Christian Wiltberger

Christian Wiltberger
Christian Wiltberger
Born	November 10, 1769
Died	October 16, 1851 (aged 81)

Last updated November 30, 2022

John Christian Wiltberger Sr. (November 10, 1769 - October 16, 1851) was an American silversmith, active in Philadelphia.

Wiltberger was born in Philadelphia, where he apprenticed about 1782 to Richard Humphreys. There he married Ann Warner on March 26, 1791, with whom he had 8 children (including John Christian Wiltberger Jr.), and worked from 1793-1797 as a silversmith and jeweler. For some time he partnered with Samuel Alexander as WILTBERGER & ALEXANDER, but as the following advertisements in the Federal Gazette indicate, that partnership was dissolved in June 1797:

WILTBERGER & ALEXANDER, Silversmiths and Jewellers, Have this day dissolved their partnership by mutual consent. As Mr. Wiltberger has authorised himself to settle the business without my knowledge, I therefore think it my duty to inform my friends and the public, that I am neither dead, insolvent, or run away, but that I have lately removed to the house formerly occupied by Mr. Wiltberger, in south Second street, No. 33, where I mean to carry on the business in all its branches, on the most reasonable terms. [June 5, 1797].

CHRISTIAN WILTBERGER, Informs his friends and the public, that he has removed from No. 33, south Second street, to No. 13, north Second, nearly opposite Christ Church, where he carries on the Silversmith's and jeweller's business in all its branches, as usual. He has also on hand a large and elegant assortment of Silver plated Wares, Jewellery, &c. imported by the latest arrivals from Europe, together with a considerable quantity of Silver Wares, manufactured immediately under his own inspection, which he means to sell on the most reasonable terms. N. B. The highest price given for old Gold and silver. [June 7, 1797].

Wiltberger then continued to work as a silversmith from 1797-1819. Rembrandt Peale painted his portrait in 1818. His work is collected in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Winterthur Museum, and Yale University Art Gallery.

Related Research Articles

Zachariah Brigden was a noted American silversmith active in Boston.

Thomas Edwards was a prominent silversmith active in colonial Boston, Massachusetts. He was a son of silversmith John Edwards, and advertised in the Boston Weekly News-Letter, May 18, 1746, that he would carry on his father's business "at the shop of the deceased." His younger brother, Samuel Edwards, was also a silversmith, as was his son, Joseph Edwards Jr. Edwards served over time as Third Sergeant (1729), Ensign (1747), Lieutenant (1750), and Captain (1753) of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts. His work is collected in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Brooklyn Museum, and Winterthur Museum.

Daniel Henchman was a noted colonial American silversmith, active in Boston, Massachusetts. He was born in Lynn, Massachusetts as the son of Rev. Nathaniel Henchman, apprenticed to silversmith Jacob Hurd, and married Elizabeth Hurd on March 20, 1753. Henchman advertised in the Boston Evening Post, January 4, 1773, and again in the New England Chronicle for June 12, 1773: "Daniel Henchman Takes this Method to inform his customers in Town and Country That ... he makes with his own Hands all Kinds of large and small Plate Work, in the genteelest Taste and Newest Fashion, and of the purest Silver; and ... he flatters himself that he shall have the Preference by those who are best Judges of Work, to those Strangers among us who import and sell English Plate to the great Hurt and Prejudice of the Townsmen who have been bred to the Business... Said Henchman therefore will engage to those Gentlemen and Ladies who shall please to employ him, that he will make any kind of Plate they may want equal in goodness and cheaper than they can import from London, with the greatest Dispatch."

Thomas Charles Fletcher was a prominent American silversmith and merchant, active in Boston and Philadelphia. His firm of Fletcher & Gardiner was nationally renowned.

Daniel Christian Fueter (1720–1785), whose name was variously written as Fouaitier and Fouetter, was a Swiss-American silversmith and medalist, active in New York City from about 1754 until 1764 or 1766.

Lewis Fueter (1746–1784), born Ludwig Anton Fueter, was an American silversmith, active in New York City.

Sidney Gardiner was a prominent American silversmith and merchant, active in Boston and Philadelphia. His firm of Fletcher & Gardiner was nationally renowned.

Benjamin Halsted, also spelled Benjamin Halstead, was an American silversmith active in New York City, Philadelphia, and Elizabeth, New Jersey. In 1794 he founded the first thimble factory in the United States.

Peter Lewis Krider, also known as P.L. Krider, was a noted American silversmith, active in Philadelphia.

Joseph Loring was an American silversmith, active in Boston.

John McMullin was an American silversmith, active in Philadelphia.

Samuel Minott was an American silversmith and retailer, active in Boston.

Saunders Pitman, also known as Sanders Pitman, was an American silversmith, active in Providence, Rhode Island.

Anthony Rasch von Tauffkirchen was a German-American silversmith, active in Philadelphia (1804-1820) and New Orleans (1820-1858). According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, his works are credited with being "among the most sophisticated silver vessels produced in the United States in the early nineteenth century."

Joseph Richardson, Jr., was a noted American silversmith, active in Philadelphia.

Joseph Richardson Sr. was an American silversmith, active in Philadelphia. He has been described as one of the greatest silversmiths of his time.

Nathaniel Richardson was an American silversmith, active in Philadelphia.

Robert & William Wilson were American silversmiths in Philadelphia, active in partnership from roughly 1825–1846, then continuing as a mark until 1877. It was succeeded by William Wilson & Son.

Samuel Vernon was an early American silversmith, active in Newport, Rhode Island.

David Vinton was an American silversmith, merchant, and Masonic lecturer, active in Providence, Rhode Island.

References

"John Christian Wiltberger", American Silversmiths.
"Christian Wiltberger, Sr", Find-a-Grave entry.
"Christian Wiltberger", Online Encyclopedia of Silver Marks.
"Tea and Coffee Service by Christian Wiltberger", Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
"Sugar Box", Philadelphia Museum of Art.
American Silversmiths and Their Marks: The Definitive (1948) Edition, Stephen G. C. Ensko, Courier Corporation, 2012.
American silver at Winterthur, Ian M. G. Quimby, Dianne Johnson, Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum, 1995, page 469.
American decorative arts and sculpture, Gerald W. R. Ward, Nonie Gadsden, Kelly L'Ecuyer, MFA publications, 2006, page 98.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

Christian Wiltberger
Born	(1769-11-10)November 10, 1769
Died	October 16, 1851(1851-10-16) (aged 81)