The company was formed in 1864 to manufacture silver plate and Britannia ware, was originally located in Middletown, but moved to Medidenn when it was bought by International Silver Company. The company mark was changed to reflect the new locations, so a rough dating is possible. by 1898, was simply a trademark used within the larger conglomerate. From the beginning, the company put out a huge range of goods, from elaborate tea sets to individual salt spoons and everything in between. One specialty, for which they held numerous design patents were ice water pitchers. While most goods were either Britannia metal or silver plate, a limited amount of sterling was made. All sterling goods carried a special mark stating it was 925/1000 silver; if it does not, then it is either plate or Britannia.

Now we open a Pandora’s box of silver companies in Connecticut 1850’s?

The Meriden Britannia Company was formed in 1852 in Meriden, Connecticut. The Rogers Bros firm was purchased by Meriden Britannia in 1862, thereby acquiring the 1847 Rogers Bros line. In 1878, they had a store at Union Square in New York City and a manufacturing facility in West Meriden, CT. According to their 1878 catalogue, the company won a first place medal at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for the "large variety of silver plated white metal hollow ware, of excellent quality and finish, and of tasteful designs." They were one of the original companies that joined together to form the International Silver Co. in 1898.

The International Silver Company, an amalgamation of independent silverware manufacturers, was formed in New Jersey November 19th. 1898. Many of these manufacturers were the result of previous consolidations and mergers. The member companies kept their identities and continued to mark silverware with their own touch marks. In addition an International Silver mark was used on products sold by the parent company. International Silver traces its heritage back to Ashbil Griswold, who established a pewter shop in Meriden, Connecticut in 1808. Under Griswold's leadership, Meriden soon became a leading center in the production of Britannia ware, pewter, and silverware.

In nearby Hartford, three brothers, Asa, Simeon, and William Rogers, opened a workshop to manufacture coin silver silverware. As the cost of coin silver rose, the brothers conducted electroplating experiments. By 1847 they had perfected the process and issued their first electroplated silverware under the name of Rogers Bros. The company introduced Olive, the first fancy electroplate flatware pattern made from start to finish in America.

Because of its more durable qualities, Britannia had replaced pewter in most American homes by the 1850s. H. C. Wilcox & Co., Meriden, was one of the leading manufacturers of this new ware. In 1852, The Meriden Britannia Company was organized. In 1862, it purchased Rogers Bros. and moved the company from Hartford to Meriden.

By the 1890s, Meriden Britannia had established branches in Canada and London and sales offices in Chicago, New York, and San Francisco. Assuming a leadership role, Meriden Britannia convinced other small independent silver shops in the Connecticut area that cooperation was more efficient. The International Silver Company was the result.

The Meriden Wallingford, Connecticut area became the American silverware manufacturing center by 1900. International Silver's Joan of Arc and Prelude patterns proved to be popular in their introduction and are among the most desired of the company's products. Production reached its peak in the late 1940s.

International Silver has been marketed aggressively since its 1898 formation. In 1968, International Silver became part of Insilco, itself a large conglomerate. In 1972, International silver spun off its hotel division as an independent subsidiary, World Tableware International. A group of private investors purchased World Tableware in 1983 and organized the American Silver Company.

Original companies forming the International Silver Company 1898;

American Silver Co.,

Barbour Silver Co.,

Forbes Silver Co.,

Holmes & Edwards Silver Co., Bridgeport

La Pierre Mfg. Co

Leonard Silver plate, Chelsea, Massachusetts, to Towle Silversmiths in 1978

Manhattan Silver Plate Co., Lyons New York

Middleton Silver Company.

Meriden Silver Plate Co., Meriden

Norwich Cutlery, Norwich

C. Rogers & Bros., Meriden

Rogers & Hamilton Co.,

Rogers, Smith & Co.,

Standard Silver Company, Ltd. (Toronto, Canada).

Simpson Nickel Company (Wallingford

Watrous Mfg. Co., Wallinford

Webster Mfg. Co.,

Wilcox Silver Plate Co, Meriden

Wilcox & Everster,

William Rogers Mfg. Co. Hartford

During the first six months of 1899, an additional four companies were purchased. Derby Silver Company (Derby), Simpson, Hall, Miller & Company (Wallingford), Simpson Nickel Company (Wallingford), Middletown Plate Company (Middletown).

Silversmiths use a variety of techniques for decorating the surface of the silver itself, either by cutting metal from, applying it to, or manipulating the surface of the object. One of the earliest and simplest techniques for decorating silver is engraving, extracting thin filaments of silver with a sharp tool to form a decorative pattern on the surface of the metal. The graver is a diamond-shaped steel rod, set in a wooden handle; the rod’s end is cut off diagonally, giving a sharp point to the cutting edge. Until the mid-sixteenth century engraving on European and English silver was somewhat crude, but by the late sixteenth century it had become highly refined and was used to carry out entire pictorial compositions. Engraving was also favored for heraldic work, following a universal code, fine lines and dots.

Ornamental and protective plate is very thin, usually from 1/1,000 to 2/1,000 of an inch (0.03 to 0.05 millimeter) thick. Quadruple plate would be 4/100 to 8/100 of an inch thick, For plating gold, silver, copper, zinc, and cadmium, cyanide solutions of the same metals are often used. Copper and zinc may also be plated by acid-sulfate solutions. Chromium is plated with a chromic-acid solution and nickel is plated with nickel sulfate. Other metals plated for commercial use include platinum, lead, and tin. Alloys of two or more metals may be deposited by using a solution of salts of the metals that make up the alloy. Examples of alloys used for plating are brass, black nickel, lead-tin, and bronze.

A tidbit of Histoty;
In ancient Roman times candelabra were known, but at that time candelabra meant, in most cases, a support for a lamp. They were wrought in many different materials including the precious metals, but most of those that have been excavated were in bronze. Some fifty or sixty years ago, parts of a Roman silver candelabrum were found near the city of Hanover. The piece was probably made about the first century or earlier. The general form of early metal candelabra was similar throughout, the base being composed of three spreading feet with the lamps suspended from the arms. On top of the shaft there was usually a figurine or statuette, and the height ran anywhere from twelve inches to ten feet. The early churches possessed many examples patterned after the early Roman form, but there are no examples known today.

Sterling Silver candelabra dating prior to the reign of George III are rare. As prosperity increased during the second half of the 18th. century, the silver was made heavier and massive candelabra were not uncommon in the great houses throughout the land. The nineteenth century produced many magnificent specimens with three or five lights, and occasionally one finds an important pair made for a large dining hall with as many as twelve lights.

Candelabra for the most part followed the designs used in candle sticks during the Queen Anne period. The prevailing patterns had three branches radiating from a center stem which was surmounted by a molded finial. During the rococo period, twisted branches were not uncommon and the finial center was frequently replaced by a socket. No doubt because of the excessive cost of silver candelabra many more pairs were made in Sheffield plate.

The authenticity of this candelabra is assumed prima facie. I do not warrant or guarantee the authenticity, title or ownership of the subject property. All information and/or representations made by the owner(s) or representative(s) are assumed to be true and correct to the best of their knowledge and belief and are established as such.

Attributed to Middleton Silver Company circa 1890

The consensus of informed opinion on the origin, authorship, and date of an object is termed its attribution. In a few cases a history exists which puts the correct attribution beyond doubt. Obviously a piece accompanied by an invoice, which has been in a particular place since it was made, can reliably be attributed to a particular workshop, and even if the invoice were not dated, the article itself could be placed to within a few years by its fashion.

Most antiques and many things which might be defined as works of art, have no reliable history, and often they have passed from hand to hand for so long that it is now impossible to trace them to their original source. In such cases an attribution must be made on the available evidence, that is to say the piece itself. This is an assignment for the specialist accustomed to such judgments, since many factors need to be weighed and considered. Someone of sufficient experience often finds it easy to make an attribution on the basis of analogy with other known examples, and perhaps most attributions are made in this way.

To do this ultimately depends on the existence of key pieces with a reliable history of one kind or another with which the un-attributed object may be compared, and for the vast number of antiques this is adequate. Occasionally difficult problems present themselves, and the final verdict is then arrived at by process of elimination. By discarding what it could not possibly be, we eventually arrive at what it could be. The first question to be decided is whether the object is as old as its style suggests or a later copy or a forgery. Most such things can usually be dated {when they are genuine} from the style, and technique will usually suggest a country of origin. It then remains to be considered whether sufficient evidence exists to venture an attribution to a particular source.

It is always alluring to accept marks at their face value, and the question of their reliability is an aid to attribution they should only be accepted as confirmatory evidence when everything else is seen to be in agreement. The easiest part of any forgery is usually the addition of a signature or maker’s mark. Many of the books listed in the bibliography are illustrated, and good photographs and illustrations are of considerable assistance in suggesting possible sources for a piece of which the attribution is in doubt. Mere resemblance however is not enough because craftsman copied each other’s paradigm and drew inspiration from published books of designs.

It must also be remembered that research is still going on into many of the categories, and that this may result in changes of attribution in the future. This change in attribution has meant, if anything, an increase in value for the secedent group although this is not always the case. Attribution in certain instances, therefore, must not be regarded as fixed and immutable however the most likely statement of the facts in the light of what is known at the time. In the vast majority of cases however no change is likely which will significantly alter either value or attribution.