Reed & Barton

Reed & Barton is a prominent American silversmith manufacturer, based in the city of Taunton, Massachusetts. They were operating between 1824 and 2015.

The silverware firm actually began in 1824 as Babbit & Crossman. Unfortunately, the firm hit hard times in 1834. That is when two of their craftsmen – Henry G. Reed and Charles E. Barton – stepped in to turn the financial problems around. The company was eventually renamed in 1840 as Reed & Barton. Incidentally, this was the same year electroplating was patented in England. Electroplating was a process that Reed & Barton utilised to its fullest.

In 1928, Reed & Barton merged with another silversmith manufacturing company called Dominick & Haff.

In 1996, Reed & Barton were chosen to design and produce the official medals for the Summer Olympics in Atlanta, there are samples on display in Taunton at the Old Colony History Museum.

The silversmith’s products have even been used in the White House in Washington, D.C.

The company has remained privately owned by the family of Henry Reed. Reed & Barton are not just renowned for the flatware they craft, they operate other brands as well: Reed & Barton Handcrafted Chests, it is the world's largest manufacturer of handmade chests, pen chests, cigar humidors, and hardwood flatware.

The firm filed for bankruptcy in February 2015, putting an end to their 175-yearlong famous silverware firm.

View the collection of silverware by Reed and Barton below...