The Philadelphia Experience
Fine Objects Society made its first official move beyond New York City, launching a new phase of programming with a dynamic weekend in Philadelphia.
We began with a private evening at Freeman’s | Hindman, previewing an extraordinary upcoming sale: a major David Drake pot, Abraham Lincoln’s assassination-day gloves, a group of Thomas Sully portraits, and hundreds of additional important lots. Cocktails in hand, we explored the galleries and compared notes with specialists and collectors.
The next morning took us to The Clay Studio, an architectural and cultural landmark devoted to ceramics. There, established international artists and emerging talents work side-by-side, pushing the boundaries of contemporary craft. FOS has always been committed to the future of material culture, and the energy inside The Clay Studio was a powerful reminder of why.
From there we continued to Mount Pleasant, one of the most important surviving examples of Georgian architecture in America — closed to the public since 2019, and opened specially for FOS. Built for a privateer and later owned by Benedict Arnold, the house retains a razor-sharp sense of its layered, dramatic history. Alexandra Kirtley of the Philadelphia Museum of Art led us through its interiors, offering a rare close study of its spaces and stories.
At the Philadelphia Show, one of the country’s premier fairs for antiques and art, FOS President Ben Miller moderated a panel discussion with architect Steven Spandle, glass artist Amber Cowan, and museum director Peter Seibert. They spoke about the role of objects in creative practice and daily life, sparking a lively conversation with the audience.
The afternoon concluded with time to explore the Philadelphia Show’s extraordinary range of offerings — from early American silver to cutting-edge studio ceramics — a fitting end to a weekend that was as forward-looking as it was steeped in history.
