Dear Helaine and Joe: I inherited this lamb-shaped mold and frying pan with lid. The lamb has the original box, which is marked "Griswold No. 866 Quality Cast Ironware Erie, Pa." The pan is stamped "104B." I was wondering if they have more than sentimental value?
Thank you. — P.S., Dublin, Pa.
Dear P.S.: The history of the Griswold Manufacturing Co. begins in 1868 when the Selden and Griswold Manufacturing Co. began operation in Erie, Pa. This firm was actually founded in 1865, but production did not begin until 1868.
Matthew Griswold was married to Lydia Selden, the sister of the two Selden Brothers, who were the other founders of the factory, so the company was all in the family, so to speak. Over the years the company expanded from making such things as cast-iron hardware to producing an extensive line of restaurant equipment.
Matthew Griswold bought out his partners sometime around 1884, but fire severely damaged the plant in 1885. The facility was quickly restored, and in 1890, Arthur Vining Davis (1867-1962, later chairman of ALCOA), convinced Griswold to try casting utilitarian objects from aluminum. It is said that Griswold asked his secretary what item a woman might most want cast from this new lightweight material, and the answer was a tea kettle.
The tea kettle was actually cast in 1893 at the Pittsburgh Reduction Co., which at the time was the only facility that could smelt aluminum. Griswold supplied the mold, and the result was a cast aluminum tea kettle, which many consider to be the first cooking item cast from this previously very expensive metal.
Over the years Griswold made a very wide range of items and in the 1920s they began producing a full line of cookware. As a promotion gimmick, Matthew Griswold's secretary, Etta Moses, became "Aunt Ellen," and she advised consumers on how to cook using Griswold's cast iron and aluminum. She answered letters, and there was even an ""Aunt Ellen"" cookbook on the market.
The piece owned by P.S. that is shaped like a lamb is a cake mold and on the box, consumers are encouraged to "Bake a Cake and Please the Kiddies."
Griswold made several other cake molds, including one shaped like a rabbit ($250-$300) and another shaped like a full-length Santa Claus ($450-$600). The really rare Griswold cake mold, however, is the one shaped like a Bundt pan, which should be valued at around $1,000!
The lamb mold is 866, which is the early version of very similar 921/922 lamb cake mold that was made later. The 921 is the front of the mold while the 922 is the back. It is a plus that the 866 owned by P.S. still has its original box which suggests to us that it was not used very much and is in excellent condition. For insurance replacement purposes this should be valued between $150 and $200.
As for the Griswold skillet and lid, the number that was reported is incorrect, but it may be a 704 or 704D skillet, which is a size 8. It has a smooth bottom with no fire ring and is probably from the second quarter of the 20th century. It is hard to be sure about this skillet because of the incorrect product number, but we believe it is fairly common and has an insurance replacement value of around $40 to $50 with the cover.
Helaine Fendelman and Joe Rosson are the authors of the "Country Living: American Glassware — What is it? What is it Worth?" (House of Collectibles, $19.95). Questions can by mailed to them at P.O. Box 12208, Knoxville, TN 37912-0208.