Charles Parker Company bathroom fixtures and accessories - design catalogues and historical information

1940s

Museum of Modern Art, New York

12 April - 30 October 1949. The house in the museum garden (by Marcel Breuer) at Museum of Modern Art, New York.

> Exhibited installed bathroom cabinets and accessories by Charles Parker Company (designs unspecified).

• For documentation, see design catalogues and historical information section below.

1900s

Various newspapers, magazines and other sources

(c. 1900s-). Various newspapers, magazines and other sources - search engines. (Updated 20 April 2019.)

• Online - archive.org;
• Online - Chronicling America at Library of Congress;
• Online - fultonhistory.com (over 40 million historical newspaper pages);
• Online - Google Books;
• Online - Google News;
• Online - HathiTrust Digital Library.

1902 - spotlighted article - Charles Parker obituary

(March 1902). The late Charles Parker [with illustration / portrait of Parker; "Charles Parker, president of the Charles Parker Co., Meriden, Conn., died January 31st... "]. Hardware Dealers’ Magazine, pp. 399-400. (Viewed 29 August 2020. E01279-80).

• Online - New York Public Library.

1903 - news mention

(May 1903). News mention: "The Charles Parker Company, of Meriden, Conn., has gone into the manufacture of new lines of lavatory and gas fixtures. The new department is now in charge of [sic] Chas. L. Lyon, formerly superintendent of the Malleable Iron Company, of Meriden, Conn." House Furnishing Review, p. 334. (Viewed 7 October 2017. G01136.)

• Online - New York Public Library.

1903 - news mention

(May 1903). News mention: "The Charles Parker Company... have an elaborate display of lavatory furnishings, lavatory legs, brackets, etc., at their New York office on Warren street..." House Furnishing Review, p. 342. (Viewed 7 October 2017. G01163.)

• Online - New York Public Library.

1907 - advertisement

Charles Parker Co. (10 December 1907). Advertisement: "... Manufacturers of The Parker Gun; Parker Lamp; Gas and Electric Portables; Gimlet-Pointed Wood Screws, Vises, Coffee and Spice Mills, Bath Room Fixtures... New York Office 32 Warren Street" [with no illustrations]. Meriden Morning Record, p. 9, col. 2. (Viewed 29 June 2020. F01271).

• Online - Google News.

1908 advertisements

See the ads

1909 advertisements

See the ads

1910s

1910 advertisements

See the ads

1911 - advertisement

Charles Parker Co. (7 January 1911). Advertisement: "... Manufacturers of the Parker gun; Parker lamp; Gas and electric portables, gimlet-pointed wood screws, vises, coffee and spice mills, bath room fixtures... New York office 32 Warren Street" [with no illustrations]. Meriden Morning Record, p. 7, col. 1. (Viewed 29 June 2021. R00214).

• Online - Google News.

c. 1912 - missing design catalogue

Charles Parker Co. (c. 1912). [Catalogue, including bathroom fixtures, match safes, cigar rests and brush holders]. Number of pages unknown. (Viewed 10 July 2019. F001163).

• Offline - citation - catalogue page reprint in: The Parker Story (pp. 901-05), (c. 1998-2000), The Parker Story Joint Venture Group. Meriden Public Library. See worldcat.org for other locations.

c. 1912 - design catalogue pages reprint

Charles Parker Co. (c. 1912). [Five catalogue pages, showing bathroom fixtures; match safes, cigar rests and brush holders]. Reprinted in The Parker Story (p. 901-05), (c. 1998-2000), The Parker Story Joint Venture Group. (Viewed 10 July 2019. F001163).

• Meriden Public Library call no. R 683.4 PA V.1 and V. 2;
• Pritzker Military Museum and Library, Chicago, call no. TS536 .P38 1998.
• See worldcat.org for other locations.

1915 - advertisement

Charles Parker Company. (1 August 1915). Advertisement: "The Chas. Parker Co.; Manufacturers of High Grade Bath Room Fixtures; Factories, Meriden, Conn. New York Salesroom No. 32 Warren St." [with illustrations of toilet paper roll holder, soap holder and cup holder]. Hardware Dealers’ Magazine, p. 270. (Viewed 10 July 2019. F01146).

• See worldcat.org for possible locations.

1916 advertisements

See the ads

1918 advertisements

See the ads

c. 1918 - missing design catalogue

Charles Parker Co. (c. 1918). [catalogue]. Number of pages unknown. (Viewed 10 July 2019. F01151; F01292).

• Online - citation - Chas. Parker Co. (October 1918). Advertisement: "... Send for our catalog... Hardware, Wood Screws, Coffee Mills, Bath Room Accessories, Gas and Electric Lamps, Etc. ... " Hardware Dealers’ Magazine, p. 663 - New York Public Library.

1930s

c. 1930 - design catalogue

Charles Parker Company. (c. 1930). Parker bathroom accessories, cabinets, mirrors. 8 pp. (Updated 7 May 2017. A01076.)

• Hagley Museum and Library call no. Trade Cat .P2445 1930.

1932 - patent - shelf bracket

Charles S. Parker, assignor to Charles Parker Company. (13 September 1932; filed 30 January 1932). Letters patent no. 1,877,196; serial no. 589,798: Shelf bracket. (Viewed 29 April 2018. AAA02676).

• Online - Google Patents. (See pdf).

1932 - patent - mirror-support

Lewis L. Turner, assignor to Charles Parker Company. (18 October 1932; filed 30 January 1932). Letters patent no. 1,883,834; serial no. 589,861: Mirror-support. (Viewed 29 April 2018. AAA02677).

• Online - Google Patents. (See pdf).

1933 - patent - fixture support

Reginald L. Call, assignor to Charles Parker Company. (10 January 1933; filed 10 September 1932). Letters patent no. 1,893,729; serial no. 632,487: Fixture support. (Viewed 29 April 2018. AAA02678).

• Online - Google Patents. (See pdf).

1933 - patent - shelf bracket

Charles S. Parker, assignor to Charles Parker Company. (12 December 1933; filed 3 January 1933). Letters patent no. 1,939,408; serial no. 649,875: Shelf bracket. (Viewed 29 April 2018. AAA02679).

• Online - Google Patents. (See pdf).

n. d. - design catalogue

Charles Parker Company. (undated). Bath-room furnishings (catalog no. 35). 33 pp. (Viewed 20 July 2016. AAA00032-45.)

• Offline - University of California, Santa Barbara, Special Coll., Romaine Trade Catalogs, Box 7, Folder 5.

n. d. - design catalogue

Charles Parker Company. (undated). Parker Bathroom Accessories (catalog no. 37). 31 pp. (Viewed 20 July 2016. AAA00032-29.)

• Offline - University of California, Santa Barbara, Special Coll., Romaine Trade Catalogs, Box 9, Folder 5.

n. d. - design catalogue

Charles Parker Company. (undated). Parker Bathroom Accessories (price list for catalog no. 37). 9 pp. (Viewed 20 July 2016. AAA00032-28.)

• Offline - University of California, Santa Barbara, Special Coll., Romaine Trade Catalogs, Box 9, Folder 5.

n. d. - design catalogue

Charles Parker Company. (undated; received stamp date: 30 March 1937). Bathroom Accessories by Parker (catalog no. 39). 17 pp. [Among batch of holdings specified by email to Design Meriden (4 August 2016).] (Updated 5 May 2017. A02358; AAA00052-09.)

• Smithsonian Institution NMAH, Washington, DC, call no. 049389 (A.I.A. File No. 29i).

n. d. - design catalogue

Charles Parker Company. (undated; received stamp date: 30 March 1937). Bathroom Accessories: Parker Simplicity. 4 pp. [Among batch of holdings specified by email to Design Meriden (4 August 2016).] (Updated 5 May 2017. A02358; AAA00052-12.)

• Smithsonian Institution NMAH, Washington, DC, call no. 049389 (A.I.A. File No. 29i).

1936 - patent - design for a bracket for bath-room fixtures

James J. Connors, assignor to Charles Parker Company. (15 September 1936; filed 11 July 1936). Design no. 101,210; serial no. 63,803: Design for a bracket for bath-room fixtures. (Viewed 28 April 2018. AAA02663).

• Online - Google Patents. (See pdf).

1938 - design catalogue

Charles Parker Company. (1938). Bathroom accessories. 9 pp. (Viewed 16 November 2016. AAA00455; A01125.)

• Online - Association for Preservation Technology International.

1939 - patent - design for a bracket for bathroom fixtures

James J. Connors, assignor to Charles Parker Company. (9 May 1939; filed 2 August 1938). Design no. 114,696; serial no. 79,042: Design for a bracket for bathroom fixtures. (Viewed 28 April 2018. AAA02665).

• Online - Google Patents. (See pdf).

1940s

n. d. - design catalogue

Charles Parker Company. (Received stamp date: 12 October 1940). Parker bathroom accessories, cabinets, mirrors [catalogue no. 41]. 19 pp. [Among batch of holdings specified by email to Design Meriden (4 August 2016).] (Updated 5 May 2017. A02358; AAA00052-13.)

• Smithsonian Institution NMAH, Washington, DC, call no. 049389.

c. 1942 - design flyer / brochure

Charles Parker Company. (c. 1942). Parker bathroom accessories, cabinets, mirrors, for victory. 1 folded sheet. (Viewed 17 August 2018. L00562).

• Online (cover only) - Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library, Delaware, call no. ZZ 109051.

c. 1946 - design brochure (missing)

Charles Parker Co. (c. 1946). [brochure]. Parker bathroom accessories [brochure, including products in the Parker 8000 and 9000 lines]. Number of pages unknown. No copy known to be in a public library. (Viewed 14 July 2021. R01504).

• Contact artdesigncafe.com for more information.

1949 - Charles Parker Co. in MoMA exhibition

Museum of Modern Art, New York. (c. 1949). Exhibition checklist of The house in the museum garden (by Marcel Breuer) at Museum of Modern Art, New York (12 April - 30 October 1949). [Exhibited installed bathroom cabinets and accessories by Charles Parker Company (designs unspecified).] (Updated 6 May 2018. AAA02153; AAA02943-44.)

• Online - exhibition checklist - Museum of Modern Art, New York.
• Also: Online - general article on house - Hoffman, Ethel. (31 May 1949). Art museum builds small, modern house. Buffalo Evening News, p. 24, fultonhistory.com. (Search "Marcel Breuer" + "1949" + "5655".)
• Also: Online - general article on house - (6 August 1949). "House in museum garden" is designed for typical American family. Buffalo Courier-Express, p. 11, fultonhistory.com. (Search "Marcel Breuer" + "1949" + "6480".)

1950s

1950 - news mention

AP Newsfeatures. (26 August 1950). Bathroom mirror that won’t fog [with mention of Charles Parker Co.] Endicott Daily Bulletin (Endicott, New York), p. 7, col. 4. (Viewed 14 October 2018. B01068).

• Online - NYS Historic Newspapers.

1951 - patent - nonblurrable mirror

Charles W. Eisenheimer, assignor to Charles Parker Company. (21 August 1951; filed 2 February 1949). Letters patent no. 2,564,836; serial no. 74,101: Nonblurrable mirror. (Viewed 28 April 2018. AAA02664).

• Online - Google Patents. (See pdf).

1951-52 - news brief

(December 1951 - January 1952). News brief: "No bathroom fog: Steam cannot fog the mirror of this bathroom cabinet manufactured by Charles Parker Company..." DuPont Magazine, v. 45, no. 6, p. 29. (Viewed 2 December 2017. G01755.)

• Online - Hagley Museum, Wilmington, DE.

195x - design catalogue

Charles Parker Company. (195x). "1 v. Bathroom cabinets and accessories only". Number of pages unknown. (Updated 7 May 2017. A01135.)

• Cooper-Hewitt Smithsonian Design Library, New York, barcode no. 050498a.

1990s

c. 1998-2000 - secondary source

(c. 1998-2000). The Parker story. The Parker Story Joint Venture Group. (Updated 24 April 2017. A00650. DM.)

• Meriden Public Library call no. R 683.4 PA V.1 and V. 2;
• Pritzker Military Museum and Library, Chicago, call no. TS536 .P38 1998;
• See worldcat.org for other locations.

n. d.

n. d. - design pamphlet

Bradley & Hubbard / (possibly Charles Parker Company). (undated). B & H sheer design (pamphlet). 4 pp. (Viewed 3 November 2017. AAA00684-85.)

• Online - artdesigncafe.com / Meriden Public Library.

n. d. - design brochure

Charles Parker Company. (undated). Parker bathroom accessories, cabinets, mirrors brochure. 8 pp. (Viewed 8 August 2017. AAA00627.)

• Online - Design Meriden at artdesigncafe.com / Meriden Public Library.
• Offline - "Meriden - Industries - Annual reports" file, Meriden Public Library.

n. d. - PGCA Forums

(Undated). Parker Gun Collectors Association Forums. [An important source to see scans of excerpted bits of primary source documentation contributed by various forum members, especially guns, vises, and sometimes other Parker Co. documentation.]

• Online - PGCA website.

n. d. - design brochure

Charles Parker Company. (undated). Parker Bathroom Accessories (pamphlet). [Form96-25M-4/32]. 2 pp. (Viewed 20 July 2016. AAA00032-27.)

• Offline - University of California, Santa Barbara, Special Coll., Romaine Trade Catalogs, Box 9, Folder 5.

n. d. - design brochure

Charles Parker Company. (undated). Parker Bathroom Accessories (pamphlet). [Form 97-25M-4/32]. 2 pp. (Viewed 20 July 2016. AAA00032-26.)

• Offline - University of California, Santa Barbara, Special Coll., Romaine Trade Catalogs, Box 9, Folder 5.

n. d. - design catalogue

Charles Parker Company. (undated). High grade bathroom fixtures. Number of pages unknown. (Viewed 29 July 2018. C00209-02).

• Offline - Meriden Historical Society, Meriden, CT.