Picturing America and Silver

Silver of the 18th, 19th, and 20th Century

Various Artists

Take a close look at each of these silver pieces. You can look at each one close-up by clicking on Picturing America and then finding the picture and clicking on it. Then you will see numbers along the bottom that, when clicked, will pull up each piece separately.

Assignment #1

Now that you've looked at each piece, please
paste the picture on your blog and then respond to the following:

1. How are the teapots alike?
2. Which is the most angular?
3. Which teapots include both straight and rounded forms?
4. Which teapots seem most vertical?
5. Which teapot seems like a machine made it?
6. Why does Revere's teapot have a wooden handle?
7. Why was drinking tea a social even in the 17th century?
8. Why were 17th and 18th century teapots made of silver?
9. Which teapot would you rather use? Why?

Next, take a virtual tour of a silver mine. Go to Lebanon Silver Mine and take the field trip through the mining of silver. You can navigate this virtual trip by clicking on each photo in turn and then reading and clicking the links along the bottom of each picture. You can go to the next tour stop by clicking the next button along the left side of the screen.

Assignment #2

Now that you have taken the virtual mine tour, please respond to the following:

1. In stop 2, find out what kind of hammers are used and how miners were able to see in the mine.
2. In stop 5, find out the purpose of the change room.
3. Go through the tool shed in stop 8. What tools do you recognize and what do you think they were used for?
4. How was the mill powered?(stop 12.)
5. Would you have liked to be a miner? Why or why not?

Now, watch this video to see and hear how a blacksmith goes about turning that mined silver into a piece of art. Painting With a Hammer.

Assignment #3

1. Why do you think this video is titled "Painting With a Hammer?"
2. How does this relate to our reading selection "Philip Simmons: Blacksmith?"

You have the option of completing this Web Quest on your blog or as a comment to mine. Have fun and learning about the art of silver!