Hi Lydia,

I claim no expertise in brass kettle/Ansonia history, but I wondered whether
you have a copy of Henry Kauffman's "American Copper and Brass" published in
1968.  The author shows a nice picture of the top and bottom of a Hayden
spun brass basin with the 1851 date embossed on the base.  The date refers
to Patent No. 8,389 dated to Dec. 16, 1851 for making kettles and "articles
of like character", and Kauffman describes the patent on p. 79.  If this
information is of use to you, I can mail you a copy.  Respond off line.

Allen Vegotsky
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-----Original Message-----
From: Lydia Kachadoorian <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Tuesday, September 12, 2000 11:12 PM
Subject: Ansonia Brass Kettle


>Anyone out there with knowledge on brass kettles from the Ansonia Brass
>Company out of Connecticut? I've got part of one at my site, but the patent
>date on it (Dec. 16, 1851) refers to the machine used to make the kettle
>(designed by H.W. Hayden). I am finding conflicting information out there
on
>this company and when they began switching names, making more lamps,
>focusing on clocks, etc. Just wondered if anyone out there had looked into
>this mess. I've emailed the current Ansonia Copper & Brass Company, but
they
>haven't responded yet. Supposedly they are sort of the same company
although
>I just found a source that conflicts that! This is a small kettle--only
>about 7 inches in diameter. Sorry, no photo available--but based on the
1895
>Montgomery Wards Catalog and the 1902 Sears Catalog it looks like a "Brass
>Preserving Kettle". A date on this piece would make a huge difference, as
my
>site was a civil war era fort (Ft. Hoskins, Oregon) before it became a
farm.
>Thanks for any input.
>--Lydia Kachadoorian