Shreve, Crump & Low
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Shreve, Crump & Low, a Boston, Massachusetts business in its third century of operation, is the oldest jeweler in North America and has built such prestigious trophies as the Davis Cup and the Cy Young Award. [1][2]
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[edit] History
The present-day Shreve, Crump & Low is the last of a line of firms that began in 1796 with watchmaker and silversmith John McFarlane, who opened a workshop across the street from Paul Revere. In the 1800s, the firm changed its name to Shreve's and grew in its prestige. In 1869 the consolidation of firms that created the name Shreve, Crump & Low was complete.[1]
Shreve, Crump & Low remained at their original location until their property was destroyed in the Great Boston Fire of 1872. Its new location at 225 Washington Street pioneered the use of plate glass and artificial lighting in a retail establishment. This Italianate building had showcases of black walnut trimmed with holly and ebony.[2][1]
A relocation in 1891 brought Shreve, Crump & Low to its largest building, a six stories high Italian Renaissance style edifice of limestone and marble. In 1929, Shreve, Crump & Low moved to 330 Boylston Street, one of the earliest examples of art deco architecture in New England.[1] In 2006, they celebrated a new chapter in their rich history, introducing new ownership by the venerated local jeweler, David Walker, and opening an exquisitely renovated flagship store in Boston’s Back Bay at the corner of Boylston and Berkeley Streets.
At various points in its history, Shreve's has also sold antiques, imported fine linen and stationery, and exhibited artifacts from Ancient Greece and Rome. With an enduring reputation for service and expertise, Shreve, Crump & Low is renowned for classic fine jewelry and timepieces, tableware, and a distinctive collection of Boston-themed gifts, many exclusive to Shreve, Crump & Low.
In 1974, Shreve, Crump & Low opened a second location at The Mall at Chestnut Hill.[2]
[edit] Notable commissions
- In 1835, orator and Massachusetts State Senator Daniel Webster was presented with a 400-ounce silver vase from this firm that was later donated to the Boston Public Library.[1]
- In 1840, Samuel Cunard was given a 30-inch Shreve's cup for helping to finance the RMS Britannia, the first steamship to travel between Liverpool and Boston.[1]
- In 1848, trustees of the Massachusetts General Hospital presented William Thomas Green Morton with a Shreve's silver box for discovering anesthetic ether.[1]
- In 1863, General George B. McClellan received a silver Shreve's pitcher for his efforts in the American Civil War.[1]
- In the 1870s, Shreve, Crump & Low began working in semi-precious metals and created the chandelier and sounding board for Trinity Church, Boston and lighting for the Old South Church and the Parker House Hotel.[1]
- In the 1880s, the firm provided lighting fixtures for patrons outside of Boston including the city hall in Providence, Rhode Island and King Kalakaua's Iolani Palace in Honolulu.[1]
- In 1899, a Harvard University tennis player named Dwight F. Davis purchased a huge trophy from Shreve's to be awarded to the winner of a tournament to which they challenged a team from the United Kingdom. The prize is now known as the Davis Cup.[2]
- In 1908, Shreve's created an elaborate silver cup to honor Boston Red Sox hero Cy Young. After the pitcher's death in 1955 this became the Cy Young Award.[2]
- In 2006, David G. Walker, an already respected Bostonian jeweler, purchased Shreve, Crump & Low out of bankruptcy, restoring it to its original luster by doing a multi-million dollar renovation of both the store in the Mall at Chestnut Hill and the flagship Boston store located at the corner of Boylston and Berkeley Streets. Walker traveled the world in search for rare gems, such as a twelve carat blue diamond, ten carat D color and internally flawless ashercut diamond, or the five carat pink diamond. Walker has brought the Shreve's that existed a hundred years ago back to life and hopes for ongoing success.
