Thomas Savage, Director of Museum Affairs, Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library

In 1773 visiting Bostonian Josiah Quincy wrote of Charleston, "In grandeur, splendor of buildings, decorations, equipages, numbers, commerce, shipping, and indeed in almost everything it far surpasses all I ever saw or ever expected to see in America." Quincy was witness to Charleston's "Golden Age", the eve of revolution when the constant arrival of foreign artisans and imported consumer goods made the South Carolina low country the most fashion conscious society in colonial America. This lecture will examine the fine and decorative arts produced at home and abroad that contributed to Charleston's unique character.

Charleston-made Ladies Closet; Courtesey of Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts, Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Thomas Savage, Director of Museum Affairs, Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library
Contributed photo