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Object Study and Workshop sessions

Symposium participants will have the opportunity to attend two object study or workshop sessions featuring objects and materials related to dining and cooking.

From Pewter to Plastic: The Varied Materials of the Cooper-Hewitt Flatware Collection
Philippa Glanville, Senior Research Fellow, Victoria & Albert Museum; Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths

Get an exclusive overview of the flatware collection at Cooper-Hewitt and examine the materials and production methods used to make this diverse group of dining utensils.

The Shifting Geography of Flatware: Problems of Attribution
Sarah Coffin, Curator of 17th- & 18th-century Decorative Arts, Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum

This intimate object study session will discuss the difficulties of attribution using rare examples from the Museum's collection.

Consuming Desires: Nineteenth-century Designs for the Table and the Mass Market
Jordan Kim, Assistant Curator, Product Design and Decorative Arts, Cooper-Hewitt

View flatware and tableware from Cooper-Hewitt's collection that reflect the growing prosperity and aspirations of nineteenth-century consumers and their voracious appetite for goods of all patterns, shapes, and forms.

Conversations over Dinner
Floramae McCarron-Cates, Assistant Curator, Drawings, Prints, and Graphic Design, Cooper-Hewitt

View rarely-seen ephemera from the Hewitt sister's dinners paired with Western and Asian prints featuring gardens, parlors, and other places where food and conversation go together.

Reflections on "Stainless Steel Comes to Dinner": Mid-20th-century Flatware Design
Cynthia Trope, Assistant Curator, Product Design and Decorative Arts, Cooper-Hewitt

This session will discuss developments in post-war flatware design, focusing on the Museum's holdings of prototypes and products by industrial designer Don Wallance, as well as Scandinavian, Italian, and other international examples.

Smithsonian Collection Cookbooks
Judith Jones, Senior Editor and Vice-President, Alfred A. Knopf; Barbara Haber, Food Historian, Curator and Author; Stephen H. Van Dyk, Branch Librarian; Elizabeth Broman, Reference Librarian

Join Barbara Haber and Judith Jones in an intimate viewing and discussion of noteworthy cookbooks gathered from the vast stores of the Smithsonian libraries and other sources. These books are brought together exclusively for this event

Napkin Design with Tracy Wilson
Tracy Wilson, General Manager of Tabla

Learn napkin folding in this hands-on workshop with service expert Tracy Wilson. Participants will learn a variety of designs, including both classic and contemporary folds perfect for entertaining in your own home.