COMPACT MANUFACTURERS

with company information when known ... this list is far from complete and is just meant to be a sampling of manufacturers  ... it will be expanded as time goes on and as information is provided ... your comments & help is invited and appreciated

Also included are sterling silver companies when available. An excellent resource for sterling hallmarks can be found here: Online Encyclopedia of Silver Marks

BBCo:  Bliss Brothers

B.M.Co.:    Breadner Company, Ltd. of Hull, Quebec, Canada, founded by Samuel Breadner.  . Loosely started in 1890s, officially originated in 1903 as Breadner Manufacturing Co.  Changed to Breadner Co Ltd in 1930.  Following WWII, Samuel Breadner passed the business to his son, Jack Breadner. They relocated to Hull, Quebec in 1956.

Bigney, Sidney O:   1894 - 1946.  Mark S.O.B., Sidney O. Bigney CO., Attleboro, Massachusetts

Henry Birks & Son: Montreal, Quebec, 1879 - Present

R. Blackinton & Co.: 1862 - 1967, North Attleboro, Massachusetts

Bliss:  E. A. Bliss Company, Meriden, Connecticut

Bourjois, Inc.:  A. Bourjois & Co., Inc., New York  (Evening in Paris manufacturer)

Bridgeport:  Bridgeport Metal Goods Mfg. Co., Bridgeport, Connecticut

Briggs:  D. F. Briggs Co., Marked "D.F.B. Co.", Attleboro, Massachusetts, 1920's and 30's

Brodnax:  George T. Brodnax, Memphis, Tenn. (vanity cases)

Coty: New York

D.F.B. Co.:  D. F. Briggs Co.

Djer-Kiss:  France

Dorset-Rex:  1951, when Dorset and Rex joined

Dunhill

E. A. Bliss Co.:  Bliss name used in late 1800's

E.A. Co.:  Bliss trademark from early 1900's to 1907

E.A.M. Co.:  Elgin American Mfg. Company, Elgin, Illinois

Elginite:  Elgin, Elgin, Illinois

Evans: Attleboro, Massachusetts

F & B Co.:  Theodore W. Foster & Brothers Co., 1873, Providence, Rhode Island

F.H.S. Co.:

F.M.Co.:  Finberg Mfg. Co.

Fisher:   The J. M. Fisher Company, one of the oldest established jewelry firms in Attleboro, Bristol County, MA, was formed by John Melatiah Fisher and Charles R Harris in 1879. It was originally known as the jewelry firm of Harris and Fisher. They began business in the first brick factory on Railroad Street, the old "Bailey Carriage Shop". The business grew to include part of the middle floor of that building. When the first brick building on Union Street was constructed in 1880 the company moved there. This was the Robinson Building. When, in 1885 Charles Harris retired, the firm became known as the JM Fisher Company. John Melatiah Fisher was a very influential figure in Attleboro, born October 23 1850. The youngest son of Samuel E. and Cordelia D. Fisher, who lived at the family homestead in Fisherville, on the line between Attleboro and North Attleboro. At the age of twelve, he had assisted an elder brother in making sabres in the employ of John M Bates. Later he worked for Hayward and Briggs, jewelers, where he earned five cents an hour. He later had a dry goods business and established a five and ten cents store in the basement. He married a Hannah Slade Horton of Rehoboth on June 10 1877. When he went into the jewelry business Mrs. Fisher carried on in the dry goods store for several years. He lavished money on prohibition, a cause dear to his heart. He was an honorary member of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union. His interest in Temperance remained with him always and he was always active in the campaign for prohibition. In 1900, he himself was nominated for Governor of Massachusetts on the Prohibition Party ticket. He received 258 votes, a plurality of 84 over the Democratic nominee, he did not however, make Governor. His interests were varied and he was a member of many worthy institutions in Attleboro, the Chamber of Commerce, Director of the Attleboro Trust Co. and President of the Board of the Attleboro Sanitarium. He was responsible for the building of the Sanitarium, at a cost of $500,000. He then gave it to the Board of Foreign Missions of the Methodist Church, an organization he had been a member of since he was 16 years old. The Sanitarium is now the La Salette Seminary. The JM Fisher Company was not small even back then. In a newspaper report dated 1894, the annual output of charms was between 40 and 50 thousand dozens, employing around 50 workers and having one of the largest variety of charms in the US.  They were at that time actually decreasing their line of Watch Charms. Instead, they were concentrating on the production of cuff buttons in pearl, silver stickpin novelties and other innovative lines. This was due to the falling sales of pocket watches and the obligatory chains. Wristwatches were the "in things" and continued to push out the pocket watch, the charms were then adapted to being a ladies item and used on necklaces and wrist bracelets. The company was incorporated in 1909. The JM Fisher Company has a Revoked Charter as a Corporation of Rhode Island. (This information courtesy of Miniature Firearms Collecting.)

G.A.S:  Georg A. Scheid, Austrian silversmith and jeweller active in Vienna from 1862 famous for high-quality enamelling; executed designs by Koloman Moser.

Girey: U.S. manufacturer of small camera-shaped novelty compacts

Gwenda:  England, known for compacts with foiled butterfly wings

H.H.A.:  Harriet Hubbard Ayers

Houbigant:  Houbigant, Paris, France & New York

Houpette:  French company manufactured Pli compacts

Hudnut:  Richard Hudnut, New York

James E. Blake Co., 1889 - 1936, Attleboro, Massachusetts

J. D. Mendes Co.:  Rouge & powder compacts

K & K:  Kotler & Kopit

Karess:  made by Woodworth, New York & Paris

Kerr, William B.:  Newark, New Jersey, circa 1880's - 1927 at which time it was taken over by Gorham. They were makers of fine silver Art Nouveau and vanity items.

Kigu:  Based in England, they manufactured musical compacts in the 1940's and 50's

Langlois:  Cara Nome, Duska

LL:  Lucien Lelong

L & S:  Levi & Salaman. - Phineas Harris Levi & Joseph Wolfe Salaman, Newhall Street, Birmingham. Founded in 1870 by Phineas Harris Levi in partnership with Joseph Wolff Salaman. Proprietors from 1878 of Potosi Silver Co, the firm became Levi & Salaman Ltd in 1910. In 1921 the firm was amalgamated into Barker Brothers (Silversmiths) Ltd.

Luft:  George W. Luft Co., New York (Tangee)

Marathon:  Attleboro, Massachusetts, in the 1930's

Max Factor: U.S.

Mondaine

Norida:  Norida Parfumerie, Chicago, Illinois

Pygmalion:  English company known for novelty compacts such as the Sonata grand piano and world globes

R & G Co.:    Ripley & Gowan Co., Attleboro, Massachusetts.  Established in 1874, and incorporated in 1921. In 1968, the company was acquired by Barrow Industries, and then in 1981 by JED Industries. R&G marketed jewelry lines in the names of R&G, R&G Co., LaMode, and the R&G letters within a padlock. The earliest compacts date from the 1930's.

R & G:  Roger & Gallet, New York

Rex Fifth Avenue:  Based in New York, they manufactured compacts in the 1950's. In 1951 they merged with Dorset marketing under the name Dorset-Rex.  New York company and maker of compacts in the 1950s. This company later joined with Dorset, to become Dorset-Rex in 1951.

Richard Hudnut:  Richard Hudnut, New York

Rowell:  E. N. Rowell Co., Inc., Batavia, New York (powder and rouge boxes)

S. Lesser & Sons Ltd.:  Birmingham, England.  Use the hallmark SL & S Ld.. 

Schuco:  Germany, early 1900's, mostly known for stuffed animals and toys but made a unique line of jointed mohair bear and monkey compacts

Sidney O. Bigney:   1894 - 1946.  Mark S.O.B., Sidney O. Bigney Co., Attleboro, Massachusetts

Stratton:  England

Thomae Co.:   The Thomae Co., 1920, Attleboro, Massachusetts

Vashe' : Manufacturered compacts in the 1930's and 40's

Volupte' :  Established in 1926 in Elizabeth, New Jersey       

Wadsworth:  U.S. company making compacts primarily in the 1940's and 50's.

W & H:  Wood & Hughes, a New York City silver manufacturer, was started by Jacob Wood and Jasper H. Hughes.   Firm was known as Gale, Wood & Hughes between 1833 and 1845.   Company was purchased in 1899 by Graff, Washbourne & Dunn. 

Webster:   The Webster Company was originally founded by George K. Webster in 1869 in North Attleboro, Massachusetts. Their line of sterling items included over 20 patterns of dresser sets, picture frames, cigarette holders, bowls, baby items, candlesticks, napkin rings and more. They were primarily manufacturers of sterling items, however they did have a small line of silver plate items.  In 1958, they purchased the Frank W. Smith Silver Co. and today the Webster Co. is part of Reed & Barton Silversmiths.   Their hallmark is the letter "W" with a feathered arrow going across it.

Whiting Mfg. Co.:   The Whiting Manufacturing Company (not to be confused with Whiting & Davis) of New York was a maker of fine sterling holloware and flatware.  The opened circa 1840 as Tifft & Whiting in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, becoming the Whiting Mfg. Co. in 1866.  In 1924 the company was purchased by Gorham.                                                                        

This page is a work in progress... please stop back.

In addition to my own firsthand knowledge, information has also been taken from:

~Vintage Compacts & Beauty Accessories by Lynell Schwartz
~The Collector's Encyclopedia of Compacts, Carryalls & Face Powder Boxes by Laura M. Mueller