Cast Iron Cookware News: Vol. III No. 2

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CAST IRON COOKWARE NEWS		In this issue: Griswold dutch oven rack......................p.89 Letters to the editor...............................p.90 Favorite catalog pages...........................p.91 Griswold deep skillets............................p.92 Griswold patent information...................p.93 Buy-Sell-Trade......................................p.94

Vol. 3 No. 2

Number 13

January 1992

From the Editor...

I just bought a copy of Linda Campbell Franklin's 300 Years Of Kitchen Collectibles. This new, expanded third edition will be loved by anyone interested in old kitchen stuff and can be recommended to all of you who just like cast iron cookware, especially for the fine treatment of iron muffin pans by David Smith which is included in the book. About 120 photos show many of the different pans made by Griswold, Wagner, R & E/Waterman, Favorite, W.C. Davis, G.F. Filley and others.

All but one of the unusual Filley pans are pictured. Information on cleaning, perserving, reproductions, and some brief history of the bigger companies is given. In other sections of the book are shown small samplings of other cast iron cookware. The section on waffle irons illustrates a nice selection of the many varieties and sizes of irons. The book is a hefty 645 pages, large format, and softbound. Price ranges are given for many, but not all, of the pictured items. Throughout the book are given historical information and recipes and other interesting notes. Take a look.

below 5-tier Griswold dutch oven display stand, c. 1920's-30's. On pages 12 and 13 in the Griswold Catalog No55 (c. 1930) this stand is shown, in addition to the 3-tier stand and a 4-tier waffle iron stand which is similar in size to the 3-tier dutch oven stand. with its nicely nickeled top

castings, the 5-tier stand is very impressive, especially when filled with a matching set of dutch ovens from size 6 through size 10. The feet and shelf wires are also nickeled while the three legs are a medium, deep red.

above The writing on the frame of this rare waffle iron reads GRISWOLD MFG.CO. ERIE PA at the top and AMERICAN FRENCH PATTERN No21 WAFFLE at the bottom. This iron is shown in the c.1910 Griswold Catalog No45 on page 61. The irons are 4x6½" and the eyebolt type handles are original.

Cast Iron Cookware News is published six issues per volume by Steve Stephens. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Subscriptions are $16 for each volume. You will get all of the volume's back issues regardless of when you subscribe. Send subscriptions and all material to: Steve Stephens, 28 Angela Ave., San Anselmo, CA 94960 (415) 453-7790

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

From Ed Myers, AZ, comes the following, clipped from a newspaper dated Aug. 4, '91: To celebrate its 100-year anniversary, one of the country's oldest lines of cookware, Wagner's Cast Iron, is offering two limited edition items. One is a bacon and egg cooker, available in stores for a suggested retail price of $10.99. The square pan has a shallow lip and three compartments for cooking several items at once. A five piece miniature set is packed in a commemorative box and includes a Dutch oven with lid, corn-stick pan, and square and round skillets. To purchase a set send an original cash register receipt for Wagner's Cast Iron totaling at least $20, plus a check or money order for $25 to: Wagner's 100-year Anniversary Set, in care of General Housewares Corp., 1536 Beech St., Terre Haute, Ind. 47804.

Thanks, Ed, It would be interesting to see if the miniature pieces they are offering are copies of their old pieces and how the quality compares with the old. -ed.

***** I received a really interesting Christmas card from Larry & Sue FoXX, PA. On a small tree they used their very tiny toy aluminum Griswold pieces as hanging decorations, and around the base were the tiny ERIE black iron pieces along with a Santa next to the tree. The tree was held up by using the iron base from a food chopper stand. -ed. ***** In a future newsletter, could you do a section on Wagner ware like you did for Griswold on pages 47-52, 25, and 3? This has been very helpful for me on Griswold and I would like to see the same information on Wagner Ware. Also could you give informa tion on the Wagner Ware trademarks as far as the time period. Sidney; Wagner; Sidney Wagner; Wagner Ware,

, etc? Gary Franzen, OR.
Gary, I probably will not get around to doing a treatment of Wagner similar to what I

did on Griswold for several reasons. First, there just isn't the same amount of interest in Wagner as for Griswold and, second, my knowledge of Wagner and the available information is not as great. It is too bad that Wagner is not collected more because thcy did make some fine, interesting pieces. But Griswold made more variety and with greater style, and that's probably why it is more popular, along with the fact that a book has been done on Griswold. Maybe somewhere down the road I will do what you ask, In regards to the Wagner tradenarks I can try to answer your question Wagner went through a progression of markings similar to Griswold, but trying to date them is not as easy. Here is the way I believe it may have been: First known as the Sidney Hollowware Co., their pieces were marked thus. Other early pieces are marked with a script

in a somewhat fancy style. I do not know if this mark was before, during, or after the Sidney Hollowware Co. marking. Many of these early pieces are extremely finely made and probably date from 1891 through the mid-1890's. Next came the WAGNER and/or WAGNER, SIDNEY markings, perhaps from the late 1890'5 to maybe 1905 or so. WAGNER WARE (often including SIDNEY,0) came next and was followed in 1917 or 1918 by the

trademark. I hope this is of help to you. If any readers can give further information please write and share what you know. -ed, ***** I have a question for you and your readers: During the scrap iron drives of 1939-1940's, how many cast iron pieces were turned in for scrap? I personally know that many people turned in a lot of iron and I feel many also turned in their old cast iron cookware to help the war effort. Anyone care to communicate with me about this? Arlo Chapman, PO Box 506, St. Charles IL 60174

I believe that only Hearts Star muffin pans, Bundt pans, coffee grinders, Oval Roasters and similar items were turned in. otherwise, why would they be so hard to find? Actually, iron cookware had gone out of favor by the war, having been replaced by aluminum and stainless, so I am sure that a lot of good pieces went to the scrap drives. I am too young at 48 to have any firsthand knowledge. I've printed your address in case anyone wishes to correspond with you. -ed.

***** If anyone would be interested in taking over publication of Cast Iron Cookware News after I complete volume 3 please contact me. -ed.

Two rare and unusual pieces of cast iron cookware shown in a c.1920 FAVORITE HOLLOW WARE catalog. Other manufacturers did not make the same pieces. These are both marked on the bottom so you will know what you have if you find one.

Griswold Deep Skillets

Griswold, from their early days until their later ones, made what they referred to as Extra Deep Skillets. The 1890 catalog shows three sizes, No8, 9, and 10 of "Extra Deep Skillets or Doughnut Fryer, specially adapted for frying articles requiring considerable grease". Prices for these three sizes were 78¢, 88¢ and $1.04 respectively. These early pans are marked with a large "ERIE" on the bottom and are very nicely rnade, The three sizes, with various trademark variations, continued to be made into the 1930's but with an important change: The diameters of the tops of the deep skillets were made somewhat smaller to match the top diameters of the standard skillets, making it possible to use the newly introduced skillet covers both on the standard and extra deep skillets. Previously, the sides of the deep skillets sloped outward more, giving a more pleasing appearance, but making it impossible to use the new Griswold skillet covers on them. The old style is still shown in a c.1920 catalog, but by the 1930 catalog the new style was being offered (and probably much earlier- I would guess around 1922). In the 1942 catalog only sizes 8 and 9 were shown. Probably only size 8 was being made by the late 40's and into the 50's and with the small TM. Pattern numbers for the deep skillets are as follows: ERIE, slant/ERIE, and slant EPU trademarked pans will have patterns 732, 733, and 734 for sizes 8, 9, and 10. Pans with the large block TM are patterns 777, 778, and 779 as are any small TM pans of which, I believe, only size 8 was made.

Griswold Chicken Pans. Below are pictured two variations of the deep skillet which

were sold as chicken fryers. The one to the left is the regular deep skillet with the added words OR CHICKEN PAN just above the trademark. I believe that sizes 8, 9, and 10 were made without the OR CHICKEN PAN, but only size 8 with the added words as I have never seen a size 9 or 10 "OR CHICKEN PAN". In the 1932 catalog are separate listings for the deep skillets and the Chicken Fryer. The Chicken Fryer came with "Self-Basting Dome Shaped Cover" which I believe would be the high domed cover with writing on the top as that cover is shown clearly elsewhere in the catalog. Later, the Chicken Fryer would probably come with the high, smooth lid or the similar one with the TM on its top. Pictured to the right, below, is a much rarer pan marked CAST IRON CHICKEN PAN, pattern 768. This could be the Chicken Fryer sold in the 1932 catalog, but, more likely, it was the 777 pan. Why is it that Griswold never mentioned anything about their skillets being available both with and without a heat ring during the production of the large, block TM pans? It is my belief that the heat ring pans were made for use on wood and coal ranges while the smooth bottom pans were for gas or electric stove use. Anyway, here are Chicken Fryers both with and without heat rings illustrating that Griswold made lots of minor variations to cover all intended uses and/or personal choices in cookware.

Other Griswold Deep Skillets: Double Skillets are basically a deep skillet using a cover resembling a regular skillet. Both the No80 and No90 Double Skillets were made during the 1930's. The No80, first mnade with the large TM and, later, with the small TM, was comprised of a bottom deep skillet similar to the 777 pan but having a hinge for the skillet, top. The No90 bottom had a size and shape of the early No8

deep skillet, pattern 732, but with an opposite side, loop type handle in place of the hinge of the No80 pan. Patterns for the No80 and 90 Double skillet bottom/top are, respectively: 1102/1103 and 1021/1022. In the 1942 catalog are a size 8, pattern 2528/2598 HINGE CHICKEN FRYER With Self-Basting Binge Cover. Also, a HAMMERED HINGE CHICKEN FRYER With Self-Basting Hinge Cover, patterns 2028/2098, and the HAMMERED HINGE DOUBLE SKILLET which is the chicken fryer bottom (2028) with a double skillet top (2040).

NOTICE ---

Griswold Swap Meet and Show is on for April 4, 1992 in Erie, PA. According to organizer Sally Swanson, over 60 collectors and dealers have indicated they will be there. While the meet is primarily for Griswold, it is not limited to that maker's iron. There will be tables available for those wishing to sell their wares or to show their interesting/rare pieces. Guest speakers are also planned. This should be a very interesting meet and one not to miss if possible. For more information contact Sally at 3302 W. 11th St., Erie, PA 16505. Please include a SASE or call her at (815) 838-1866.

Editor's note: I have decided to stop publishing Cast Iron Cookware News at the end of volume 3 with issue 17 being the last one. There will still be about a year's worth of all this interesting news about iron cookware but, with new and different interests beckoning, I must call a stop sometime. If anyone thinks he would like to take over CICN including the rights to all past issues and my list of collectors and subscribers, please contact me. I would like to see someone do it so I can subscribe. Who knows, maybe they will even get it out on time. In the meantime, you have four more issues of CICN after this one yet to come. For anyone who does not have all the back issues of CICN, they are now available again. I have just finished reprinting volume 1 and volume 2 and you can get them for $16 pp. each volume. -ed. ***** Dutch Ovens Chronicled, a new 104 page book by CICN subscriber John G. Ragsdale, a leading expert on the developnent, care, and use of Dutch ovens, offers a condensed history of the technological advancements that resulted in these versatile utensils. Both for the collector and outdoor enthusiast, this book has over twenty photos, several recipes, references to earlier works, and observations and recommendations of the author, who also wrote Dutch Oven Cooking, and Camper's Guide to Outdoor Cooking. For more information, contact Bruce Bowlin of the University of Arkansas Press at (501) 575-3246 $14.95 cloth; $7.95 paper *****