Dating Hendryx Japanned cages by feeders and feeder openings

Today I'd like to talk with you about cages and the associated feeders which may help you date your cage.  Dating won't be within a year or so, maybe not even a decade, but it will help you get the general idea when your cage was made or offered by The Andrew B. Hendryx Co.

Let's start out with a few pictures of the cages I want to discuss.  You'll notice that all the cages are Japanned or enameled.  Brass cages are difficult to date by the feeders so I am not going to address them in this entry.

Here is a 19th century display cage c. 1880.

 I call this the draped cage.  Notice the metal drape on all 4 sides of the cage.

This is known as a cottage cage.

I believe this one is called "blue boy".

This is a rotating wheel cage.  The wheel attached to the front of the cage rotates as the bird hops from perch to perch.  This was co-patented by Anson E. Mook and Andrew B. Hendryx.

This one is enameled.

Now let's start breaking them down and discuss different feeder options for the cages.

These feeders are the earliest variety.  Note the two cross bars on the cage above and below the feeder opening.  The hook of the tin-top rests on the lower bar in the first picture, and the top one supports the hanging bars of the feeder in the second picture.

As a review from a previous posting, these feeders were offered from the very inception of the A.B. Hendryx Co. up until the 1891 catalog which stated that they would be only available upon buyer request.

Tin top 

I call this one the triangle feeder.  The base is shaped like a triangle and it has a nub on the top.  The nub slides down through the wires of the cage and rests on the cross bar (rail).

This feeder was offered  in the 1891 catalog and sent on all Japanned cages unless the buyer requested to have the previously offered tin-top or round top hanging feeders.  [I do not have any earlier trade catalogs to verify if the triangle feeder was introduced previously to the 1891 catalog.]

This feeder is the only one displayed on the Japanned cages in the 1904 and 1910 catalogs.

This is the oval feeder.  

It comes in either opal glass (commonly called milk glass) or flint glass which is the clear glass.

The 1910 catalog is the first catalog I have that offered the oval feeder one time on an enameled cage.  By the 1926 catalog, all the Japanned and enameled cages sported the oval flint glass feeders.  The opal or milk glass feeders were on the brass cages.  Due to the 16-year gap in my catalogs, I can't tell you more specifically when the oval feeders began being offered on the Japanned cages.

You may be asking me "So what?" 

My goal is for you to have the information so you can put the correct feeders on your cages.  I want my cages to be equipped like they were when they left production.  I don't put just "any" feeder on the cage so it can have a feeder. 

I want the correct feeder on the cage.

I am also awed to know that I have 100 year-old cages.  The Andrew B. Hendryx Co. built the cages to last a long time though I don't know if they had any idea they'd be around this long.

Take a look at this early cage.  I believe this is a display cage made by Andrew B. Hendryx before he started labeling the cages with his name.  It has many characteristics of the early Hendryx cages.  The 1904 catalog is the first time I see the Hendryx name on a cage.  This cage is late 19th century as far as I can tell. 

This feeder opening has the two bars that are needed for the very early feeders.

The tin-top feeder works for this opening.  The hook goes over the bottom bar to secure the feeder.  The hanging feeder would work on this one too.

This is a very early cage that isn't even in the 1891 catalog.  The feeders date it to be prior to 1891.

Take a look at the Hendryx Co. trade books that offer the draped cage.

 Hanging feeder 1891 & 1895

Triangle feeder 1904 & 1910

Oval feeder 1926

Determining the correct feeder will give me a ballpark idea of when the cage was made.  Look at the opening below.  It has a cross rail at the top so the triangle feeder could possibly fit.  But notice the narrowing of the bars at the base of the feeder opening.  See how far below the feeder opening it is?

If the triangle feeder was correct, the crimped wires would be higher up near the base of the feeder opening as in this picture.

This draped cage uses the oval feeders.  It was made some time after 1910 and prior to 1930 as it is not offered in the 1930 catalog.

What about this wonderful cottage cage?  Don't you just love the shape of the roof?  It even has a chimney!

 This is the feeder opening.  Note there aren't any crimped wires at the base of the feeder opening.  There is a cross rail that might work for the triangle feeder but the feeder opening seems too far from the rail.

Look what happens when I put on the triangle feeder.  

The feeder openings don't line up.  

This cage needs the oval feeders so was made after 1910.

Next, let's consider "blue boy".

 Cross rail is present.  No crimping of the wires.  Feeder opening is close to the cross rail.

This cage needs the triangle feeder.  Check out the alignment of the feeder openings on the following pictures.

This cage was made somewhere in the ball park of 1891 to some time after 1910 according to the use of the triangle feeder.

This wheel cage is an interesting cage.  Originally it was Japanned.  

It was painted by the previous owner.  The bottom tray was missing so he had one manufactured.  You can see the cage with the original trays in the following pictures. 

There are three options for feeders offered in the trade catalogs.  

 Round top 1891 & 1895

Triangle feeders 1904 & 1910

Oval feeders 1926 & 1930

Check out the feeder opening.  It is way too far down from the cross rail to hold the triangle feeder.

This cage is a later cage and needs the oval feeders.  It was manufactured some time after 1910 and before 1932 as it is not offered in the 1932 catalog.

This blue cage is of the earlier variety and requires the triangle feeder.  Once again, manufactured some time between 1891 and the 1910s.

I hope you have enjoyed this journey through cages and feeders.  I really like the Japanned cages.  The earliest patent I've seen on Japanned cages is Oct. 31, 1871. There is such a variety offered from the earliest of my trade catalogs (1891) up to the 1938 catalog.  They aren't offered in the 1938 catalog or any after.  

Unless I get some questions to date or identify cages from some of you readers, my next entry will consider the Hendryx Co. "least appreciated" cages [in my opinion] from the Arts and Crafts movement between 1880 and 1910.

Please feel free to leave comments.  I enjoy reading them and appreciate them.  If you have questions that you wish to have me attempt to answer, please write to tweetthings53@gmail.com.  I will answer your questions personally and on the blog. 

Thank you, again, for taking this journey with me as we explore more mysteries of the cages and feeders of The Andrew B. Hendryx Co.

Happy hunting.

Barbara

Another wonderful Hendryx parrot cage

Shortly after I wrote my last posting about the dating of that unique parrot cage and stand, I received a note from another reader, Alyssa:

Hello--
My husband and I came across a parrot cage at a yard sale a few years ago and new it was old and worth a lot so we picked it up for $10. I got to looking at it, and saw it was made by Hendryx in New Haven CT. It's on a solid iron black stand and the cage is a tall brass dome. I havent been able to find any other info on it and came across your blog and thought maybe you might know something.

I want to show you the pictures she sent.  This is an oval iron cage stand with a brass cage.  It came complete with a padlock on the door!  Must have had a very clever bird in it at one time.

Tray supports have embossed "Hendryx" "New Haven CT" and "Made in USA".  Also shows knob which indicates the height of the tray is adjustable. 

Interesting, fine design pattern on the base.

Cage stand includes straight perch without feeders.

Threaded ends of the perch.  The feeder cups would have screwed onto the perch and would have been held securely this way.

Isn't this a wonderful cage?

  

It looks similar to the previous parrot cage I dated for Chris, so I went to the later books in my collection.  This cage is not in the 1930 catalog.  I found it in the 1932 catalog, but the finial and dimensions are a bit different.  Alyssa said that the stand is right under 30 inches and the brass cage is 26 inches tall and almost 21 inches wide.

Here are the pictures from the 1932 catalog:

Finial is taller than Alyssa's but the cage shape is the same.

This stand is just like Alyssa's.  Oval tray, adjustable height.

The cage that matches Alyssa's is in catalog 46, 1938.  The 1938 catalog I have was reissued by RetroPeacock this year and I am unable to copy the picture in it.  It has the exact measurements and looks just like the finial on Alyssa's.  It is described as: Adjustable oval tray...equipped with catches to hold cover in place.  Cast aluminum cups with polished finish.  Hard wood perch and swing.  Chromium chain. Heavy cast iron decorated base.

The next catalog I have is 1949.  There are no parrot cages whatsoever in there.   The date stamp for this cage is really broad.  It's from after 1932 to who knows what date after 1938.  I believe that 1938 is the median date.

Thank you for following this cage as it developed like the last one.  It is another example of the variety available in the products of The Andrew B. Hendryx Co.

If you have comments, please feel free to comment at the end of this blog.  If it requires an answer, go ahead and comment there, but please also send your question to my email address tweetthings53@gmail.com.  

Thank you for the journey.  Happy cage hunting.
Barbara