Besides adding their own flair to the family legacy, Fred and Judi are also keen on keeping the pewter craft alive in the 21st century. “We’re planning on building an experiential studio at our workshop, where guests can observe pewter being made, learn about the history of pewtering, and even try their hand at finishing a spoon cast from an antique mold,” says Fred. “In the old days, molds were filled with the molten liquid pewter alloy, a process known as casting. In our shop, we use both spinning [which was not invented until about 1850] and casting techniques. In our casting shop we use modern rubber molds, as well as several bronze molds, just like the ones used by the early Danforths.”

As for the couple’s two children, Bay Louise is the company’s merchandising manager, while Sadie is a classical pianist and teacher. “For the moment, anyway, the tradition pauses with us,” says Judi. “As for future generations, who knows? Pewtering is definitely in their genes.”

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Judy Penz Sheluk writes on antiques and collectibles for Art & Antiques.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

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►American Life Antiques
Greg Aurand,
14 Red Oak Lane, Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.
914.736.2003
www.americanlifeantiques.com

►Danforth Pewter
Fred and Judi Danforth
P.O. Box 828, Middlebury, Vt.
877.326.3678
www.danforthpewter.com

►The Pewter Collectors Club of America Inc.
members.aol.com/pewterpcca

►Sotheby’s American Furniture Dept.
1334 York Ave. at 72nd St. New York
212.606.7000.
www.sothebys.com

►Wayne and Phyllis Hilt
American & British Pewter
176 Injun Hollow Road, Haddam Neck, Conn.
860.267.2146
www.hiltpewter.com

BOOKS

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►Collecting Antique Pewter: What to Look For and What to Avoid by the Pewter Collectors Club of America (December 2006).

►Connecticut Pewter and Pewterers by John Carl Thomas (Connecticut Historical Society, 1976). Now out of print, this is still considered the most comprehensive book written to date on the Danforth family and other Connecticut pewterers. Copies are available through Wayne and Phyllis Hilt or Fred and Judi Danforth.