Uploaded May 2023 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
The Clearwater Bequest of 1933 is a landmark in the development of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's holdings of early American silver, and in the American Colonial Revival more broadly. Alphonso Trumpbour Clearwater was a judge, antiquary and pillar of society in Kingston, NY. Drawing on the Clearwater papers at Winterthur as well as his correspondence with curators at the Met, MFA and other museums, this paper considers the origin of Clearwater's collecting of late-17th- and 18th-century silver in late 19th-century fairs, the role of his advisors and key acquisitions.
Join Professor Jonathan Conlin as he explores Clearwater’s fascinating collection of American silver.
The Clearwater Bequest of 1933 is a landmark in the development of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's holdings of early American silver, and in the American Colonial Revival more broadly. Alphonso Trumpbour Clearwater was a judge, antiquary and pillar of society in Kingston, NY. Drawing on the Clearwater papers at Winterthur as well as his correspondence with curators at the Met, MFA and other museums, this paper considers the origin of Clearwater's collecting of late-17th- and 18th-century silver in late 19th-century fairs, the role of his advisors and key acquisitions.
Join Professor Jonathan Conlin as he explores Clearwater’s fascinating collection of American silver.
