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.
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MBR-002 · Historical illustrations · 1906
Britannia metal, silver plate & the 1847 Rogers Bros. brand
An engraved factory view labeled Meriden Britannia Co. in 1863; horses and carts fill the foreground.
Read item & source notes
MBR-003 · Historical illustrations · 1906
Britannia metal, silver plate & the 1847 Rogers Bros. brand
Factory E, International Silver Co. (Meriden Britannia Co.), as illustrated in A Century of Meriden.
Read item & source notesMBR-004 · Advertisements · 1893
Britannia metal, silver plate & the 1847 Rogers Bros. brand
Meriden Britannia advertises its hollowware and 1847 Rogers Bros. flatware trademarks and its exhibit in the Manufactures and Liberal Arts Building.
Read item & source notes
MBR-005 · Advertisements · February 1906 issue; rebound edition 1907
Britannia metal, silver plate & the 1847 Rogers Bros. brand
A floral arrangement of Vintage-pattern flatware in the company’s Silver Standard, volume II, number 1.
Read item & source notes
MBR-006 · Advertisements · February 1906 issue; rebound edition 1907
Britannia metal, silver plate & the 1847 Rogers Bros. brand
Berkshire-pattern serving and eating utensils are promoted to retailers in The Silver Standard.
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MBR-007 · Advertisements · April 1906 issue; rebound edition 1907
Britannia metal, silver plate & the 1847 Rogers Bros. brand
Case no. 3050 held 26 pieces and listed at $21.50. The copy positions it between inexpensive lined boxes and larger wooden chests.
Read item & source notes
MBR-008 · Advertisements · December 1907
Britannia metal, silver plate & the 1847 Rogers Bros. brand
Gift sets in lined boxes, cases, and chests, with the printed maker line identifying Meriden Britannia Co. and International Silver Co., successor.
Read item & source notes
MBR-009 · Historical documents · 1907
Britannia metal, silver plate & the 1847 Rogers Bros. brand
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.
Read item & source notesMBR-010 · Full source text · 1906
Britannia metal, silver plate & the 1847 Rogers Bros. brand
Complete acquired repository OCR for this historical publication. Search additional names, product terms and addresses, then verify matches in the original scan.
Read item & source notesMBR-011 · Full source text · 1907; includes issues originally published in 1906 and 1907
Britannia metal, silver plate & the 1847 Rogers Bros. brand
Complete acquired repository OCR for this historical publication. Search additional names, product terms and addresses, then verify matches in the original scan.
Read item & source notesMBR-012 · Full source text · 1893
Britannia metal, silver plate & the 1847 Rogers Bros. brand
Complete acquired repository OCR for this historical publication. Search additional names, product terms and addresses, then verify matches in the original scan.
Read item & source notesMBR-013 · Sources & research leads · December 16, 1852
Britannia metal, silver plate & the 1847 Rogers Bros. brand
Meriden Britannia Co. was organized under Connecticut joint-stock law with $50,000 capital. The 1906 account names I. C. Lewis, H. C. Wilcox, D. C. Wilcox, James A. Frary, Lemuel J. Curtis, W. W. Lyman, and John Munson as subscribers. Retrospective 1906 history; full page and OCR preserved.
Read item & source notesMBR-014 · Sources & research leads · 1863
Britannia metal, silver plate & the 1847 Rogers Bros. brand
The history says construction of a factory over 500 feet long on the west side of State Street began in 1863.
Read item & source notesMBR-015 · Sources & research leads · November 19, 1898; 1899
Britannia metal, silver plate & the 1847 Rogers Bros. brand
International Silver Company was organized under New Jersey law on November 19, 1898 and bought constituent company stock. The 1906 account distinguishes those acquisitions from the 1899 corporate mergers. It names Meriden Britannia and Meriden Silver Plate separately.
Read item & source notesMBR-016 · Sources & research leads · Date described in source
Britannia metal, silver plate & the 1847 Rogers Bros. brand
Publicly readable primary ephemera record; undated. No explicit image reuse license found on the item page, so retained as a credited link, not copied.
Read item & source notesMBR-017 · Sources & research leads · Date described in source
Britannia metal, silver plate & the 1847 Rogers Bros. brand
Archival finding-aid lead cited by published histories; endpoint returned 403 during this pass. Do not claim the records were inspected.
Read item & source notesMBR-018 · Sources & research leads · Date described in source
Britannia metal, silver plate & the 1847 Rogers Bros. brand
Rights and metadata inspected; direct Wikimedia image download returned 403; accessible 1906 factory views used instead.
Read item & source notesMBR-019 · Sources & research leads · Date described in source
Britannia metal, silver plate & the 1847 Rogers Bros. brand
Not selected: Commons metadata gives 1897, preceding International Silver’s 1898 formation; date needs repository verification.
Read item & source notesMBR-020 · Sources & research leads · Date described in source
Britannia metal, silver plate & the 1847 Rogers Bros. brand
Available reusable lead under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, with required credit and commercial-use limitations; not downloaded because selected public-domain ads suffice.
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.
