Posted 2 days ago
Ted_Straub
(1002 items)
This ashtray from the Roger Smith Hotel chain is made of heavy ceramic and is 9.6Cm square. It was manufactured by the M.B. Company of Trenton, NJ. Trenton is a former ceramic making center. M.B., like the Roger Smith Hotel Chain is now defunct.
The matchbook from the Hotel Lafayette of Buffalo, NY was added for display purposes. The Lafayette has been remodeled and is open for business.
Merry Christmas Ted! Very classy vintage hotel ashtray, nice that they made a pocket for the matches
Nice A-Tray ,,great add on with the MatchBook in place
Super cool piece. Cough, cough... Reminds me of the 1960s...
Any chance of an image of the bottom?
Yes, Jenni...this is a real beauty, well designed, and of high quality.
And kwqd, I have just posted an image of the ashtray's reverse on December 26, 2024.
I took another crack at this, going at it from various angles.
Let's start with a link to the post showing the frustratingly unclear patent number on the underside:
https://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/323883-reverse-of-roger-smith-hotels-ashtray
I managed to find a near twin (same ceramic mold, different graphics) using Google Lens that yielded a readable patent number on its base:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/706810498/white-art-deco-ashtray-with-swordsman
The 1938 design patent, assigned to the Mitchell-Bisell company:
https://patents.google.com/patent/USD111173/en
The Roger Smith Hotels chain:
https://lostnewyorkcity.blogspot.com/2012/07/oddball-history-of-hotel-roger-smith.html
https://www.stamfordhistory.org/ph_0309b.htm
Who was ole Rog?:
http://www.stamfordhistory.org/roger-smith-1981.pdf
Oof, make that the "Mitchell-Bissel[l] Company:
https://potteriesoftrentonsociety.org/research/records/mitchell-bissell-company-pottery/