Samuel Hough's research at the Gorham Archives indicates that this service was made under the direction of Joseph Straker (1843-1912), an English-trained master silversmith who became foreman of Gorham's Experimental Room. Under Straker, Gorham's drawings were first translated into actual objects, and many of the firm's best Martele pieces were created in the Experimental Room, including the great Martele dressing table made for the Paris Exposition of 1900. Based on its great sculptural effect, Hough has attributed the chasing of the present coffee service to Robert Bain (1866-1946), Gorham's principal chaser at the time. The present service required 106 hours of silversmithing and an additional 162 hours of chasing.