Silver City Plate Co. designs in collections, exhibitions, and historical information

ADC staff
artdesigncafé - design | Design Meriden | 22 September 2020 | Updated 23 December 2021
Silver City Plate Co. dish


Above, design for a metallic dish by William L. Martin for Silver City Plate Co. (letters patent no. 755,786; 29 March 1904). For more information, see listing below.


[17 January 1895; Meriden Daily Journal, p. 1:] "The Silver City Plate company is the newest industry that is bidding for trade in the britannia line. It is not touching the flat ware branch of the plated ware business, but will compete for a share of the hollow-ware trade.

The company started on South Colony street last fall and have recently takes quarters on Veteran street.

Henry Felix, who formerly worked in the stock room at the Britannia shop, and who left ten years ago for Canada, to take charge of the burnishing department of the Toronto Silver Plate company, is associated with three other gentlemen in the venture.

They will buy their goods manufactured and will plate, burnish, buff and put them on the market." (For more information, see the entry listed below.)



A. Silver City Plate Co. designs in collections (by year)


This webpage is in development.


Info/photo status: = info and photo online
= info online, no photo
= completely offline


1900s

n. d. - tea set

Silver City Plate Co. (undated). Tea set. (Viewed 23 September 2020. AAA00053-101).

  • Offline - Mint Museum, Charlotte, North Carolina.


B. Selected Silver City Plate Co. designs at auction


n. d.

n. d. - soup tureen

Silver City Plate Co. (undated). Soup tureen. (Viewed 23 September 2020. E01451).


C. Silver City Plate Co. designs in exhibitions


1900s

1906 - Hanover Park, Meriden exhibition

11 - 16 June 1906. Manufacturers’ and Varied Art Exposition, Hanover Park, Meriden, CT.

> Unspecified designs exhibited by Silver City Plate Co.

  • For documentation, see historical information section below.



See our Design Meriden compilation listing over 1000 exhibitions since 1851, featuring historical design associated with the Meriden area.


D. Silver City Plate Co. - historical information (by year)


Material status: = online
= link to more info
= completely offline


1890s

Various newspapers, magazines and other sources

(1895-). Various newspapers, magazines and other sources - search engines. (22 September 2020. E01449).


1895 articles

See the articles


1895 - news brief

(17 January 1895). Silver City Plate Company; New local industry in the britannia hollow ware line. Meriden Daily Journal, p. 1, col. 2. (Viewed 23 December 2021. R00368).

1895 - news mention

(30 January 1895). Connecticut [with mention of the Silver City Plate Co.] Jewelers’ Circular, p. 62. (Viewed 23 September 1895. E01450).

"... The Silver City Plate Co., Meriden, are the newest industry bidding for trade in the britannia line. They are not touching the flatware business, but will compete for a share of the hollowware trade..." (Excerpt from above.)


1895 - news mention

Meriden, Conn., Oct. 3. (9 October 1895). Connecticut silver plated ware factories very busy [with mention of Silver City Plate Co.] Jewelers’ Circular, p. 10. (Viewed 23 September 2020. E01452).



1896 - news mention

(23 September 1896). Our traveling representatives [with mention of Silver City Plate Co. traveling representative in Syracuse, NY]. Jewelers’ Circular, p. 22, col. 2. (Viewed 23 September 2020. E01454).


1897 articles

See the articles


1897 - news brief

Meriden, Conn, May 19. (26 May 1897). Howard Sterling Co. sue [Silver City Plate Co.] to protect their hexagon pattern. ["Infringement of a patented bowl has been alleged... The Silver Plate Co. began manufacturing a tea set, using the hexagon bowl..."]. Jewelers’ Circular, p. 9, col. 2. (Viewed 23 September 2020. E01455).

1897 - news mention

(15 August 1897). Hardware manufacturers record [with mention: "... The Silver City Plate Co.’s works are running on full time... "] Hardware magazine, p. 42, col. 3. (Viewed 23 September 2020. E01453).



c. 1897 - book mention

Davis, William T. (Ed.) (c. 1897). On "Silver City Plate Co.", (p. 933). In The New England states, their constitutional, judicial, educational, commercial, professional and industrial history, vol. 2. Boston: D. H. Hurd & Co. (Viewed 23 September 2020. A02626; E01448.)


1900s

1902 - book mention

(1902). Commemorative biographical record of New Haven County, Connecticut, vol. I, (p. 1382). J. H. Beers & Co: Chicago. (Viewed 29 September 2020. E01603).

"RAY. The Ray family of which Eugene Hamilton Ray, president of the Silver City Plate Co., is one of the old and respected ones of Middlesex county..." (Excerpt from above.)


1902 - news mention

(1 December 1902). Poultry show arrangements; plans for large exhibit— committees and prizes offered [with mention of Silver City Plate Co. loving cup as prize, to be presented by Governor-elect Chamberlain]. Meriden Morning Record, p. 1, col. 6. (Viewed 1 February 2021. R00389).

1904 - patent - metallic dish

William L. Martin, assignor to Silver City Plate Co. (29 March 1904; filed 10 December 1903). Letters patent no. 755,786; serial no. 184,656: Metallic dish. (Viewed 23 September 2020. E01447).

1906 - event brochure - Manufacturers and Varied Arts Exposition

(1906). Centennial Celebration and Home Week (10-16 June 1906) brochure with event listing [and mention of Manufacturers and Varied Arts Exposition] [Meriden, CT], 4 pp. [no mention of Silver City Plate Co.] (Viewed 23 September 2020. L01472).

1906 - spotlighted news mention - in Hanover Park exhibition

(14 June 1906). Fourth day of the Centennial; Big attendance at pure food exhibition [/ Manufacturers’ and Varied Art Exposition with mention of Silver City Plate Co.] Meriden Weekly Republican, p. 1, cols. 2-3 & p. 8). (Viewed 23 September 2020. B01179-81).

"... the Silver City Plate Co.’s booth, of which Eugene Ray has charge. This small but very successful concern shows a line of very fine silver plated ware in designs and styles which please the eye and have a tendency to loosen the purse strings. It is a very pleasing exhibit..." (Excerpt from above.)


1906 - news mention - in Manufacturers’ and Varied Art Exposition

(14 June 1906). Fourth day of the Centennial; Big attendance at pure food exhibition [with mention of Silver City Plate Co. in Manufacturers’ and Varied Art Exposition, Hanover Park, Meriden]. Meriden Morning Record, p. 1, cols. 2-3 & p. 7. col. 3. (appears to be an article reprint of the Meriden Weekly Republican article, or vice-versa.) (Viewed 23 October 2018. B01188-92).

1908 - spotlighted news brief

(11 June 1908). Authorized to sell; Silver City Plate Co., receivers will sell plant. Meriden Weekly Republican, p. 4, col. 3. (Viewed 23 October 2020. F01590).

1908 - news mention

(1 June 1908). News of the month [mention]. American Jeweler, p. 263. (Viewed 24 September 2020. E01511).

  • See worldcat.org for possible locations.

"The International Silver Co. recently purchased the plant of the Silver City Plate Company from the receivers" (Excerpt from above).


1930s

1936 - spotlighted article mention

Snow, William G. (17 April 1936). Meriden’s silverware industry history [with mention of Silver City Plate Co.]. The Meriden Daily Journal [Fiftieth Anniversary issue (1886-1936)], unknown page numbers. (Viewed 30 December 2020. D01699).


2000s

2004 - encyclopedia entry

Rainwater, Dorothy T.; Fuller, Martin; Fuller, Collette. (2004). "Silver City Plate Co.", (p. 228). Encyclopedia of American silver manufacturers, (revised and expanded 5th ed.). Schiffer Publishing: Atglen, PA. (Viewed 23 September 2020. E01446.)

"[Begun by 1895, in] 1908 the International Silver Co. bought from the receivers the business and tools they could use." (Excerpt from above.)




Click the following link to see designs and documentation for other historical companies from the Meriden area, and those that were connected to the International Silver Company; go to the historical Meriden design overview page and scroll down to section D: "ISC, predecessors & divisions" and E: "Other featured companies".