Enameled Ware blues

[gschult3]

All – I’m keen to know more about enameled wares used in the ACW era. What color/s was this available in generally? It is referenced as being available on hollow wares in the 1865 Russell & Erwin Mfg Co catalog (pgs 391– 92) and later in the 1869 Dover Stamping Co catalog which lists ‘enameled hollow wares’ many of which were also available as tinned (pgs 126-28). There is no mention in either source of color or other details of the enameling used on these items which pre-date the introduction of patented ‘granite iron ware’ at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition.

Note on later enamel ware info some of which do indicate color though are late Victorian references: The 1895 Montgomery Ward catalog lists only granite ware (interchangeable with ‘agate ware’, pg 431) for enameled items. The 1897 Sears & Roebuck catalog lists by name ‘gray enameled’ for all enameled items (pg 130). The 1902 Sears & Roebuck catalog lists a piece being ‘white porcelain lined’ (pg 582) and that there were items available in something other than gray in color: blue/white mottling on ‘imperial stove hollow ware’ (pg 582), brown/white mottling on ‘lava enameled ware’ (pg 584), blue/white mottling is understood to be on ‘true blue enameled ware’, and ‘peerless enameled steel ware’ is all listed, however, as being gray (pg 584).

Does anyone have insights/documentation on ACW era enameled iron wares, most notably colors?

Thanks all,

[Hank Trent]

Re: Enameled Ware blues

Short answer: as far as I know, the most common type of enamel-ware in the period were cast iron preserving pans or kettles lined in white enamel on the inside only, so that the long cooking of preserves or the acid of pickles wouldn't pick up iron or copper and absorb tastes, colors or poisons. The other common option to coat the interior with was indeed tin. Both these kinds of pans were relatively common, and would be found in most well-equipped kitchens.

The Arabia steamboat museum in Missouri has some good examples of enamel-lined pans, I believe. We have an original sauce-pan that's tinned.

Eliza Leslie mentions enamel preserving pans here in a typical description that one finds in period cookbook. Here's an article by an early fan of enamel lining for various other cooking utensils, after purchasing several in England.

Edited to add: here are some drawings in Catharine Beecher's cookbook of preserving pans and kettles. On the next page are some sauce-pans, and her opinion of enamel lining (didn't like it, tended to crack).

And here's what may be a period or close-to-it original example on eBay. Is that a gate mark I see on the bottom in the first picture or something else? Can anybody familiar with period casting recognize features that would make it period or later? Anyway, it gives an idea of the general look of the enamel lining.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@gmail.com

[Pvt_M]

Re: Enameled Ware blues

If I remember correctly, Matt Woodburn took a trip to the steamboat Arabia museum a few years back and posted a ton of pictures on this forum from the trip, you might try using the search function to find the pictures if you're not too keen on taking a trip there right away.

[gschult3]

Re: Enameled Ware blues

Mssrs Trent and M,

Thanks for the info – insightful. I noticed that Mssr Trent’s sources offer an interesting differing opinion of enameling durability (maker based or general perception?). The1838 Farmer’s register article stated the enameled good imported from Germany to England were ‘durable, and not liable to injure’ but in contrast the Miss Leslie’s Cookery Book reference suggests that the Delft made enameling ‘will crack if the kettle is placed over a blaze, which it never should be.’

If enameling was intended to replicate the protective qualities of tinning – whether through vegetable and fruit matter acidity or general use – my question then is when did a durable, commercially viable enamel emerge as common and competitor if not practical replacement to tinning. All six customer endorsements/testimonials listed in the Granite Iron Ware Cook Book, c1878 mention that the enamel used in patented Granite Ironware was not injurious to health, contained no poisonous substances, &c, &c. It would appear there was a targeted effort to get this point across. This implies that earlier enameling methods were not safe or at least perceived as not safe. So was the Graniteware enamel of 1876 really that different than other enamels available at that time and earlier, was it more durable and less prone to breaking/chipping, or was it just more successful in marketing (and taking business away from more numerous manufacturers who relied on tinning). Perhaps there is no simple answer but is worth asking.

[Hank Trent]

Re: Enameled Ware blues

If enameling was intended to replicate the protective qualities of tinning – whether through vegetable and fruit matter acidity or general use – my question then is when did a durable, commercially viable enamel emerge as common and competitor if not practical replacement to tinning.

Honestly, it seems that enamel was recommended as early as the 1830s, and was an equal competitor to tinning at least by the 1850s/60s. While there were reports of enamel cracking, tin also scrubs off, and despite the caution about enamel cracking, Eliza Leslie recommended it often in her cookbooks for preserving. I'd categorize her more as a fan than not. For example, in an 1850 edition she wrote:

Kettles for preserving and pickling should be of iron, lined with porcelain, or enamel, as it is sometimes called: those of brass or bell-metal ought never to be used for this purpose, as the action of acids on them is poisonous, and has produced the most deleterious and even fatal effects. Indeed, utensils lined with porcelain may be used to great advantage in every sort of stewing or boiling. Those of German manufacture are the best. Care must be taken not to have too fierce a fire in using porcelain-lined vessels, or teh lining will crack and scale off; but with proper attention they will last many years, and are more wholesome and more easily kept clean than any other cooking utensils. It is well to have small skillets and saucepans of porcelain. There are also large kettles of this description for boiling hams, and others for fish.
If copper vessels are used in a kitchen, they should be well tinned on the inside; and they will require new tinning at least once a year, or still more frequently if the tin appears to be in the least wearing off. Source.

The Kentucky Housewife, 1839, suggested for pickling cucumbers, "put them in a porcelain or block tin kettle..." and that seems typical of many cookbooks, suggesting that the reader use either.

All six customer endorsements/testimonials listed in the Granite Iron Ware Cook Book, c1878 mention that the enamel used in patented Granite Ironware was not injurious to health, contained no poisonous substances, &c, &c. It would appear there was a targeted effort to get this point across. This implies that earlier enameling methods were not safe or at least perceived as not safe.

I think that's referring to the poisonous substances in copper-based pans such as Leslie warned of in the quote above, or the aesthetically unpleasant, if not injurious, effects of plain iron or tin. I've not read any warnings about enamel being injurious, but maybe others have.

I haven't researched much on the use of enamel-ware after the 1860s, but I suspect from the fact that later enamelware was coated on the outside as well as the inside, that the process was getting cheaper. Lower cost as well as improvements in durability may have made it even more popular for a wider variety of kitchen items. Also, I don't know when sheet steel or sheet iron items became more popular and common than cast iron. If they were becoming more common in general post-war and were cheaper than copper or cast iron, the combination of cheaper sheet-steel and inexpensive durable enamel coating may have made replacing one's old cast-iron cookware irresistable post-war.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@gmail.com

[bdyanko]

Re: Enameled Ware blues

Mr Schultz,

I saw a white enameled bowl in a commode-tub combo Circa 1860 on page 102 of "The Comforts of Home; the American House and the Evolution of Modern Convenience" by M. Ierley, Clarkson Potter publishers, N.Y.

This supports the use of white enameled ware in the 1860's.

[Virginia Mescher]

Re: Enameled Ware blues

This is Virginia's spouse posting.

Of course, one piece does not support the widespread use of any white enamelware. I'm not familiar with the book cited but the piece mentioned could have been a "freak" to the domestic scene of the time. And the piece would certainly not support the use of the early 20th century basins and other enameled ware items I've seen at events.

Could there be some additional information about what the book mentions regarding the combo bowl. Also some idea about what would justify the circa 1860 as pertaining to 1860 rather than 1866, the latter date not being support for use in a civil war impression.

Michael Mescher

[bdyanko]

Re: Enameled Ware blues

Mr. Mescher,

You are correct, one example is not enough to make sweeping generalizations.

The last sentence of my previous post was poorly phrased. The example was sited to lend credence to the existence of white enameling in the ACW era, not the broad use of it.

[Virginia Mescher]

Re: Enameled Ware blues

Mr Schultz,

I saw a white enameled bowl in a commode-tub combo Circa 1860 on page 102 of "The Comforts of Home; the American House and the Evolution of Modern Convenience" by M. Ierley, Clarkson Potter publishers, N.Y.

This supports the use of white enameled ware in the 1860's.

I looked at the photograph you mentioned in The Comforts of Home and I think that it is enameled cast iron. Yes, they had white enameled cast iron in the 1860s' but it was not the lightweight enameled steel that was introduced in the mid-1870s. That is the type that is more familiar to us. I've seen the enameled cast iron antique stores and at the Steamboat Arabia and Bertrand Museums, and I have seen illustrations in period cookbooks and catalogues.

I've done quite a bit of research on the enameling process in the 18th and 19th centuries and if you like I can post a synopsis of my research with dates and processes but I don't want to take up people's time if there is no interest.

[bdyanko]

Re: Enameled Ware blues

Mr. Mescher,

Please go ahead and post. Your information would be appreciated.

[gschult3]

Re: Enameled Ware blues

Mrs Mescher - please do post your info, I don't think you'd find it a waste of anyone's time here to be sure. Enameled items are important to know about, especailly considering how such items can easily be misrepresented (and perhaps even under represented) without knowledge and good documentation. Thanks much.


G

[Virginia Mescher]

Re: Enameled Ware blues

Mrs Mescher - please do post your info, I don't think you'd find it a waste of anyone's time here to be sure. Enameled items are important to know about, especailly considering how such items can easily be misrepresented (and perhaps even under represented) without knowledge and good documentation. Thanks much.


G

Before posting my research on enameled utensils, I will make one comment. Yes, enameled steel is not correct but it would be extremely difficult to incorporate correct enameled cast iron into an impression. While there are some pieces to be found in antique shops, the ones I have seen are not the best of condition and I would be hesitant to use them due to the cracked enamel on the interior. Modern Le Cruset is the closet to period enameled cookware but the modern cookware is also enameled on the outside, while the period cookware was not.

Below is some of my research on enameled items.

Since the Enameled cast iron came first I'll address that first.

In the Jul-Sept. 1845 edition of _American Journal of Science and Arts_ there was a section on the manufacture of enameled cast iron vessels in Bohemia. The article stated that they were used extensively in the domestic economy and described the process used to produce the inner coating of enamel.

I checked in Andrew Ure's book, "Encyclopedia of Arts, Manufactures, and
Mines" (1864 reprint of 1848 edition) for information on enamelware. He covered the enameling process as a whole and also did a section on enameled cast iron hollowware.
He stated that the process was patented in 1799 (in England) by Dr.
Samuel Sandy Hickling. He described the entire process. Ure went on to
describe a new English patent granted to Thomas and Charles Clark on May
25, 1839 for enameling the interior surfaces of iron pots and saucepans.
Another enameling patent was granted to Mr. Kenwick in 1846 which differed
somewhat from the Clark patent.

Ure stated, "I consider such a manufacture [that of enameled cast iron
pans] to be one of the greatest improvements recently introduced into
domestic economy; such vessels being remarkable clean, salubrious, and
adapted to the most delicate culinary operations of boiling, stewing,
making of jellies, preserves, &c. They are also admirable fitted for
preparing pharmaceutical decoctions, and ordinary extracts." Ure also
explains that the enamel is free from lead. Some of the earlier examples
of enameled cast iron, that had been manufactured in Germany, had lead in
the glaze.

The first two American patents were granted for enameling. The earliest
American patent that I have found was granted to Charles Strumer's
'Improvement in Enamels for Iron,' New York, July 25, 1848 (5,681and to George W.
Holley (#16,798) for the 'Improvement of Enameling Cast-Iron," on March 10, 1857. In
the 1860 census, there was one enameling establishment listed.

Other patents for enameling iron or steel were:
Enameling hollow ware, compositions for (1850) # 7,145
Enameling iron and steel (1869) # 98,336
Enameling iron and steel (1869) # 87,475

From Godey's Dec. 1853. "Enamel and Enamelling."
"The enamelling of cast-iron vessels and other hollow ware for saucepans, &c., is an art which was introduced in the year 1799, and again in 1839. In the latter case, large sums of money have been expended in perfecting the processes, taking out patents, and contesting the patent right. In the former year, Dr. Hickling obtained a patent for a process for lining iron vessels, c., by fusion with a vitrifiable mixture, of which there were four kinds: . . . -
In May, 1839, Messrs. Clarke obtained a patent for coating iron saucepans in such a way as to prevent the enamel from cracking or splitting from the effects of fire. The vessel is first cleaned with dilute sulphuric acid, then boiled in pure water. The composition is next applied. This consists of 100 lbs. of calcined ground flints and 50 lbs. of borax calcined and finely ground: the mixture to be fused and gradually cooled. Forty pounds of this mixture are then ground with water with 5 lbs. of potter's clay into a pasty mass, such as will form a coat on the inner surface of a vessel about one-sixth of an inch thick. This coating is set by putting the vessel in a warm room. The second coating or glazing is then applied. This consists of 125 lbs. of white glass without lead, 25 lbs. of borax, 20 lbs. of soda in crystals, all pulverized together and vitrified by fusion, then ground, cooled in water, and dried. To 45 lbs. of this mixture 1 lb. of soda is to be added; the whole mixed in hot water, and, when dry, pounded. A portion of this powder is sifted finely and evenly over the internal surface of the vessel while the first coating is still moist. The vessel is dried in a stove at the temperature of 212°; next heated gradually in a kiln or muffle until the glaze fuses. The vessel is then taken out and glaze powder dusted over the glaze already in fusion, and the vessel is again heated. This makes the enamel smoother and sounder than can be effected by a single application."

Enameled cookware

They did have enameled cookware, but it was enameled just on the inside and was cast
iron, not enameled steel. Modern "Le Cruset" cookware is a good example of
this, but they enamel the outside also, so we can't substitute it for the
period cookware.

In period ledgers, I have not found enameled tableware listed, but I did
find in the VA ledger [transcribed in my book/CD _Historic Accounts_(1859-1861]this time, two porcelain lined kettles sold, in two sizes. The prices were $1.32, and $3.00. The two entries were out of approximately 22,000 entries. The Arabia had two porcelain lined kettles in the cargo. I don't know if there were additional ones in the cargo, but
only two are on display.

In an 1865 hardware catalogue, "Illustrated Catalogue of American
Hardware of the Russell Erwin Manufacturing Company" there were several
style and a number of sizes of enameled hollow ware. They listed enameled
flat-bottomed round boilers, flat-bottomed oval boilers, tea kettles-English pattern, flat-bottomed bellied saucepans, upright sauce pans, shallow French stew pans, maslin kettles-English pattern, scotch bowls, Yankee bowls, fish kettles, and glue pots. All these pots were flat bottomed for use on a cook stove as opposed to the heavy cast iron ware with legs that were used in hearth cooking. Some of them had bails that had a notch in the bail so that they could be used for lifting or hung from a crane. The sauce pans and stew pans had long handles. The maslin kettles, scotch and Yankee bowls had handles with no notches. Unfortunately, there were no prices listed, only sizes.
Again, this was enameled cast iron not lightweight modern enameled steel.

Some quotes from cookbooks using porcelain or enameled kettles.

"The introduction of iron ware lined with porcelain has fortunately almost superseded the use of brass or bell-metal kettles for boiling sweetmeats..." (Miss Leslie's Directions for Cookery, Eliza Leslie, 1851)

[For making preserved peaches] "The best preserving kettles are made of iron, and lined with porcelain." (The Kentucky Housewife, Lettice Bryan, 1839)

"An iron kettle lined with porcelain is the best for preserving..."
"To Clarify Sugar. Break up two pounds of loaf sugar; put it into a porcelain saucepan..."
"Marmalades and Jams... an iron porcelained kettle as for preserving must be used..." (Mrs. Goodfellow's Cookery as it Should Be, 1865)

"A new species of food for army uses, called the extract of flesh, is highly commended for invalid soldiers and others... An ordinary porcelain lined kettle, holding a gallon, is sufficient for the preparation of the extract." (CHARLESTON MERCURY, July 16, 1863

Now for documentation on the granite ware and speckled ware.

There is confusion on the term "white granite ware." It can refer to a type of white china or white enameled sheet iron. Unless you know the context of the quote, it is nearly impossible to determine which type is meant. The term "white granite ware" for china appeared as early as 1848 in _Scientific American_ and was frequently advertised in newspapers. I found a good definition in the Sept. 23, 1886 issue of Christian Union_. "Granite ware may be distinguished from china by being held to the light; granite is opaque, while the china is translucent." From _The American Architect and Building News_ (Aug. 19, 1876) ". . . . excellent quality of the white-granite ware (known as the popular designation of ironstone china) produced in America."

I did not find any 19th century references for the white enameled stamped steel that usually has a colored ring around the edge. That seems to be a 20th century item. Even as late as the 1897 Sears Catalogue there are no white enameled stamped steel items.

Frederick G. Niedringhaus and his brother came to St. Louis in 1858 and by 1862 had opened a tin stamping shop and were producing seamless, stamped tin kitchenware. The brothers opened the St. Louis Stamping Company in 1866. They experimented with coating the steel with an enameled surface, such as they had seen in Europe and in 1874 they were successful. He did not seek a patent right away and the first patent for enameling sheet iron (# 177,953) was granted to Frederick G. Niedringhaus of St. Louis, MO on May 30, 1876. His process produced a gray mottled surface. The St. Louis Stamping Company called their product Granite Ironware but it was often called agateware by other companies.

At the Philadelphia Centennial, (1876) the products of the St. Louis Stamping Company was described as thus. "But we looked with pleasure upon the new kitchen utensils from the St. Louis Stamping Company. . . . These were covered with a marbleized porcelain termed 'granite,' "

In the Jun 2, 1877 issue of _Scientific American_ they wrote, ". . . . marbleized and granite ware, which have for the past year or more found ready and extensive sale in our markets, . . . . The ware is quite handsome, of a mottled gray and white color, resembling somewhat certain varieties of marble in appearance."

All these quotes seem to indicate that the granite ware was comparatively new on the market and it would not be so if it had been available during the CW.

It was not until J. J. Vollrath of Sheboygan, WI patented the process for coloring the marbling surface in 1881 (# 250,465) that the colored speckled ware was developed.

In short, there is little possibility that a civilian or soldier would have had any enameled tableware. The porcelain preserving kettles would have been found in civilian homes but would not have been likely to have been found in a soldier's camp.

This is only a brief synopsis of the research I have done on enameled cookware but there is not room for me to post all of it and I don't have time to do a full length article at this time. I hope this helps everyone.

[bdyanko]

Re: Enameled Ware blues

It was very helpful. Thank you very much for posting it.

[gschult3]

Re: Enameled Ware blues

Mrs Mescher – thanks much for your excellent references! (said while a hallelujah choir sings in the background).

G

[Nordic Lass]

Re: Enameled Ware blues

Thank you, virginia.