Founded in Attleboro, Massachusetts, in 1866 by William Dean Whiting, who had already made a name for himself as a maker of sterling silver with Tifft & Whiting, the Whiting Manufacturing Company was one of the late 19th century’s premier producers of sterling silver flatware, hollowware, and other decorative objects such as snuff boxes. A fire at the factory in 1875 forced the company to relocate to New York City, where it produced Japanese-inspired pieces to compete with Gorham and Tiffany. Silver salts were shaped like lotus blossoms while hammered pitchers often featured silver fish such as carp and various seashells applied to the surface. In 1905, Gorham purchased Whiting and made silver under the Whiting brand until it was discontinued in 1926.