I started to read a bit about Gaylord Sanitarium and I was instantly fascinated. Apparently Gaylord Sanitarium was devoted to mostly tuberculosis patients but also cared for WWI Veterans as well. Gaylord Silvercraft was established in the early 1920's as a part of the sanitariums vocational training and occupational therapy program. This would provide recovering patients the opportunity to learn a skill and possibly earn a small amount of income. Silversmithing was considered to be one of the occupations that could be therapeutic in the cure of tuberculosis.
This endeavor was original funded by the by the Federal Board for Vocational Education. At some point the funding ceased but Gaylord Silvercraft continued with the hopes of self-sustaining under the direction of Mr. and Mrs. William Waldo Dodge, Jr of Connecticut. Mr Dodge was a Veteran and became a noted silver designer as well as a quite well-known architect. It seems that many of the designs for the items created at Gaylord Silvercraft came from Mr. Dodge, himself. Dodge who was originally a patient who suffered from the disease, was discharged from Gaylord in 1923, he eventually returned to Asheville where he established Asheville Silvercraft. William Waldo Dodge, Jr. (1895 – 1971), preeminent Arts and Crafts silversmith.
According to the records, the shop produced only 140 different pieces by type, and 29,000 pieces total. According to Report Concerning the of the Gaylord Hospital and Sanitarium 16-25, the shop employed an average of 51 people at any given time. The patients worked at an average of 2 hours each, per day. The items that are still available on the market from Gaylord Silvercraft are extremely rare, at the very least. I wonder how many pieces still exist? It would be interesting to know. It seems that many of the pieces were crafted in the Arts and Crafts style. This style of silver is also highly collectible. It goes without saying, if you are lucky enough to find a piece from Gaylord Silvercraft, buy it!! It is a rare item with an interesting history. I would also like to note here that Waldo Dodge was known for his unique hammering style which this piece features. It leads me to wonder if it could have been crafted by Dodge, himself?
I would love to hear from others who are interested in or whom collect silver from Gaylord Silvercraft. What are your thoughts? Have you found any interesting pieces?
