Posted 2 years ago
dav2no1
(839 items)
Vernois Enameled Name Badge
**Sorry there's a bunch of lint from my rag in pictures**
I thought I had posted this earlier, but I did not. So I started looking into this again. You can see it's cast iron with white enameling. You can see the bottom is stepped and tapered to fit into a certain location.
Initially I was thinking it was from a wood stove. But I did see a 1930s advertising from:
THE MT. VERNON FURNACE & MANUFACTURING COMPANY.
It says they were:
MANUFACTURERS OF VERNOIS WARM AIR FURNACES,ENAMELED CIRCULATORS,ENAMELED GAS RANGES,LAUNDRY STOVES & LAUNDRY TANK HEATERS.
So I'm assuming it may be from one of those pieces, but I have not found any examples yet.
This is the advertisement that 8 was referring to in my post..
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/vernois-mt-vernon-furnace-479915868
Just gonna put this here, because it gives some important dates for the Mt. Vernon Furnace an Manufacturing Company history (the paragraph breaks are my edit):
*snip*
In 1920 the Mt. Vernon Furnace and Manufacturing Co. was incorporated and purchased five acres of ground on the site of the present plant, where foundry buildings, furnace and stove assembly plants, pattern shop and warehouses were erected.
Since the plant began operation in 1921, the floor space occupied by buildings has been doubled many times.
In 1928 a complete porcelain enameling plant was erected, giving employment to 60 additional men, and the enameled products proved so popular with the public that in 1929 the capacity of the enameling plant has been trebled.
In 1921, -22 and -23, production was confined to warm air furnaces. Tank heaters and laundry stoves were then added; in 1928 enameled circulating heaters were added and in 1929 enameled gas ranges' and gas circulating heaters.
The Mt.* Vernon Furnace and Manufacturing Co. now produces: , 10 different types of furnaces. 25 different types of laundry stoves and tank heaters. 15 different types of coal burning enameled circulating heaters. 3 different types of gas circulating heaters. Beauty of finish and design have never been given the preeminence by any manufacturer that are reflected in VERNOIS Enameled Ranges and Circulating Heaters. Matching your walnut or mahogany furniture, VERNOIS enameled products are a beautiful addition to your home furnishings.
*snip*
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/5005011/
Trying to get more history on the company is complicated by the existence of very similarly named ones in PA and OH.
This person worked for the IL one for 21 years. No specific dates provided, but possibly, he didn't start before he graduated from high school and served in the military:
*snip*
Wib graduated from Mt. Vernon Township High School in 1944, and straightway served in the United States Army from 1945-1947, with the 1st F.A. Battalion, stationed in Korea. Wilbert and Darlene (DeSelms) Pierce were married on August 29, 1952. They established their home in rural Jefferson County, Rome Township, where they remained lifelong residents. Wib was employed by Mt. Vernon Furnace Manufacturing Company (Stove Foundry) in general production for 21 years. He was employed by Precision National Cooperation in Locomotive Crankshaft rebuild for 22 years. In addition, he farmed as a sideline.
*snip*
https://www.osbornfuneral.com/obituaries/Wilbert-Pierce-2/#!/Obituary
This has nothing to do with the furnace company, but I found it interesting:
*snip*
While visiting his sister in Benton, Illinois, in 1963, George Harrison of the Beatles bought a Rickenbacker guitar from Fenton’s Music store in Mt. Vernon.
The guitar was used in the Abbey Road Studios recording of “I Wanna Hold Your Hand”.
*snip*
https://townsquarepublications.com/history-of-mt-vernon-il/
No joy on finding this trademark in the TESS:
*snip*
Trade Mark Is Registered for Warm Air Furnaces United States Patent Office registration has been granted to the Mount Vernon Furnace and Manufacturing Company Mount Vernon MASTER Illinois for the trade mark depicted herewith The particular description of goods to which it applies is warm air furnaces pipe and pipeless The Company claims use of this trade mark since November 29 1920 141,841
*snip*
https://books.google.com/books?id=dH09AQAAMAAJ
Very interesting Kera!
Yeah, but no real joy.
I found another reference to the trademark:
*snip*
144,036 WARM AIR FURNACES PIPE AND PIPELESS MT VERNON FURNACE & MFG CO Mount Vernon Ill Filed January 4 1921 Serial No 141,841 PUBLISHED MARCH 22 1921
*snip*
https://books.google.com/books?id=cGFMdWZzxiMC
However, no matter how I hold my mouth, I can't seem to make TESS cough up that trademark. >8- 0
I did find another trade journal with numerous references to "Vernois":
American Artisan: Residential Air Conditioning, Warm Air Heating, Sheet Metal Contracting, Volume 88
Engineering Publications,Incorporated, 1924 - Building materials
https://books.google.com/books?id=s1dLAQAAIAAJ
Overall, they are pretty repetitive advertisements, and concern a warm air furnace. None of the images show a name plaque, however.
Caveat: a couple of the Vernois hits in that publication are in a distinctly unfunny humor column by somebody named Sidney Arnold (hint: racist).
The Smithsonian has a collection of materials about the company, but it's all hard copy, not scanned and online:
https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/SILNMAHTL_35907
The item of interest there is a reference to "Vernois Aristocrat," possibly another submodel like the Master.
This one is difficult to read because it's so small (you need an account to see a larger version), but it seems to be an advertisement for "Vernois Heating and Cooking Equipment" with a picture of a stove on page 103 of the Class of 1936 Mt. Vernon high school year book:
https://www.e-yearbook.com/yearbooks/Mount_Vernon_Township_High_School_Vernois_Yearbook/1936/Page_103.html
Now that one does look like there might be a plaque on top.
The Class of 1928 yearbook has an advertisement for the Vernois hot air furnace:
https://www.e-yearbook.com/yearbooks/Mount_Vernon_Township_High_School_Vernois_Yearbook/1928/Page_126.html
Kera Thanks for all your efforts. I'm sorry I drug you down this rabbit hole! I did see the Smithsonian link. I also found a museum that has Vernois stuff. I did email them and ask if it looked familiar, but so far no response.
I got a couple of hits for Vernois gas ranges in a 1954 publication for gas appliances (no Vernois images, though):
Gas Appliance Merchandising, Volume 26
Moore Publishing Company, 1954 - Gas
*snip*
TOP BURNERS has been demonstrated that 80 per cent of all cooking is done on the top burners. The number and arrangement the construction and efficiency of top burners are therefore important considerations. Gas ranges provide a wide selection of top burner choices for the American homemaker burners. Roper's and Caloric's built in models. Three burners The Vernois free standing range offers three burners in a line arrangement.
*snip*
In Five Cities
In no uncertain terms, the housewives tell him from their own experience that gas ranges are of the most modern design, adaptable to every type of kitchen; that they are fully automatic and provide safe and sure cooking; that they are economical in purchase price, installation maintenance and cost of operation.
Near the end of the play the harassed salesman admits that he had been taking the course of least resistance in guiding the customer to another type of range. Demonstrating his complete repentance, he joins the housewives in proving gas ranges and gas heat superior on every score to other type ranges. Sharing the stage are the co-stars the latest model "Matchless" gas ranges produced by Caloric, Chambers, Detroit Jewel, Kenmore, Magic Chef, Maytag, Norge, RCA Estate, Roper, Sunray, Tappan, Universal, Vernois, and Western Holly.
*snip*
https://books.google.com/books?id=IM2zwdH-I1oC
Apropos of nothing, that little play starred Jack Albertson (!).
So anyway, Vernois-named appliances seem to have persisted at least into the mid-1950s, but it's not certain that they were the products of the Illinois company, because the play run was in five Ohio and Pennsylvania cities.