Object Number 1953.0155.020 A, B

Object Name

Spittoon (Cuspidor)

Category

Metals

Credit Line/Donor

Gift of Charles K. Davis

Creator (Role)

Josiah Danforth (Maker)
06/03/1803-05/11/1872
Josiah Danforth is the great-grandson of Thomas I; grandson of Thomas II; son of William; nephew to Thomas III, Joseph Sr, Edward, Jonathan, and Samuel (of Middletown); cousin to Joseph Jr; great-nephew of John (of Norwich). Nineteen members of the Danforth family, spread over five generations, became invovled with manufacturing pewter or britannia. Josiah probably trained with his father, William, starting in about 1817. Only three years later, William died and Josiah took over at the age of eighteen, hiring Thomas S. Derby. It appears that Josiah leaked the formula for Danforth britannia to Derby, who was then hired away by Charles and Hiram Yale of Wallingford. In 1837, Josiah sold his shop and tools to the new firm Graham and Savage. By 1841 he and Ephraim Crofoot were operating as J. Danforth & Co., which produced britannia goods. In 1845, he bought a shop for manufacturing trusses and by about 1850 was involved with that industry under the name Cooley and Danforth. For more on Josiah Danforth's marks, see Carl Jacobs, Guide to American Pewter (1957), p.67-70; C. Jordan Thorn, Handbook of American Silver and Pewter Marks (1949), p.249; Ebert, Collecting American Pewter (1973), p.128-130; Kauffman, The American Pewterer (1970), p.139; and Montgomery, History of American Pewter (1973), p.219. See also John Carl Thomas, Connecticut Pewter and Pewterers (1976), p.50-145; Laughlin, Pewter in America (1981), vol.1, p.117-118 and vol.3, p.75-77. Previous cataloguer listed active dates as 1817-1837 and 1841-1846 (M. Huff 2006).

Place of Origin

Middletown, Middlesex, Connecticut, New England, United States, North America

Date

1830-1843

Mark or Signature or Inscription or Label

1. Mark; Underside, center; "J.DANFORTH" stamped in rectangle.

Materials

Britannia metal

Techniques

Cast, Spun

Dimensions (inches)

3.268 (H) , 6.378 (Diam)

Dimensions (centimeters)

8.3 (H) , 16.2 (Diam)

Object Description

Text available soon.

Bibliography and Bibliographic Notes

[Article] Goyne, Nancy A. 1965 Britannia in America: The Introduction of a New Alloy and a New Industry. Winterthur Portfolio. (II): 160-196.
• Published: fig. 36, p. 187
[Book] Ebert, Katherine. 1973 Collecting American Pewter.
• Published: p. 92
[Book] Thomas, John Carl. 1976 Connecticut Pewter and Pewterers.
• Published: Fig. 122, p. 118.