Meriden Silver
This collection covers a connected industry, with every company named separately. Meriden Silver Plate was distinct from Meriden Britannia. Engravings and promotional illustrations are labeled as such. The later International Silver context includes a clearly identified Waterbury advertisement. This is a selected research edition, not a complete company archive.

id: MS-001
title: Factory A: Meriden Silver Plate Company
kind: Photographs
date: 1906
summary: A tree-framed photograph of Factory A, International Silver Co., identified in the caption as Meriden Silver Plate Co.
url: https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_-zQWAAAAYAAJ/page/n1097/mode/1up
credit: 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
notes: Public Domain Mark 1.0. Photograph date unknown; published 1906. Selected crop; complete page is available at the original source. Historical book scan; minor source clipping, uneven margins and halftone texture retained. Full page preserved separately. Selected image visually inspected; objects and principal reading text upright. No generated, colorized, or reconstructed content.
file: images/silver_factory_a_1906.webp
text_file: 
institution: Meriden Silver Plate · Wilcox · C. Rogers & Bros. · International Silver
accessed: 2026-09-08
license_url: 
external_image_url: 
document_file: 

id: MS-002
title: Factory H: formerly C. Rogers & Bros.
kind: Historical illustrations
date: 1906
summary: The 1906 book identifies Factory H as the former C. Rogers & Bros. works, one part of the broader Meriden industry.
url: https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_-zQWAAAAYAAJ/page/n1106/mode/1up
credit: 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
notes: Public Domain Mark 1.0. Exact illustration date unknown; published 1906. Selected crop; complete page is available at the original source. Historical book scan; minor source clipping, uneven margins and halftone texture retained. Full page preserved separately. Selected image visually inspected; objects and principal reading text upright. No generated, colorized, or reconstructed content.
file: images/silver_factory_h_1906.webp
text_file: 
institution: Meriden Silver Plate · Wilcox · C. Rogers & Bros. · International Silver
accessed: 2026-09-08
license_url: 
external_image_url: 
document_file: 

id: MS-003
title: Wilcox factory view labeled 1865
kind: Historical illustrations
date: 1906
summary: An engraved view labeled Wilcox Silver Plate Co. in 1865. The accompanying history says the firm began as Wilcox Britannia in December 1865 and adopted the Silver Plate name in 1867.
url: https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_-zQWAAAAYAAJ/page/n1103/mode/1up
credit: 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
notes: Public Domain Mark 1.0. 1865, as labeled in the 1906 publication; retrospective company name. Selected crop; complete page is available at the original source. Historical book scan; minor source clipping, uneven margins and halftone texture retained. Full page preserved separately. Selected image visually inspected; objects and principal reading text upright. No generated, colorized, or reconstructed content.
file: images/silver_wilcox_view_labeled_1865.webp
text_file: 
institution: Meriden Silver Plate · Wilcox · C. Rogers & Bros. · International Silver
accessed: 2026-09-08
license_url: 
external_image_url: 
document_file: 

id: MS-004
title: Meriden Silver Plate catalog cover
kind: Trade catalogs
date: 1883
summary: The Toronto branch’s cover for the Meriden Silver Plate Company’s Staple Goods catalog.
url: https://archive.org/details/illustradedcata00meriuoft/page/n0/mode/1up
credit: Meriden Silver Plate Co.; printed by The Case, Lockwood & Brainard Co., Hartford; Illustrated catalogue and price list of staple goods, superior electro-silver plated ware manufactured by The Meriden Silver Plate Co.; Toronto Public Library, Toronto Reference Library; Internet Archive
notes: Public domain, explicitly designated by repository. Not a photograph. Complete selected page.  Selected image visually inspected; objects and principal reading text upright. No generated, colorized, or reconstructed content.
file: images/silver_catalog_1883_cover.webp
text_file: 
institution: Meriden Silver Plate · Wilcox · C. Rogers & Bros. · International Silver
accessed: 2026-09-08
license_url: 
external_image_url: 
document_file: 

id: MS-005
title: 1883 catalog title and salesrooms
kind: Trade catalogs
date: 1883
summary: The title page identifies the distinct Meriden Silver Plate Co., its Meriden factory, and salesrooms in New York, Chicago, and Toronto.
url: https://archive.org/details/illustradedcata00meriuoft/page/n4/mode/1up
credit: Meriden Silver Plate Co.; printed by The Case, Lockwood & Brainard Co., Hartford; Illustrated catalogue and price list of staple goods, superior electro-silver plated ware manufactured by The Meriden Silver Plate Co.; Toronto Public Library, Toronto Reference Library; Internet Archive
notes: Public domain, explicitly designated by repository. Not a photograph. Complete selected page.  Selected image visually inspected; objects and principal reading text upright. No generated, colorized, or reconstructed content.
file: images/silver_catalog_1883_title.webp
text_file: 
institution: Meriden Silver Plate · Wilcox · C. Rogers & Bros. · International Silver
accessed: 2026-09-08
license_url: 
external_image_url: 
document_file: 

id: MS-006
title: Ordering silverware by telegraph
kind: Trade catalogs
date: 1883
summary: Code words condensed detailed orders: the catalog explains how a short telegram could specify multiple patterns and finishes.
url: https://archive.org/details/illustradedcata00meriuoft/page/n7/mode/1up
credit: Meriden Silver Plate Co.; printed by The Case, Lockwood & Brainard Co., Hartford; Illustrated catalogue and price list of staple goods, superior electro-silver plated ware manufactured by The Meriden Silver Plate Co.; Toronto Public Library, Toronto Reference Library; Internet Archive
notes: Public domain, explicitly designated by repository. Not a photograph. Complete selected page.  Selected image visually inspected; objects and principal reading text upright. No generated, colorized, or reconstructed content.
file: images/silver_catalog_1883_telegraphic_code.webp
text_file: 
institution: Meriden Silver Plate · Wilcox · C. Rogers & Bros. · International Silver
accessed: 2026-09-08
license_url: 
external_image_url: 
document_file: 

id: MS-007
title: Satin Shield tea set no. 1420
kind: Trade catalogs
date: 1883
summary: A six-piece Satin Shield tea service and matching extra pieces, with separate prices and telegraphic ordering words.
url: https://archive.org/details/illustradedcata00meriuoft/page/n9/mode/1up
credit: Meriden Silver Plate Co.; printed by The Case, Lockwood & Brainard Co., Hartford; Illustrated catalogue and price list of staple goods, superior electro-silver plated ware manufactured by The Meriden Silver Plate Co.; Toronto Public Library, Toronto Reference Library; Internet Archive
notes: Public domain, explicitly designated by repository. Not a photograph. Complete selected page.  Selected image visually inspected; objects and principal reading text upright. No generated, colorized, or reconstructed content.
file: images/silver_catalog_1883_tea_set.webp
text_file: 
institution: Meriden Silver Plate · Wilcox · C. Rogers & Bros. · International Silver
accessed: 2026-09-08
license_url: 
external_image_url: 
document_file: 

id: MS-008
title: Ice pitcher sets nos. 469 and 451
kind: Trade catalogs
date: 1883
summary: Two ice-pitcher sets with goblets, trays, prices, and ordering words. The illustration is set sideways relative to the catalog’s running header.
url: https://archive.org/details/illustradedcata00meriuoft/page/n18/mode/1up
credit: Meriden Silver Plate Co.; printed by The Case, Lockwood & Brainard Co., Hartford; Illustrated catalogue and price list of staple goods, superior electro-silver plated ware manufactured by The Meriden Silver Plate Co.; Toronto Public Library, Toronto Reference Library; Internet Archive
notes: Public domain, explicitly designated by repository. Not a photograph. Complete selected page.  Selected image visually inspected; objects and principal reading text upright. No generated, colorized, or reconstructed content.
file: images/silver_catalog_1883_ice_pitchers.webp
text_file: 
institution: Meriden Silver Plate · Wilcox · C. Rogers & Bros. · International Silver
accessed: 2026-09-08
license_url: 
external_image_url: 
document_file: 

id: MS-009
title: Caster bottles
kind: Trade catalogs
date: 1883
summary: Replacement caster bottles in several shapes, with catalog numbers and per-dozen prices.
url: https://archive.org/details/illustradedcata00meriuoft/page/n34/mode/1up
credit: Meriden Silver Plate Co.; printed by The Case, Lockwood & Brainard Co., Hartford; Illustrated catalogue and price list of staple goods, superior electro-silver plated ware manufactured by The Meriden Silver Plate Co.; Toronto Public Library, Toronto Reference Library; Internet Archive
notes: Public domain, explicitly designated by repository. Not a photograph. Complete selected page.  Selected image visually inspected; objects and principal reading text upright. No generated, colorized, or reconstructed content.
file: images/silver_catalog_1883_caster_bottles.webp
text_file: 
institution: Meriden Silver Plate · Wilcox · C. Rogers & Bros. · International Silver
accessed: 2026-09-08
license_url: 
external_image_url: 
document_file: 

id: MS-010
title: Ornamental vases
kind: Trade catalogs
date: 1883
summary: Decorative vases with floral motifs, illustrated and priced in the Meriden Silver Plate Company’s catalog.
url: https://archive.org/details/illustradedcata00meriuoft/page/n71/mode/1up
credit: Meriden Silver Plate Co.; printed by The Case, Lockwood & Brainard Co., Hartford; Illustrated catalogue and price list of staple goods, superior electro-silver plated ware manufactured by The Meriden Silver Plate Co.; Toronto Public Library, Toronto Reference Library; Internet Archive
notes: Public domain, explicitly designated by repository. Not a photograph. Complete selected page.  Selected image visually inspected; objects and principal reading text upright. No generated, colorized, or reconstructed content.
file: images/silver_catalog_1883_vases.webp
text_file: 
institution: Meriden Silver Plate · Wilcox · C. Rogers & Bros. · International Silver
accessed: 2026-09-08
license_url: 
external_image_url: 
document_file: 

id: MS-011
title: Rogers & Brother: the Columbia pattern
kind: Advertisements
date: 1893
summary: Rogers & Brother of Waterbury advertises a Columbia-pattern salad fork named for the exposition. This is a different firm from Meriden Britannia’s 1847 Rogers Bros. brand; it later joined International Silver.
url: https://archive.org/details/officialdirector00worl/page/n605/mode/1up
credit: 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
notes: Public domain in the United States: published in 1893. Not a photograph. Complete selected page.  Selected image visually inspected; objects and principal reading text upright. No generated, colorized, or reconstructed content.
file: images/silver_rogers_bro_ad_1893.webp
text_file: 
institution: Meriden Silver Plate · Wilcox · C. Rogers & Bros. · International Silver
accessed: 2026-09-08
license_url: 
external_image_url: 
document_file: 

id: MS-012
title: A Century of Meriden: The Silver City, part III — searchable source text
kind: Full source text
date: 1906
summary: Complete acquired repository OCR for this historical publication. Search additional names, product terms and addresses, then verify matches in the original scan.
url: https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_-zQWAAAAYAAJ
credit: Charles Bancroft Gillespie and George Munson Curtis; Journal Publishing Co., Meriden; New York Public Library; digitized by Google; Internet Archive
notes: Public Domain Mark 1.0. Original repository OCR preserved without silent correction. OCR contains errors; verify quotations against the page image.
file: 
text_file: texts/bub_gb_-zQWAAAAYAAJ_djvu.txt
institution: Meriden Silver Plate · Wilcox · C. Rogers & Bros. · International Silver
accessed: 2026-09-08
license_url: 
external_image_url: 
document_file: 

id: MS-013
title: Illustrated catalogue and price list of staple goods, superior electro-silver plated ware manufactured by The Meriden Silver Plate Co. — searchable source text
kind: Full source text
date: 1883
summary: Complete acquired repository OCR for this historical publication. Search additional names, product terms and addresses, then verify matches in the original scan.
url: https://archive.org/details/illustradedcata00meriuoft
credit: Meriden Silver Plate Co.; printed by The Case, Lockwood & Brainard Co., Hartford; Toronto Public Library, Toronto Reference Library; Internet Archive
notes: Public domain, explicitly designated by repository. Original repository OCR preserved without silent correction. OCR contains errors; verify quotations against the page image.
file: 
text_file: texts/illustradedcata00meriuoft_djvu.txt
institution: Meriden Silver Plate · Wilcox · C. Rogers & Bros. · International Silver
accessed: 2026-09-08
license_url: 
external_image_url: 
document_file: 

id: MS-014
title: History: 1869–1870
kind: Sources & research leads
date: 1869–1870
summary: The 1906 history links Charles Casper’s formation of Meriden Silver Plate Co. to the 1869 acquisition of Parker & Casper by Wilcox. It records the purchase of the old J. H. Canfield factory at Colony and Cross streets on January 24, 1870, followed immediately by silver-plated ware manufacture. The same printed page anomalously gives organization papers a January 3, 1879 date. This is internally inconsistent with the 1870 property purchase and 1872/1873 officers; do not silently change it or claim an exact incorporation date.
url: https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_-zQWAAAAYAAJ/page/n1105/mode/1up
credit: Original publisher or holding institution, linked at source
notes: External source. Catalog facts and source notes are included; the full publication is not necessarily reproduced. A finding aid or retrospective is not an original corporate filing.
file: 
text_file: 
institution: Meriden Silver Plate · Wilcox · C. Rogers & Bros. · International Silver
accessed: 2026-09-08
license_url: 
external_image_url: 
document_file: 

id: MS-015
title: History: November 19, 1898; 1899
kind: Sources & research leads
date: November 19, 1898; 1899
summary: 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. 
url: https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_-zQWAAAAYAAJ/page/n1093/mode/1up
credit: Original publisher or holding institution, linked at source
notes: External source. Catalog facts and source notes are included; the full publication is not necessarily reproduced. A finding aid or retrospective is not an original corporate filing.
file: 
text_file: 
institution: Meriden Silver Plate · Wilcox · C. Rogers & Bros. · International Silver
accessed: 2026-09-08
license_url: 
external_image_url: 
document_file: 

id: MS-016
title: History: March 20, 1981; by 1983
kind: Sources & research leads
date: March 20, 1981; by 1983
summary: Connecticut Explored reports closure of International’s plated hollowware division on March 20, 1981 and sale of the remaining silver business by 1983. Secondary account by Patricia F. Singer, Winter 2015/16, drawing on interviews; avoid equating this one division’s closure with every Meriden silver operation.
url: https://www.ctexplored.org/international-silver-company-shines-once-more/
credit: Original publisher or holding institution, linked at source
notes: External source. Catalog facts and source notes are included; the full publication is not necessarily reproduced. A finding aid or retrospective is not an original corporate filing.
file: 
text_file: 
institution: Meriden Silver Plate · Wilcox · C. Rogers & Bros. · International Silver
accessed: 2026-09-08
license_url: 
external_image_url: 
document_file: 

id: MS-017
title: History: By 1984
kind: Sources & research leads
date: By 1984
summary: CTHumanities summarizes the end of silverware production in Meriden as by 1984. Broader city-level endpoint differs in scope from the plated-hollowware closure and sale dates above.
url: https://connecticuthistory.org/meridens-silver-lining/
credit: Original publisher or holding institution, linked at source
notes: External source. Catalog facts and source notes are included; the full publication is not necessarily reproduced. A finding aid or retrospective is not an original corporate filing.
file: 
text_file: 
institution: Meriden Silver Plate · Wilcox · C. Rogers & Bros. · International Silver
accessed: 2026-09-08
license_url: 
external_image_url: 
document_file: 

id: MS-018
title: International Silver Company Records, 1853–1921
kind: Sources & research leads
date: Date described in source
summary: University of Connecticut archival finding-aid lead. The endpoint was not accessible during this research pass; no collection records are represented as inspected.
url: https://archives.lib.uconn.edu/islandora/object/20002%3A860140297
credit: Original publisher or holding institution, linked at source
notes: External source. Catalog facts and source notes are included; the full publication is not necessarily reproduced. A finding aid or retrospective is not an original corporate filing.
file: 
text_file: 
institution: Meriden Silver Plate · Wilcox · C. Rogers & Bros. · International Silver
accessed: 2026-09-08
license_url: 
external_image_url: 
document_file: 

id: ED-IG-MS-01
title: Nut bowl
kind: Photographs
date: circa 1880–1890 object; photograph undated
institution: Meriden Silver
summary: Meriden Silver Plate Company combined metalwork and glass in specialized tableware such as this nut bowl.
url: https://www.sfomuseum.org/exhibitions/eclectic-taste-victorian-silver-plate/gallery
credit: Meriden Silver Plate Company / SFO Museum
notes: Available at the linked repository; image or full record is not included in this download.  Reuse: link-only; no open image license found; Private collection object; gallery supplies no open image license.
file: 
text_file: 
accessed: 2026-09-12
license_url: 
external_image_url: https://www.sfomuseum.org/sites/default/files/02_eclectic_taste_sfom.jpg
document_file: 

id: ED-IG-MS-02
title: Epergne
kind: Photographs
date: circa 1880–1890 object; photograph undated
institution: Meriden Silver
summary: An elaborate epergne shows how Meriden Silver Plate Company turned the dining table into a display of ornament.
url: https://www.sfomuseum.org/exhibitions/eclectic-taste-victorian-silver-plate/gallery
credit: Meriden Silver Plate Company / SFO Museum
notes: Available at the linked repository; image or full record is not included in this download.  Reuse: link-only; no open image license found; Private collection object; gallery supplies no open image license.
file: 
text_file: 
accessed: 2026-09-12
license_url: 
external_image_url: https://www.sfomuseum.org/sites/default/files/03_eclectic_taste_sfom.jpg
document_file: 

id: PHOTO-142479042
title: International Silver’s Factory E and general office
kind: Postcards
date: Undated postcard; after the 1898 company formation
institution: Meriden Silver
summary: The postcard labels International Silver’s Factory E and general office in Meriden. The source’s 1897 date conflicts with the company name, so this archive does not repeat it as a verified exposure date.
url: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:International_Silver_Company,_General_Office,_Meriden,_Connecticut.jpg
credit: Unknown; Public domain; Wikimedia Commons
notes: Reproduced from the credited source. A resized source derivative is used for display; the original-resolution source remains linked. Hosted by Silent Grounds Collective. SHA-256 of uploaded source: 7818cb72fd0f720056d848a1e08530bbe07893e076cd63b4f9bdbef1dcd8abfe.
file: https://silentgroundscollective-uyjaw.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/142479042.jpg
text_file: 
accessed: 2026-09-24
license_url: 
external_image_url: 
document_file: 

id: PHOTO-64688374
title: Jean g. theobald per wilcox silver plate company, servito da the, in silver-plate e bachelite, meriden CT 1928
kind: Photographs
date: 2016-10-28
institution: Meriden Silver
summary: Jean G. Theobald for Wilcox Silver Plate Company, tea set, in silver-plate and bakelite, Meriden, CT, 1928, in the Art Institute of Chicago
url: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jean_g._theobald_per_wilcox_silver_plate_company,_servito_da_the,_in_silver-plate_e_bachelite,_meriden_CT_1928.jpg
credit: Sailko; CC BY 3.0; Wikimedia Commons
notes: Reproduced from the credited source. A resized source derivative is used for display; the original-resolution source remains linked. Hosted by Silent Grounds Collective. SHA-256 of uploaded source: 27af7149dd313a4a137eded097ece8ac43b8f574810a6ead6e70aa478c58576f.
file: https://silentgroundscollective-uyjaw.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/64688374.jpg
text_file: 
accessed: 2026-09-24
license_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
external_image_url: 
document_file: 

id: PHOTO-64302606
title: An artist’s-palette butter pat
kind: Photographs
date: Object circa 1880; photograph date unrecorded
institution: Meriden Silver
summary: A Meriden Silver Plate Company butter pat takes the form of an artist’s palette and brushes. The date belongs to the object, not necessarily to the museum photograph.
url: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Butter_Pat_(USA),_ca._1880_(CH_18650219).jpg
credit: Made by Meriden Silver Plate Company; Public domain; Wikimedia Commons
notes: Reproduced from the credited source. A resized source derivative is used for display; the original-resolution source remains linked. Hosted by Silent Grounds Collective. SHA-256 of uploaded source: 00e0241cee74b63b72d29a765dd8db2953affe81a61b6054d876aeafdc123d04.
file: https://silentgroundscollective-uyjaw.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/64302606.jpg
text_file: 
accessed: 2026-09-24
license_url: 
external_image_url: 
document_file: 

id: PHOTO-43597862
title: Meriden Britannia display: punch bowl and cups
kind: Illustrations & documents
date: Published 1875
institution: Meriden Silver
summary: An illustration from Examples of Household Taste presents an elaborate punch bowl with matching cups. It records nineteenth-century product design; it is not a factory photograph.
url: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Examples_of_household_taste_(1875)_(14759206226).jpg
credit: Internet Archive Book Images; No restrictions; Wikimedia Commons
notes: Reproduced from the credited source. A resized source derivative is used for display; the original-resolution source remains linked. Hosted by Silent Grounds Collective. SHA-256 of uploaded source: c569e233d9b8c1fe2bd18c58d2387a61b3f2447b0a87f71f65b21e759ef9c601.
file: https://silentgroundscollective-uyjaw.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/43597862.jpg
text_file: 
accessed: 2026-09-24
license_url: https://www.flickr.com/commons/usage/
external_image_url: 
document_file: 

id: PHOTO-43520399
title: The Buffalo Hunt: Meriden Britannia sculpture
kind: Illustrations & documents
date: Published 1875
institution: Meriden Silver
summary: A period illustration shows a sculptural hunting group associated with Meriden Britannia’s work. Its dramatic figures illustrate how the firm’s products could extend beyond ordinary table settings.
url: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Examples_of_household_taste_(1875)_(14782193715).jpg
credit: Internet Archive Book Images; No restrictions; Wikimedia Commons
notes: Reproduced from the credited source. A resized source derivative is used for display; the original-resolution source remains linked. Hosted by Silent Grounds Collective. SHA-256 of uploaded source: ebce6f35d06d3b2737c51f8ccca389f21512b7e34b910a94fc7633786874ed56.
file: https://silentgroundscollective-uyjaw.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/43520399.jpg
text_file: 
accessed: 2026-09-24
license_url: https://www.flickr.com/commons/usage/
external_image_url: 
document_file: 