The Colonial Iron Works Co. Trade Mark Plaque
A cast iron trade mark plaque from The Colonial Iron Works Co. of Cleveland, Ohio — a conveyor systems manufacturer so thoroughly erased from the historical record that this plaque may be among the only surviving evidence the company existed. The inaugural piece in SSC's "Cleveland's Forgotten Foundries" collection.
Brooks & Patton No. 9 Tea Kettle
A rare No. 9 tea kettle from Brooks & Patton of Columbus, Ohio — the foundry whose principal, Alexander G. Patton, later acquired the Columbus Hollow Ware Company. SSC documents the piece that bridges two chapters of Columbus cast iron history.
Cast Iron Posnet — “D.O.-52” Marking
A small cast iron posnet marked "D.O.-52" — three legs, a hanging loop, and a marking nobody can identify. SSC documents this hearth-era mystery piece in full detail and invites the collector community to help solve it.
Pre-Logo Era No. 8 Flat Skillet — Gate Scar, Unattributed
The gate scar is the oldest mark in the SSC collection. Not a logo, not a brand — the physical remnant of the casting process itself: the raised diagonal ridge left when the iron that filled the gate was broken away after the pour. American foundries of the mid-to-late 19th century tolerated visible gate scars in a way the branded era did not. By the time Favorite Piqua Ware was stamping Smiley cartouches into its bases, the gate scar was already a relic. This No. 8 flat skillet, with its fancy twist handle and figure-8 loop, predates every other piece in the SSC collection — and it belongs here.