UPCOMING PROGRAM

PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF DATE: TUESDAY April 9, 2019

At the Meriden Public Library

105 Miller St. Meriden CT

6:30 PM

STAINED-GLASS WINDOWS OF MERIDEN.

Architectural art can be found throughout Meriden. Amy Prescher, an art and architecture historian and a faculty member of Connecticut State University, will present us with a program on the treasures of stained glass windows found in our city.

The program is co-sponsored by the Meriden Historical Society and the Meriden Public Library; it is free and open to the public.

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GARDEN TOUR – POSTPONED

We regret to announce that due to the unexpected passing of the organizer of this event, the Garden Tour fund raiser, originally scheduled for June 1^st this year is postponed and will take place next year at a date yet to be determined. If you are interested in getting involved with this event, please contact  Martha Colarese , the Meriden Historical Society’s president, at the Meriden Historical Society.

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NEWS FROM THE ARCHIVES: The Meriden Cut Glass Co. and the Identification of “Fanned Hobstars”

Click on title above to view the latest article by Paul Butkus, our board member and researcher. Paul has just finished digitizing our Wilcox loose catalogs and has dedicated his article to the Meriden Cut Glass Company and the identification of “Fanned Hobstars”.

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MAY OPEN HOUSE & SPECIAL EXHIBIT

Every Sunday in May

At the Andrews Homestead

424 West Main St. Meriden CT

11:00 am – 3:00 pm

RECENT ACQUISITIONS: NAPIER, ROCKWELL, WAVE-CREST AND MORE

As in previous years, the Andrews Homestead will be open to the public from 11:00 till 3:00 every Sunday in the month of May. On display will be some of our recent acquisitions, all by Meriden artisans and manufacturers. The exhibit will feature silver on glass items by Rockwell Silver; Jewelry and more by the Napier Company; boxes and plaques by the C. F. Monroe Company and more. Admission is free, donations will be much appreciated.

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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

We are looking for dedicated volunteers for the following projects:

• Cataloging and organizing our collection of photographs
• Photographing and cataloging items in our collections
• Researching (doing detective research work) to help answer the many queries addressed to the Society

Come meet our volunteers at the Bernice Morehouse Research Center, 1090 Hanover Ave. in South Meriden on Wednesdays between 1:30 and 4:00 pm.

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CONVERT YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS, SLIDES AND VIDEOS TO DIGITAL FORMAT

As a service to the community, The Meriden Historical Society is offering to send your VHS videotapes, photographs slides and even music to Innovative Document Imaging (http://idiimage.com/) to be digitized. A tentative collection date is scheduled for June. Look for more details including a price list in our May newsletter.

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YOUR OPINION MATTERS:

A survey is coming your way.

The Meriden Historical Society’s history spans a whole century (and more). With its eyes to the future, the Society’s board of directors is interested in your opinion as to the direction the Society should take.

We are in the process of composing a brief survey. The survey will be mailed to all members. We hope you will give us 5 minutes of your time. We need your input.

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WE NOTE WITH SORROW THE PASSING OF OUR MEMBERS:

Nancy Laurentano – December 2018

We’ll miss Nancy for her generosity and for her love for all that is Meriden.

Frank Chiarenza – June 2018

We’ll miss Frank for his knowledge of glass and for his generosity to the Society.

Emily Belanger – February 2019

We’ll miss Emily for her generosity and her love for all that is Meriden.

and

Agnes Baur – March 2019

We’ll miss Agnes for her extensive knowledge of the painter Frederick Matzow and for her generosity to the Society.

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FOR THEIR GENEROSITY WE THANK:

Lynn Boyangut; Alice Meigs; Suzio Insurance Company; Philip Toussaint; and our anonymous donor at Your Cause.

Welcome to Our New Members

Philip Toussaint of Hartford CT

Kenneth Lonczak of Meriden CT

Joseph Kiely of Meriden CT

The Family of Marcus Hamilton of Meriden

Judy Kiely of Meriden CT

and

Maryanne Harrison of Meriden CT

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR CORPORATE MEMBERS:

Macri Roofing, Inc.

36 Duffy Ave. Meriden, CT

203-235-4830

www.MacriRoofing.com

Mahon Quinn & Mahon, P.C.

636 Broad St. Meriden CT

203-238-1010

www.mqmlawyer.com

Meriden Self Storage

210 Pomeroy Ave, Meriden

203-639-7335

www.MeridenSelfStorage.com

Nest Egg Auctions

758 Four Rod Rd. Berlin, CT

203-630-1400

www.NestEggAuctions.com

New England Capital

Financial Advisors LLC

79 Main St., Meriden, CT

203-935-0265

www.NewEnglandCapital.com

Record Journal

500 S. Broad St. Meriden

203-317-2407

www.myrecordjournal.com

Spoonshoppe Brooke Deli

1320 E. Main St.Meriden CT

203-630-3354

www.Spoonshoppe.com

Suzio Insurance Center LLC

54 Chamberlain HWY, Meriden CT

203-237-7403

www.SuzioInsurance.com

MARCH PROGRAM: ANTIQUES & COLLECTIBLE ADVERTISING GLASS

Thursday, March 8^th, 2018 at 6:30 pm at the Meriden Public Library, 105 Miller Street, Meriden, CT.

Ruth Ann Davis, a retired psychologist and a long time antique dealer, has been a collector of advertising glass giveaways since 1980. She will be sharing her knowledge and some of her collection with us on March 8th at 6:30 pm at the Meriden Public Library. This meeting is open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

 

 

 

 

AT THE HOMESTEAD :

MAY OPEN HOUSE & SPECIAL EXHIBIT

The Andrews Homestead, will be open to the public every Sunday in May from 11:00 till 3:00 with a special exhibit that will feature tea sets and coffee sets by International Silver and its predecessor companies and smoke related items. In addition, our silver display cases will be restocked and will feature new items from our International Silver Co. Collection.

The exhibit will open with a tea party special fundraising event.

 

A TEA PARTY AT THE HOMESTEAD

Saturday, May 5^th, 2018 at the Andrews Homestead, 424 W. Main St. Meriden CT (sharing a parking lot with the Benjamin Franklin School). Table settings will feature tea sets and coffee sets from the Society’s International Silver Co. Collection. Details to follow in next month’s news letter.

 

CHRISTMAS AT THE HOMESTEAD

Our Christmas open house at the Andrews Homestead was held there for the first time in over 40 years. In spite of the snowy weather, people came to enjoy the holiday atmosphere. It was an overwhelming success and we hope to make it a yearly tradition.

 

 

NEWS FROM THE ARCHIVES

By: Paul S. Butkus

Among the documentation from the various companies that formed or became a part of the International Silver Company are a large number of scrapbooks. While the majority of the scrapbooks in the Archives contain copies of trade and popular magazine advertisements, somewhat unique among the collection are those from the Meriden Silver Plate Company. These scrapbooks are large, unwieldy items but instead of magazine advertisements, they contain clippings from their product catalogs arranged by item number. Dates are not noted next to the items so it unfortunately does not allow you to put a specific date on a particular pattern but what is possible is to see the configuration of an item as offered in the original catalog. This can be quite useful when trying to determine if a particular item is missing a metal or glass part or whether a glass item (bowl or vase etc.) is original to the piece or possibly a later replacement.

 

I recently found a Meriden Silver Plate Ink Stand at a thrift store and although it had a lot of plate loss and was missing its ink well, I purchased it. The mark was clear and almost complete but something caught my eye along the reinforcing rib that runs from the pen area through the ink well area, right in the center of the piece. When turned at just the right angle, a second imprint of the 02547 item number is just barely visible running parallel to the reinforcing rib but has been buffed out. I suspect that someone placed the first mark in the center of the piece not knowing that it would be obscured by the reinforcing rib. Before leaving the factory, the first mark was removed, the reinforcing rib installed and a new mark added. Had this been a later repair and not done in the factory, there wouldn’t be a second mark.

  

Such hidden traces help reinforce the fact that while industrialization facilitated greater production of items at a more affordable cost, there still was a lot of hands-on involvement. One could imagine a fairly young apprentice just learning the trade being assigned the job of placing the mark and given his level of experience wasn’t aware that this particular piece had another element to be put on. Before placing the rib, the mistake was discovered and corrected and item completed. Whatever the actual reason, I find these forensic details fascinating.

 

Since the thrift store only had the stand I decided to do some research to determine what type of glass ink well would have come with it. The four round balls held the ink well in place and worn areas of the plate are visible suggesting a lot of use over the years. The wear marks at first glance appear circular so I assumed that there would have been a round inkwell sitting there.

 

Going to the large scrapbooks, which are about 5” thick, I was able to locate the section on inkwells relatively easily in of one of the volumes. Since the items are organized by type and number and appear to have been added over a long period of time all of the same type of objects are not located in one volume. Notes at the end of the ink well section in the first scrapbook directed me to where the series continued in a subsequent scrapbook.

 

There on page 173 was a great catalog image of item 02547 with its missing glass ink well that originally cost $6.00. Instead of being round as I suspected it was actually hexagonal cut glass. The ink well is also shown by itself as item 02543 for $3.50. Upon closer inspection of the wear marks along with the catalog image it is obvious that the original ink well was not round. At least now I know what to keep my eyes on the lookout for.

 

 

WELCOME TO OUR NEW MEMBERS:

Ronald Abbe of Meriden, Bill Carabetta of Meriden CT, Ellen Carter of Glastonbury CT, Jane Mulligan of Meriden CT, Rick and Sue Reale of Meriden CT, Matt Zierler of Okemos MI, and to our new corporate member, New England Capital Financial Advisors Llc of Meriden CT.

 

FOR THEIR GENEROSITY WE THANK:

Agnes Baur, Arnold E. Hayes III, Bruce And Sue Burchsted, Cecelia Flagg, Deborah Hanna, Daniel J. Metz, anonymous, Doe Bartlett, Ellen M. Carter, Frank Chiarenza, Gregg Hugo, Jacquelyn Beale, Jan Fontanella, Janet Pestey, anonymous, John G. Arndt, Lawrence & Stacia Morehouse, Lawrence M. McGoldrick, Lesley Solkoske, Lorraine Hancock, Matt Zierler, Paul S. Butkus, Robert & Theresa Rao (IMO Carrol Lyle), Roger Kemp, Ronald J. Stempien, Ruth Ann C. Davis, Ruth Grandy, Sharon Deming, Sherwin & Ruth Borsuk, Suzanne E. Zajac, Thomas Marshall, the many visitors to the Andrews Homestead and to the Research Center who dropped cash into our donation jars, to the Estate of Ruth Snyder, and to the Wave Crest Collectors Club (IMO Carrol Lyle).

 

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR CORPORATE MEMBERS 

Nest Egg Auctions

http://nesteggauctions.com

758 Four Rod Road

Berlin, CT 06037

203-630-1400

The Record Journal

http://myrecordjournal.com

500 S. Broad St,

Meriden CT 06450

203-235-1661

The Remodeling Company

848 N. Colony Rd

Meriden, CT 06450

203-213-1053

 

New England Capital Financial Advisors, LLC

http://newenglandcapital.com

79 Main St.

Meriden, CT 06451

203-935-0265

 

NOVEMBER PROGRAM AND LECTURE

Thursday, November 9, 6:30 PM at the Meriden Public Library, 105 Miller Street, Meriden CT

THE MERIDEN GRAVURE COMPANY- PRINTING BEFORE THE DIGITAL AGE – LECTURE AND BOOK SIGNING. Presented by William (Bill) J. Glick author of

IN THE SERVICE OFSCHOLARSHIP: HAROLD HUGO & THE MERIDEN GRAVURE COMPANY (Oak Knoll Press 2017). Mr. Glick, a member of the Meriden Historical Society, will present an illustrated talk about the Meriden Gravure Company and the talented people who were the driving force behind this world renowned, Meriden based, printing company. In his presentation Bill will draw on his 30-year association with the company as well as on his extensive research when writing his recently published book.

Book signing will follow the discussion.

A limited number of books (@ $75.00) will be available for sale for cash, checks or PayPal payments. Profits of the sale go to benefit the activities of the Meriden Historical Society. This program is free to both members and non-members of the Meriden Historical Society. Refreshments will be served.

 

AT THE RESEARCH CENTER:

We no longer use cotton gloves when handling materials at the Society. All materials are now handled with acid free, disposable, highly tactile Nitrile gloves. This procedure protects both materials and handlers.

Our volunteers have started cataloging our archives of the Napier Company. While the company is best known for its costume jewelry,

Napier created other objects as well, as seen in this page from Napier’s 1967 catalog JEWELRY AND GIFTS by Napier® – Napier is too good to hide.

The society recently enjoyed a visit by Melinda L Lewis and her husband Mark. Melinda is the author (together with Henry Swen) of the encyclopedic book, The Napier Co. Defining 20^th Century American Costume Jewelry. (Life By Design Publishing – 2013) The couple browsed through our Napier archives, reviewing information from material in the Society’s collection.

NEWS FROM THE ARCHIVES

by Paul Butkus

It is said that a good product will sell itself but only if people know that it exists. It is apparent through the cataloging of the materials in the International Silver Company Archives at the Meriden Historical Society, that IS really knew how to get the word out, including enlisting the help of famous personalities!

The Archives contain a wealth of information documenting the various methods used to do just that. Both IS and their retailers worked together to advertise the various product lines to their customers, following well planned out advertising campaigns developed at the headquarters in Meriden. Examples of the coming year’s advertising campaigns are included in the collection which outlines the advertisements that would be placed in various national magazines along with suggestions for local advertisements to be placed by the individual retailers. Contained within numerous ‘scrap books’ (arranged chronologically by month, year and line), are the actual advertisements placed in the national magazines including both trade journals and popular magazines such as: Brides Book, Harpers Bazaar, House Beautiful, House & Garden, Ladies’ Home Journal and the Saturday Evening Post. A number of volumes contain the local ads as well.

But placing an advertisement alone won’t make the sale so IS created materials to help train the salesmen. One such publication was a newsletter called the International Silver Service, which they started in September of 1932. The newsletter was sent out to retailers and included articles on new products, special monthly promotions, announcements of upcoming radio and print advertising campaigns and helpful information on how to treat a customer so that they not only made the initial sale but were enticed to come back again and again.

The April 1933 edition of International Silver Service announced that Mickey Mouse had been enlisted as their latest salesman. He would help make sales through the introduction of a number of items in silver plate for children including plates, cups, porringers and flatware decorated with his image. “Salesman Mickey Mouse Ready to Work for You” reads the title of one of the articles. In September of 1933, the Mickey Mouse flatware (along with a cup and porringer) started being offered in sterling along with the addition of items featuring Minnie Mouse, Clarabell Cow and Horace Horsecollar flatware adding to the ‘sales force’. The article announcing the new offerings in sterling begins with “A successful salesman sells himself.” Clearly the message was not intended to just apply to Mickey Mouse but also the retail salesman reading the newsletter as well.

It is no wonder that IS became the largest silver producer in the world.

 

FOR THEIR GENEROSITY WE THANK:

Stacey McConlogue for her donation in memory of Jean Lord Greenlaw, and to Gregg Hugo for his donation in Memory of his wife Bonnie.

 

IN SYMPATHY

The Meriden Historical Society extends its condolences to Gregg Hugo on the passing of his wife Bonnie; to Charles Kline on the passing of his mother Eleanor and to Andrew Piatek on the passing of his mother Dorothy.

 

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR CORPORATE MEMBERS

 

Nest Egg Auctions

758 Four Rod Road

Berlin, CT 06037

203-630-1400

The Record Journal

500 S. Broad St,

Meriden CT 06450

203-235-1661

The Remodeling Company

848 N. Colony Rd

Meriden, CT 06450

203-213-1053

 

April Program: MERIDEN’S HISTORY & SETTING INSPIRES ASYLUM with local author Kathryn Orzech.

THURSDAY, APRIL 13 6:30 at the Meriden Public Library:

Kathryn Orzech, award-winning local author of Asylum and Premonition of Terror, and, as she describes herself when telling about her website Dreamwatch.com: “Not a Psychic but…”, will talk about how the history of Meriden inspired her and found its way into her book Asylum.

This program is co-sponsored by the Meriden Public Library. Book signing will follow the talk. Admission is free so bring a friend!
Refreshments will be served.

 

AT THE ANDREWS HOMESTEAD: MERIDEN’S CONTRIBUTION TO THE NATION’S WARS.

We are getting ready for the May Open House with a special exhibit: MERIDEN’S CONTRIBUTION TO THE NATION’S WARS.

The exhibit will cover The Civil War, the Spanish American War, WWI, WWII, the Korean and the Vietnam wars. A special section is set aside to commemorate the 100^th anniversary of WWI; another is dedicated to Women of Meriden and their contributions both at home and overseas.

The exhibit and open house will be held every Sunday in May from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm AND  the following Thursdays: May 4^th and May 18^th – 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

Docent Volunteers are needed.

On Sundays shifts run 11:00 – 1:00 and 1:00 to 3:00 and/or any of the two Thursdays 5:00 – 8:00 shift.

Please call us 203-639-1913 and leave your name and number, we’ll call you back

 

DAFFODILE FESTIVAL TAG SALE

Visit us under the tent at the Daffodil Festival giant tag sale Saturday, April 22, 2017 and show your support!

 

NEWS FROM THE ARCHIVES

by: Paul S. Butkus

Work on the cataloging of the International Silver Company Archives is progressing with over 70 trade catalogs, brochures and binders of information photographed or scanned and listed. This amounts to approximately 8,000 pages of information from the Meriden Britannia Co., International Silver Co., Meriden Silver Plate Co., Middletown Plate Co., Simpson Hall, Miller & Co., Wilcox Silver Plate Co. and a couple of other catalogs from companies that were not part of IS but are included in the archives. (Companies that either sued or were sued by Meriden Britannia Co. over design or trade mark issues). In addition to compiling the inventory information into a spreadsheet list, work is under way to develop an easy to use a computer interface based upon web technology. This will facilitate easier access to the digital files for research purposes while helping to preserve the originals. A beta version is almost ready to be set up at the Research Center.

Since we are at the beginning of spring, a few items found within the archives seem appropriate to share in this April newsletter.

For baseball fans we have this photo of a custom made, sterling silver baseball. It was likely commissioned to commemorate William Harridge becoming president of the American League. Its whereabouts is unknown but the Meriden Historical Society has a silver baseball bat in the collection that can be seen at the Andrews Homestead.

Illustration 1: 1931 American League Sterling Baseball William Harridge, president (1931-1959)

 

For the nature minded, Meriden will be celebrating the 39^th Annual Daffodil Festival at the end of the month of April but daffodils have been immortalized in silver for many years by the divisions of the International Silver Company. In addition to the classic 1950s ‘Daffodil’ flatware and hollow ware marketed under the 1847 Rogers Bros. mark, the Wilcox division made a number of hollow ware pieces decorated with a patented cast daffodil ornament that was applied to the surface rather than being embossed. A design patent was issued to Seth William Babbitt of Meriden on August 12, 1902 which shows a fully opened flower, a bud and leaves.

Illustration 2: 1902 Patent issued to S.W. Babbitt of Meriden

 

Illustration 3: Wilcox Silver Plate Co. Ice Tub decorated with the Babbitt ‘Daffodil’ ornamentation

 

 

WE NOTE WITH SORROW

The passing of our members:

Arthur Geary and Kenneth Dow

 

FOR THEIR GENEROSITY:

We thank Emily Belanger, Martha Colaresi, Margaret Jenkins, Helen Reid, John Rush, Patricia F. Singer, and The Center for 20^th Century Texas Studies.

 

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR CORPORATE MEMBERS

 

Nest Egg Auctions

http://nesteggauctions.com

758 Four Rod Road

Berlin, CT 06037

203-630-1400

The Record Journal

http://myrecordjournal.com

500 S. Broad St,

Meriden CT 06450

203-235-1661

The Remodeling Company

848 N. Colony Rd

Meriden, CT 06450

203-213-1053

THE BRIDGEPORT POLTERGEIST ON LINDLEY STREET with  author William J. Hall

THURSDAY, MARCH 9 at 6:30 at the Meriden Public Library 105 miller St. Meriden CT 06450

Furniture jumping, floating refrigerators, attacking entities – was this done by a poltergeist?  Mr. Hall’s presentation includes witness testimony from police, reporters, priests, and others on the best documented and witnessed haunting in modern history. He will discuss the missing link to the paranormal, how negative hauntings work, and a paranormal flap where all forms of phenomena converge. Co sponsored by the Meriden Public Library this meeting is free to the public. Refreshments will be served.

NEWS FROM THE BERNICE C. MOREHOUSE RESEARCH CENTER

1. The Genealogy Project, headed by our curator Allen Weathers and his core of volunteers. Files have been created for all students who have graduated Meriden high schools. At this point, Richard Bartholomew, Bob Smith and Laura Winoski are adding more information to those cards.
2. In December, The Meriden Department of Parks and Recreation donated scrapbooks relating to the department’s activities. The scrapbooks joined the Meriden Police Department’s scrapbooks already at our research center.                Also in December, a clock was damaged by workmen in the building and was repaired by Mr. Thomas Grimshaw of Cheshire. When Tom came back with the repaired clock, he brought along an early Bradley and Hubbard clock and donated it to the Society. Thanks Tom!
   

   Curator Allen Weathers accepting Tom Grimshaw’s donation of an early B&H clock to the Meriden Historical Society.

3. The CUNO Foundation held its board meeting at the Research Center in January.

4. Rob LaRivierre replaced the rotting cupula on the roofof the Research Center, making sure to re-mount the weathervane that adorns our building. Rob donated both the cupula and his labor. – Thank you Rob!

NEWS FROM THE ARCHIVES

by: Paul S. Butkus

An ongoing project at the MHS is the cataloging of the International Silver Company Archives. The collection includes numerous published catalogs and designs from the various companies which joined together to form or were later acquired by IS. The intent of the project is threefold. First; make known what is available within the archive. Second; make the materials more easily available to researchers and third; assess and better preserve the actual materials.

One of the hidden benefits of the project is the rediscovery of many unique or unusual items that were in regular production or custom commissions. While many of the mass produced pickle castors, flatware patterns and hollow ware items are frequently seen on websites or in personal collections, some items are rarely if ever seen. Whether custom made pieces or ones intended for a singular use, they were all lavished with the same attention to detail. The quantity, quality and diversity of the articles produced is simply amazing and there seems to be no end to the variations exhibited in the catalogs. Selecting just a few items to include here was difficult but hopefully these will give a taste of things to come.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WELCOME TO OUR NEW MEMBERS:

Thomas Marshall of Wallingford, CT; Carl Sokolowski of Southington, CT & the Sabino Family of Cheshire, CT.

 

WE NOTE WITH SORROW

The passing of our member and dedicated volunteer Sylvia Winslow.

 

FOR THEIR GENEROSITY:

Sincere thanks to: Anonimous, John Arndt, Agnes Baur, Jacqueline Beale, bruce and suzana burchsted, Daniel Busa, Paul S. Butkus, Ruth Ann C. Davis, Nancy Gluck, Tom Grimshaw, Lorraine Hancock, Greg Hugo, Lawrence McGoldrick, Kathleen and Donald McMahon, Stacia and Lawrence Morehouse, Joan Munger, Lucy R. Mickiewicz, Janet Pestey, Clark Robison, Karen Sabia, Randy Swope, Betty Wieland.

 

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR CORPORATE MEMBERS

 

Nest Egg Auctions

https://NestEggAuctions.com

758 Four Rod Road

Berlin, CT 06037

203-630-1400

The Record Journal

http://myrecordjournal.com

500 S. Broad St,

Meriden CT 06450

203-235-1661

The Remodeling Company

Robert LaRivierre

848 N. Colony Rd

Meriden, CT 06450

203-213-1053