The Philadelphia Antiques Show features a Loan Exhibit every year, a tradition since the Show’s founding in 1962. The curated, museum-quality Loan Exhibit changes with each Show and allows visitors a closer look at a specific genre of antiques.

The 2013 Loan Exhibition

The Pewter Collectors’ Club of America will present Pewter: The Philadelphia Story as the 2013 loan exhibit for the Philadelphia Antiques Show.  Curated by Roy Rodriguez, Jr., the focus will be on the development, creativity, craftsmanship, and the business of pewter in colonial Philadelphia.

An ancient alloy made up of 95% tin and 5% copper, pewter was used in 18th and 19th century America because of its beauty, durability and affordability. Spanning a working period from 1713 to 1823, almost 150 examples of work from 14 different pewterers shall be presented in the context of their use. A variety of rare molds used to cast the amalgam will be featured alongside flagons, plates, mugs, porringers, coffee pots and communion vessels. Loaned from private collections, from Winterthur and from the Aaronsburg Church, these pieces are the finest domestic and ecclesiastical examples in America.

William Will, Revolutionary War officer, former sheriff of Philadelphia, and America’s most highly skilled and creative pewterer, will be featured with the most significant assemblage of his pewter ever presented for public viewing.

The Pewter Collectors’ Club of America is an organization composed of over 400 individuals, museums, and historical societies throughout the world interested in collecting antique pewter from America, England, Europe, and Asia. Founded in 1934 and incorporated in 1977, the club encourages research and discussion on pewterers, their marks, their lives, working periods, and locations.  More information, including how to join can be obtained from the club website: www.pewtercollectorsclub.org

The Loan Exhibit is free with paid general admission.

Loan Exhibit Sponsored by J.J. White, Inc.