Birth and Death Dates:
Born September 22, 1900 in Sonyea, New York. Died August 7, 1967, in an automobile accident in Taxco, Mexico.
Background:
William Spratling was an architect turned silversmith who became known as the "father of Mexican silver." He brought Mexican art to New York galleries and was instrumental in the organization of the first US exhibit of Mexican arts, which was held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and funded by the Carnegie Institute.
Claim to Jewelry Fame:
Spratling lived in Taxco, Mexico, where silver had been mined and exported for centuries but never worked in large scale by local artisans. He changed that by hiring an experienced goldsmith to translate his jewelry designs to silver. Early designs were in part based on pre-Columbian art.
Spratling's business also produced furniture and other objects.
Spratling Encourages Artisan Participation:
Spratling used local apprentices and many of those who trained at his studios ultimately opened their own businesses, which he encouraged. William Spratling eventually lost control of his company after bringing in investors. Although his future endeavors were never on the scale of his original Taxco business, he continued to be involved in the arts until his death.
