Ore to Opulence: California Silver in the Gilded AGe

ORE TO OPULENCE California Silver in the Gilded Age The Seymour Pioneer Museum is proud to present Ore to Opulence: California Silver in the Gilded Age, on view from June 19 to October 4, 2003. Trace the history of silver from the discovery of the Comstock Lode in Nevada in 1859 to the big bonanzas of the following three decades. Take a closer look at the miners, the "bonanza kings," and the boom and bust cycles centered on the largest mining strike in U.S. history. This exhibit features many silver pieces, most crafted from Comstock ore in the shops of San Francisco's greatest silver makers, Vanderslice & Co., Shreve & Co., and Schultz and Fisher, and highlighting the silver service of H.G. Blasdel, Governor of Nevada, who acquired a dazzling array of flatware, compotes, serving dishes, and goblets from the leading makers to embellish the table of his San Francisco home. Ore to Opulence captures the greed, glamour, and glitter of what Mark Twain ironically termed, the "Gilded Age." The Society of California Pioneers is the state's oldest historical organization. It was founded in 1850 by pre-Gold Rush pioneers. The Seymour Pioneer Museum, a non-profit museum operated by The Society of California Pioneers, offers free educational programs to Bay Area schools. Dedicated to the preservation, promotion, and enjoyment of California heritage, the Society’s archives include an outstanding collection of 19th and early 20th century artwork, artifacts, photographs and manuscripts. The Society also houses the Alice Phelan Sullivan Library and the Moore Gallery, which are open to the public by appointment. Seymour Pioneer Museum at the Society of California Pioneers 300 Fourth Street at Folsom San Francisco, CA 94107 Exhibition dates: June 19, 2003–October 4, 2003 Hours: Wednesday – Saturday, 10am–4pm General Admission $3; Students & Seniors $1 School groups and tours encouraged, call for details www.californiapioneers.org info@californiapioneers.org Call 415-957-1849 for further information.