Wednesday, December 5, 2012

JENNINGS BROTHERS METAL FOUNDERY

            The Jennings Brothers Metal Foundery was opened by the 3 Jennings Brothers in 1890 in Bridgeport, CT.  Their offices started in 2 small wood buildings and their foundery in a brick building.  Ultimately, they expanded to a larger factory biulding which was located on Elm Street in Bridgeport.  

They specialized in metal art and maintained a staff of artists and sculptors to craft their metal art objects ("Nouveau" metal art) which included clocks, bookends, statues, metal cases, candelabras and some silver-plated utensils.  Their original items were signed with the initials "JB" on each pieces.  Many JB objects are sold at auctions:  http://www.chs.org/bookends .  Older residents of Brideport can probably find at least one JB object in their house. 

In the early 1950's the Jennings Brothers Manufacturing Company went out of business and the art object casts were purchased by another company in Philadelphia, PA.  They used the original JR casts to manufacture replicas which are cheaper versions of the original JR items sold at art auctions. 

One of the items which the Jennings Brothers produced was a small-scale version of a famous sculpture by Cyrus Dallin of "Massasoit".  This item was owned by the Medicine Man Gallery:  http://www.medicinemangallery.com/collection/deceased,-other/c/Dallin-1861%252D1944,-Cyrus-E/1/Jennings-Brothers--Reproduction-of-Cyrus-Dallins-(1861%252D1944)-Massasoit .  The following is a JB clock design from the era 1900-1910:






[NOTE:  This is simply one of the blog posts.  If you have questions about the value
of any Jennings Brothers items, you have to ask an appraiser.  I am not an appraiser.]

8 comments:

  1. Thank you for the info. Question - once the molds were sold, how were the items then signed or were they signed at all?

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    1. The original casts or products had a "JB" insignia. Once the casts were sold they were not truly Jennings Brothers originals. I will have to see if I can find the details of the sales of the casts. However, if I recall the cheaper, later replicas should not have the "JB" insignia.

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    2. They still used the JB mark. You can tell the difference by the quality of the casting and the detailing in the final object. I have an original Fisherman, and the difference from the bookends that are being sold online is quite substantial.

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  2. Jennings Brothers made a desk set that is nearly identical to the Tiffany & Co. "Adam" pattern. Was this a copy, or is it possible that JB also make items for Tiffany?

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  3. This is my blog and I cannot answer specific questions about the 'value' of Jennings Brothers items. For this, you would have to ask an appraiser about the estimated value of the item.

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  4. The Jennings Brothers Mfg Company was founded by my great, great grandfather, Austin Morehouse Jennings and his three sons; Erwin (my great grandfather), Edward, and Henry. I have an extensive collection and a number of artifacts and information about the company.
    Peter Jennings Talbot

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    1. Pequot61 I would love to connect with you! My great grandfather is Edward Austin Jennings, who my Dad is named after.

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  5. I found a beautiful and heavy small clock and at the back of the clock it says: PATENTED
    JAN 15, 1878
    MAY 6, 1890
    DEC 29 1890
    JAN 13 1891

    So the company started earlier

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