HENDRYX Parrot Cage Dating

A few days ago I received an email request concerning a large Hendryx bird cage and stand.  Chris wrote to me at the "Hendryx" Hoarder email address: tweetthings53@gmail.com

I have recently got my old bird cage back from a family member from 30 years ago. Maybe you could help me date it. It is a Hendryx on a stand with wooden wheels. It is a beehive i believe...and would love to know more about it...can you help me?

He included the following pictures:

                   

                     

I knew that I had seen this in one of my Andrew B. Hendryx Co.'s catalogs .  I knew it wasn't in the 19th Century books as they didn't sell stands back then.  Chris said he'd already looked at the 1910 catalog and it wasn't there.  

I started in the 1926 catalog.  This one showed several parrot cages but not the one with the stand.   Catalog #42, 1930,  hit the jackpot.  There it is!

Take a look at the catalog pictures:

                  

"Brass Parrot Stand"

Catalog #42, from 1930, describes:

"Oval brass cover, fender, and upright rod, bronzed iron porcelain lined cups, black Japanned adjustable tray, brass plated scroll foot pieces with casters.

Height over all, 63 inches

Height of cover, 31 inches

Diameter of cover, 17 X 21 1/2 inches"

  Catalog #43 isn't dated but it was probably 1932.  The cage is in this too, and is described as:

" Solid brass oval drilled rail cover with swing.   Solid brass fender.  Brass stand with bow perch support and cast iron porcelain lined cups.  Black Japanned adjustable oval tray.  Brass upright.  Brass plated scroll foot piece with casters. 

Height over all, 63 inches

Height of cover,  31 inches

Diameters of cover, 19 X 24 inches

Catalog #46 is 1938 and this brass parrot stand is not in it. 

Chris' cage is 19 X 24.  This means that the cage/stand were made after 1930 and before 1938.

Now look at the new pictures that Chris sent of his cleaned cage and stand.

          

What a wonderful specimen from The Andrew B. Hendryx Co. 

I know that there is a complete parrot cage "out there" like this one.  I've seen it on the internet, probably on ebay.  I don't believe the legs are the same but I'm pretty sure that the top of the stand and the cover are.  If you own it, or know of someone who does, please take some pictures of the pieces Chris is missing or if they are available for sale, please let me know.  Chris is looking for the

cast iron porcelain lined cups [threaded]

hook attaching the swing to the base of the finial

parrot chain [clips to the parrot's leg so he won't fly away]

brass Hendryx label [from below the door]

I hope you've enjoyed this fact-finding adventure.  As always, if you have a cage you want researched or have some information to share, please contact me at tweetthings53@gmail.com.  If you have comments that you'd like to post, please do so.  They are accessible to everyone and can be encouraging or informative to other readers.

Summer is fading but I know the attics and garages are not emptied of their treasures!!  Check out the second hand stores and sidewalk/garage sales and keep an eye out for a vintage or antique Hendryx treasure.

Thanks for reading.  Happy Hunting.

Barbara

Cage Grouping for Impact

Greetings to you in mid-August.  I hope you are enjoying your summer and that you've found some awesome Hendryx cage "treasures" in the attics and garages.

In a previous post, I talked about grouping your cages for additional impact. There's a "WOW" factor that accompanies a group of antique and/or vintage cages collected and displayed in a single area.  I have two examples.

This is my book case that used to have Native Alaskan baskets on it.  I adjusted the shelves and turned it into a grouping of cages by The Andrew B. Hendryx Co.  It is a combination of brass, Japanned, enameled, chromium plated, and plastic.  On the third shelf down, in the middle, you'll see a mouse cage by Hendryx also. 

Below is another example of grouping cages.  This is from Sue who collects antique cages from various manufacturers.  On a previous blog she sent in her grouping of brass cages.  These are her enameled or japanned cages.  We just call them the painted cages.  On the left, handsomely displayed is a rare, complete, tear drop cage called the Biltmore.  It's hanging on a Hendryx hanger.

If you have a grouping that you would like to share with me and others, please send email with pictures to tweetthings53@gmail.com.  I will post them as a guest contributor.

I am working on my next entry:  dating cages by the feeders and feeder openings.  

'Til then, Happy cage hunting.
Barbara