Joseph Richardson, Jr. (December 4, 1752 – March 11, 1831), was a noted American silversmith, active in Philadelphia. Richardson was born in Philadelphia, the son of silversmith

Joseph Richardson Sr. Joseph Richardson Sr. (September 28, 1711 - 1784) was an American silversmith, active in Philadelphia. He has been described as one of the greatest silversmiths of his time. Richardson was born in Philadelphia to silversmith Francis Richardson II ...

(1711–1784) and grandson of noted silversmith, Francis Richardson II (November 25, 1684, New York City – August 17, 1729, Philadelphia). He apprenticed about 1765 to his father, then joined his shop on Front Street, between Chestnut and Walnut Streets. On June 15, 1780, he married Ruth Hoskins at

Burlington, New Jersey Burlington is a city in Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a suburb of Philadelphia. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 9,743. Burlington was first incorporated on October 24, 1693, and was r ...

. In 1784 he took over his father's business, then from 1785 to 1791 partnered with his brother,

Nathaniel Richardson Nathaniel Richardson (February/April 2, 1754 – September 2, 1827) was an American silversmith, active in Philadelphia. Richardson was born to noted silversmith Joseph Richardson Sr. and raised in the craft. From 1785-1791 he partnered with his ...

, as I. & N. RICHARDSON. On December 12, 1795,

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

appointed him Assayer of the Philadelphia Mint, which position he held until his death. From 1795 to 1802 he partnered with James Howell in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as RICHARDSON & Co., from 1802 to 1810 worked solo, and ultimately sold his business to Howell. Richardson is best known for his Washington Indian Peace Medals, as he created some of the 1793 and all of the 1795 medals. This followed naturally from his earlier assistance to his father in the

Friendly Association for Regaining and Preserving Peace with the Indians by Pacific Measures Friendly may refer to: Places * Friendly, West Yorkshire, a settlement in Calderdale, West Yorkshire, England * Friendly, Maryland, an unincorporated community in the United States * Friendly, Eugene, Oregon, a neighborhood in the United States * ...

(founded 1755). Another notable commission was the teapot and waste bowl for which George Washington paid $44.55 in 1796. His works are collected in the

Art Institute of Chicago The Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago's Grant Park, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the world. Recognized for its curatorial efforts and popularity among visitors, the museum hosts approximately 1.5 mill ...

, Metropolitan Museum of Art,

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston The Museum of Fine Arts (often abbreviated as MFA Boston or MFA) is an art museum in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the 20th-largest art museum in the world, measured by public gallery area. It contains 8,161 paintings and more than 450,000 works ...

, and Winterthur Museum.

References

* ''Joseph Richardson and family, Philadelphia silversmiths'',

Martha Gandy Fales Martha Lou Gandy Fales (October 31, 1930 – February 24, 2006) was an American art historian, museum curator, and author specializing in historic American silversmithing and jewelry. She worked as a curator and keeper of the silver at the Wintert ...

, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, 1974.
"Joseph Richardson"
American Silversmiths.

Winterthur Museum. * ''American Silversmiths and Their Marks: The Definitive (1948) Edition'', Stephen G. C. Ensko, Courier Corporation, 2012, page 113. * "Indian Trade Silver Ornaments Made by Joseph Richardson, Jr.", Harrold E. Gillingham, in ''The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography'', Vol. 67, No. 1 (Jan., 1943), pp. 83–91. * ''Early American silver and its makers'', Jane Bentley, Mayflower Books, 1979, page 42. * ''Kovels' American Silver Marks'', Ralph M. Kovel, Crown Publishers, 1989, page 312. * ''American Silver'', John Marshall Phillips, Courier Corporation, 2012. * ''Indian Culture and European Trade Goods: The Archaeology of the Historic Period in the Western Great Lakes Region'', George Irving Quimby, University of Wisconsin Press, 1966, page 96.
"Joseph Richardson business records, 1733–1831"
Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. {{DEFAULTSORT:Richardson Jr., Joseph American silversmiths 1752 births 1831 deaths