Parker Lamps and Clocks

[Bruce Day]

The Charles Parker Company made a line of finely crafted household items that were considered top line for the day, and often demonstrate the ornateness and embellishment of the times. Here are a few. Each represents many hours of searching through antique shops, estate sales, and internet sales, and each is costly. Finding an uneducated seller is unlikely, considering the fame of Parker.

The owner hopes that forum viewers will appreciate the craftsmanship of these items and hopes that others will join in with photos of their own Parker antiques.

[Buddy Harrison]

I have a Parker coffee mill and a Parker vise. Both are clearly marked "Parker, Meriden, Ct." Are lamps and clocks marked in similar fashion, if not how do you identify a Parker item such as the ones pictured. By the way, those are beautiful items.

[Bruce Day]

They are all marked Parker someplace. Its usually very visible, but sometimes more hidden depending on the article.

[Dean Romig]

Those are some very nice examples of household products produced by the Charles Parker Co. Those of us who attended the re-dedication of the Parker family gravesite with the newly mounted and restored headstones a year ago were treated to a vast collection of products manufactured in Meriden. Among all of these treasures were some of the finest examples of Parker products we have ever seen in one place. The owner of the Wilbur Parker house and his wife were extremely gracious and accommodating in allowing us to wander through the rooms of their collection.

It would be very nice to be able to publish an article on the products of the Charles Parker Co. along with a lot of nice pictures. Maybe we could do it in segments, like one in each quarter for a year or so. Anyone (or group of collectors) willing to make a go of it?

And of course, thanks to Bruce and the curator of the pieces pictured here for allowing us to see them.

[edgarspencer]

I strongly suspect, because of the close proximity, and financial connections, that the lamps were actually manufactured in the Bradley & Hubbard factory under the Parker name, rather than at the Parker factory. All features of the lamps shown are identical to Bradley & Hubbard lamps. B&H also made their lamps for others, and named as such. Parker did not have a non-ferrous foundry but B&H was expert at that type of casting work (brass, bronze and copper. They were just getting into aluminum, for making their match plate patterns, when they closed). Miller lamps are arguably the finest lamps lamps to come out of Meriden, but when Miller's foundry burned down, they used the B&H foundry, and a few of their molders went over there until the Miller foundry was back up and running. Miller slag and cut glass lamps rival those of Louis Comfort Tiffany.
To what extent the clocks are actually 'Parker' is also a question, with regard to the actual place they were made. A clock/gun friend insists their 'small' clocks are Sessions, which was located in Bristol, CT.

[Dean Romig]

Edgar, not to go off of the topic but, who made the Rayo oil lamps? I know there was some association with Parker but I don't know exactly what it was. I have my great-grandmother's Rayo oil lamp. It isn't elaborate but it is attractive.

[Bruce Day]

We know that the Charles Parker Company partnered with other area businesses and individuals in production of goods. Outside engravers were sometimes used in gun production, and quite likely specialized expertise of other companies was used in other manufacturing. However, there is much evidence of manufacturing domestic hardware at the Parker facility, so I doubt that there were these items that were produced and finished by others and merely marketed by Parker. Partial manufacturing, yes, but at least to me, complete finishing by others is doubtful. This could be the subject of investigation.

[Craig Parker]

My small collection of Parker label items. Looking for pin cushion stool, Bruce do you have that one?

Craig

[edgarspencer]

Bruce, you may be correct about the finishing of lamps at Parkers, as opposed to B&H. Parker didn't acquire B&H until the '40s, but there was a long association between the companies.
Dean, I also have a Rayo lamp, which was one of B&H's named for their different line of lamps. Actually, I have a Rayo, Parker, and 2 B&H lamps. They are so close in detail it's amazing.

http://www.thelampworks.com/lw_companies_parker.htm

[Autumn Daze]

The Charles Parker Company did in fact have a clock factory building. It was located on Hanover St in West Meriden. Sadly the building is now gone.