corkscrew, especially for ladies’ use. The ease with which it works and its attractive appearance

are points in regard to it which are emphasized.

With the corkscrews introduced in 1889, and Frary’s death in 1890, this would suggest a

relatively short timeframe of production. In the April 3, 1890 issue of The Iron Age, just barely

over a year after

The Iron Age

describes Frary’s offerings, there is an obituary for James D.

Frary.

Col. James D. Frary died March 25, at the City Hotel in Meriden, Conn.

He was

suffering from an attack of pleurisy which had developed into pneumonia. Colon Frary

was at one time the leading manufacturers of Connecticut and a member of the firm

Landers, Frary & Clark, of New Britain, who still retain his name, though he has had no

interest in the business for a number of years. After leaving the company he engaged in

the manufacture of Cutlery at Bridgeport, but the venture was not successful. About two

years ago he went to Meriden and engaged with the Meriden Malleable Iron Company in

making Cork Screws, Lemon Squeezers, &c.

With the images appearing in issues of

The Iron Age

in 1889, and some of these being introduced

as “new,” we do have an idea of when these corkscrews were in production.

That said,

production could have continued after the 1890 date of Frary’s death as the same issue within

which Frary’s obituary is published, it is also explained that 1890 issue of

The Iron Age,

“The

extensive line of Corkscrews, Cork Pullers, Lemon Squeezers, &c., heretofore put on the market

by James D. Frary, Meriden, Conn., will hereafter be manufactured and sold by the Meriden

Malleable Iron Company, of that city.”

The images and descriptions within the pages of

The Iron Age

do prove that Cope’s attributions

were indeed correct, and these corkscrews were manufactured, albeit for a very brief time period,

by James D. Frary and perhaps for a while longer by Meriden Malleable Iron. Lacking a catalog

from either, the hunt will continue; for Frary’s corkscrews, and for the Frary catalogue that

contains, as

The Iron Age

describes, “…

an exceptionally complete line of Corkscrews…”

If you have any addition information on James D. Frary, or a corkscrew (or corkscrews) similar

to those that are illustrated in the images shown here, feel free to contact the author at

josef@vintageorkscrews.com

.

The images that follow show the illustrations from

The Iron Age

alongside examples of James D.

Frary corkscrews.