Vintage Ashtray from the Roger Smith Hotel Chain | ||
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Posted 13 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.
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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/
Good day, keramikos.....thank you for your clarifications of this issue. Your input is very much appreciated.
The ashtray that you added with the swordsman pictured represents the Treadway Inns chain.
Ted_Straub, You're very welcome. :-)
Sorry about my spelling mishaps. I seem to have had a particularly bad run of them yesterday. >8-0
For the record: M.B. Co. is the Mitchell-Bissell Company.
As you probably have divined, my initial interest in these two posts was the patent; however, your ashtray yielded a number of interesting tidbits, including the most recent one revealed to me by you with the information that the swordsman is associated with the Treadway Inns chain:
*snip*
According to The Motel in America (1996) Treadway Inns were America’s earliest motel chain.
*snip*
https://www.thehenryford.org/explore/blog/edsel-ford-the-treadway-company-and-the-founding-of-the-dearborn-inn
You are welcome, my friend.....it is always good to share such information. There was once a Treadway Inn near my home, that's how I recognized the Swordsman logo. That motel was taken over by other owners, and still operates today, but it has changed hands a time or two over the years.....