This profusely illustrated in-depth study of the American silver collection at Winterthur sets some significant new standards for silver collection catalogues.

Introductory essays address issues of authorship, style, use, and scientific analysis as well as the creation of the collection at Winterthur by Henry Francis du Pont. The catalogue portion, arranged alphabetically within the major divisions of New England, New York, and Pennsylvania and the South, is put together with meticulous attention to detail.

In addition to extensive biographical data on the 162 silversmiths, each of the 517 entries includes information on size, weight, general description, fabrication methods, engraving, stamps, history, exhibitions, provenance, spectrographic analysis (percent of silver, copper, gold, lead) as well as extensive references. The catalogue not only highlights the superlative Winterthur collection but also adds considerably to scholarship in the field.