Daughter of the American Revolution – American Heritage Award

Daughters of the American Revolution – American Heritage Award

Memorial Continental Hall silver pendant by Kaminer Haislip

I am so incredibly proud to announce I have been honored by the Daughters of the American Revolution with a prestigious award for the annual American Heritage Competition. My sterling silver pendant Memorial Continental Hall was awarded the American Heritage Award for Crafts, First Place in the Jewelry category! It is such an honor and privilege to receive this prominent award for my artwork. The theme this year was Rise, and Shine Your Light on Our House Beautiful, which refers to DAR’s National Headquarters in Washington, DC.

DAR Memorial Continental Hall in Washington, DC

My submission to the 2022 American Heritage Competition was a sterling silver pendant inspired by the gorgeous building in the striking image above. The National Historic Landmark was built in 1905 and designed by the architect Edward Pearce Casey, designer of the interior of the Library of Congress. The building is in the beaux-arts classical revival style, which harmonized with the other structures developed in the area at that time.

Memorial Continental Hall silver pendant by Kaminer Haislip

The façade of Memorial Continental Hall was my focal point for the 1” diameter pendant and I used images found online as my visual guide.

Hand drawn etching process on silver sheet

The building design was hand drawn onto sterling silver sheet and then etched with an acid technique to create the textured lines. Once the design was etched, I cut out the round shape with a piercing saw and soldered a round silver frame onto it. The frame was hand filed and sanded flush with the etched piece of silver to give the illusion it is one piece. I then soldered the bail at the top for the chain to go through. Once all of the silver pieces had been fabricated, I sanded and polished it to a high shine, mirror finish.  

Back of Memorial Continental Hall silver pendant by Kaminer Haislip

Through both of these awards and my involvement in DAR, an exceptional national non-profit organization and genealogical society, I strive to honor my American Revolution patriots and family heritage. For more information on DAR and our dedication to promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and securing America’s future through better education for children please visit http://www.dar.org/.

To read about my previous American Heritage Awards please visit my Blog posts at the links below. Thank you for your interest in my work!