COLLECTION 007 · SGC-MBR-007
Britannia metal, silver plate & the 1847 Rogers Bros. brand
A founders’ photograph, factory views and original advertisements trace a Meriden manufacturer from metalworking to international silverware sales.
Organization date is reported in the 1906 city history; no separate opening-day record has been obtained.
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1906
The 1906 book identifies this group as the founders and dates its source photograph to about 1852. That retrospective caption matters: it supplies the identification, while the camera date and photographer remain unverified. Compare the portrait with the later factory views to see how the book presented an expanding enterprise.
Charles Bancroft Gillespie and George Munson Curtis; Journal Publishing Co., Meriden; A Century of Meriden: The Silver City, part III; New York Public Library; digitized by Google; Internet Archive
Original source1906
An engraved factory view labeled Meriden Britannia Co. in 1863; horses and carts fill the foreground.
Charles Bancroft Gillespie and George Munson Curtis; Journal Publishing Co., Meriden; A Century of Meriden: The Silver City, part III; New York Public Library; digitized by Google; Internet Archive
Original source1906
Factory E, International Silver Co. (Meriden Britannia Co.), as illustrated in A Century of Meriden.
Charles Bancroft Gillespie and George Munson Curtis; Journal Publishing Co., Meriden; A Century of Meriden: The Silver City, part III; New York Public Library; digitized by Google; Internet Archive
Original source1893
The 1893 advertisement gives Meriden Britannia two identities on one page: its own trademark for hollowware and 1847 Rogers Bros. for spoons, forks, and knives. Its Silver Standard later paired stories about 1847 with contemporary advertisements. The 1907 edition’s title page and issue dates make the distinction clear: 1847 is part of the brand story, not the date of these advertisements.
Moses P. Handy, editor; W. B. Conkey Company, Chicago; The Official Directory of the World's Columbian Exposition, May 1st to October 30th, 1893; Library of Congress; Internet Archive
Original sourceFebruary 1906 issue; rebound edition 1907
A floral arrangement of Vintage-pattern flatware in the company’s Silver Standard, volume II, number 1.
Meriden Britannia Co., Meriden (International Silver Co., successor); The Silver Standard, special edition containing volumes II and III; Winterthur Museum Library; Internet Archive
Original sourceFebruary 1906 issue; rebound edition 1907
Berkshire-pattern serving and eating utensils are promoted to retailers in The Silver Standard.
Meriden Britannia Co., Meriden (International Silver Co., successor); The Silver Standard, special edition containing volumes II and III; Winterthur Museum Library; Internet Archive
Original sourceApril 1906 issue; rebound edition 1907
The case held 26 pieces and was offered between simpler lined boxes and larger wooden chests. Pattern, packaging and price all became part of the sales pitch. Read this page beside the gift advertisement to study how the company addressed dealers and gift buyers.
Meriden Britannia Co., Meriden (International Silver Co., successor); The Silver Standard, special edition containing volumes II and III; Winterthur Museum Library; Internet Archive
Original sourceDecember 1907
Gift sets in lined boxes, cases, and chests, with the printed maker line identifying Meriden Britannia Co. and International Silver Co., successor.
Meriden Britannia Co., Meriden (International Silver Co., successor); The Silver Standard, special edition containing volumes II and III; Winterthur Museum Library; Internet Archive
Original source1907
The title page explicitly dates this collected edition 1907. The decorative use of 1847 inside the periodical must not be treated as its publication date.
Meriden Britannia Co., Meriden (International Silver Co., successor); The Silver Standard, special edition containing volumes II and III; Winterthur Museum Library; Internet Archive
Original sourceCOLLECTION HISTORY
Organized in December 1852, Meriden Britannia brought manufacturers and sellers into one company. Its early wares were cast. The 1906 account describes rolling, spinning, and stamping arriving in 1854, followed by plating and a new State Street factory in 1856. The factory views show how an enterprise named for britannia metal grew into a much larger silverware business. [MBR-013]
The 1893 advertisement gives Meriden Britannia two identities on one page: its own trademark for hollowware and 1847 Rogers Bros. for spoons, forks, and knives. Its Silver Standard later paired stories about 1847 with contemporary advertisements. The 1907 edition’s title page and issue dates make the distinction clear: 1847 is part of the brand story, not the date of these advertisements. [MBR-004]
The 1906 history separates International Silver’s organization on November 19, 1898 and acquisition of constituent stock from the corporate mergers of 1899. Later advertisements continued to use Meriden Britannia and 1847 Rogers Bros. names. A familiar trademark on an object therefore does not, by itself, date that object or establish the manufacturer’s corporate status. [MBR-010]
The early change from casting to rolling, spinning and stamping helps explain how production methods reshaped the company. Plating and the State Street factory followed, while printed advertisements brought its wares into a market beyond Meriden. Products, buildings and trademarks thus form connected but different histories. The number 1847 on Rogers Bros. branding can evoke longevity without dating a particular object. Likewise, a later advertisement bearing the Meriden Britannia name does not establish that the company remained corporately independent after the International Silver consolidation. Factory views and object photographs should be read beside catalogs and dated company records, allowing students to distinguish a marketed identity from a manufacturer’s changing legal and physical organization. [MBR-013] [MBR-004] [MBR-010]
Organization date is reported in the 1906 city history; no separate opening-day record has been obtained.
THE SEARCHABLE CATALOG
Search includes catalog notes and the OCR text included with this edition. OCR may misread names or dates; use the original scan to verify a match.
MBR-001 · Photographs · 1906
Britannia metal, silver plate & the 1847 Rogers Bros. brand
The group identified by the 1906 book as the company founders, reproduced from a photograph it dates to about 1852.
Read item & source notesED-IG-MBR-01 · Photographs · 1866–1867 object; photograph undated
Meriden Britannia Company
A Meriden Britannia service retailed by M.S. Smith in Detroit shows the reach of Connecticut silverware beyond the state.
Read item & source notesED-IG-MBR-02 · Photographs · circa 1880 object; photograph undated
Meriden Britannia Company
This ornate receiver illustrates the decorative household goods produced by Meriden Britannia.
Read item & source notesExtract the ZIP and open START_HERE.html. It includes the catalog, selected images, acquired source text, credits and a searchable SQLite database. New photo additions are hosted in the SGC media library and require an internet connection; original bundled images remain available offline.
