Chas Parker Patent Bell? & Match Safe

[Mike.Smith]

I spent a few hours at an Antique Show today, and made a few purchases including a nice Parker Match Safe and some old reloading tools. I also ran across what I'm hoping is a Chas Parker "Patent Bell." I didn't purchase the bell because I couldn't be sure, and my understanding is that these bells are not marked "Parker" anywhere, so I'm hoping a collector on this forum has seen enough of them to tell me what I have here. It's probably a long shot, but I've made arrangements to purchase the bell and have it shipped if it is the real deal. The only markings are some patent dates that surround the base of the push button for the striker. Below are some iPhone pictures of the items.

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3900/14516633309_991415bd49_b.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/smithshady/14516633309/)

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2905/14703300795_78a482da6f_b.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/smithshady/14703300795/)

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5554/14516857217_ae1982e018_b.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/smithshady/14516857217/)

The Match Safe I Purchased

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5582/14700112951_b32631dfbc_b.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/smithshady/14700112951/)

I also found all of these reloading tools on the same table, some of which are broken and missing pieces, but I only gave a few bucks for the whole lot. I don't see any real markings anywhere, so if anyone has anything to share, let me know.

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3889/14723164803_f28f46bf06_b.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/smithshady/14723164803/)

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2916/14680280666_c22996f750_b.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/smithshady/14680280666/)

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3851/14680281366_b8fe22585a_b.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/smithshady/14680281366/)

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5565/14516633018_1076b453e6_b.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/smithshady/14516633018/)

Thanks,

Mike

[Dave Suponski]

Mike, In my opinion the bell is the real deal. It is listed in the 1869 hardware catalog as item number 3100

[Mike.Smith]

Thanks Dave. Does the catalog show a picture of the bell?

After a little bit of internet searching tonight, I came across the following links to a "Call Bell" made by the Bradley & Hubbard Manufacturing Company. The picture here matches the bell that I posted pictures of, and the Patent Dates are also a match. Reading the history on Bradley & Hubbard, they were sold to the Charles Parker Company in 1940. Parker carried the Bradley and Hubbard line for a year and a half before the war and continued to make brass products like this bell.

The Bell
http://www.si.edu/ahhp/miscellaneousobjects

Bradley & Hubbard History
http://www.si.edu/ahhp/bradley_hubbard

I guess it's possible that the bell could have been made prior to Parker's acquisition of the company, but I don't know that there is any way to tell when the bell was actually produced, as the only dates are patent dates. This is B&H item number 2200 as per the 1883-1884 catalogue titled: Bradley & Hubbard Mfg. Co. Illustrated Catalogue of Kerosene Fixtures, Stand Lamps, Clocks, Call Bells, Etc. Is it a coincidence that I see the Charles Parker Catalog also had a Patent Bell listed as a Model 2200 with a white marble base?

[Bill Murphy]

Mike, you can buy a reproduction hardware catalog on ebay (although I can't find it at this time), and The Parker Story has many pages of hardware items to see. There are Parker marked bells, but they are rare.