work of the firm, which had a national reputation for quality and artistry. Heavily engraved with the good wishes of the board of directors, it was presented to the company’s president, William Dickinson, on the occasion of his 78th birthday in 1892.
It is on display in a third-floor sitting room at the Governor’s Mansion.
Part of the story is the growth of consumerism in America. The discovery early in the 19th Century of how to electroplate common metals had made it possible for the average household to own attractive silver tableware and decorative items at one-tenth the cost of fine silver.
Another part of the story is the growth of industrialism in the North. After the Civil War, city leaders in Aurora were fretting over the lack of diversity in manufacturing which, in their opinion, made merchants too dependent on the railroad for business. They managed to persuade a start-up silverplating business in Chicago to relocate to Aurora.
The Aurora Silverplate Company flourished from 1869 until 1919. After the first factory burned down, a second one was erected on Fox Street, now Downer Place, this time made of brick over limestone foundations. Today a small portion of the building remains at 6 East Downer Place.
— Aurora Historical Society
