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As the flea market season winds down, I was able to score a weekend find of note from the Golden Nugget Flea Market. The Zephyr Cocktail Shaker was produced by Revere between 1937-1941.  It isn’t in perfect condition. But these are hard to find in the wild. And the price, at $10.00, was right. Designed by William Welden, the name is an homage to streamlined look of the most modern train of the time, the 1934 Pioneer Zephyr.

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Comparing the shaker to the train, it is easy to see the direct influence.

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Revere has roots based in revolutionary history, as in Paul Revere. For an in-depth look at the early years of the company, please go to Revere ware history  Through the years, it became Rome Manufacturing in 1892, a division of Rome Brass Copper located in Rome, NY.  The Rome Factory’s impressive output included general metal work with everything from button fasteners to locomotives. Quite a catalogue! At the peak of production, they claimed to have over 10,000 different home products!

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Originally, much of their inventory consisted of home wares made with a copper base plated in nickel and later, chrome. Developments in production techniques during the 1920’s made it a leader in brass manufacturing.

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In 1928 they merged with several northeastern copper manufacturers. And by 1929 the conglomerate was known as Revere Copper and Brass Corporation. It was now the largest producer of copper products. The upgraded Rome Manufacturing, Rome, NY plant was delegated the (less prestigious) cookware line. The newly produced items bore the hallmark “Rome”, reflecting the importance of the merger. They had a few glitches along the way with their chrome plated cookware. But that is another story.

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The giftware line was added in 1935 possibly to boost sales after the depression. The hallmark on these items bear an altered stamp that added “Revere” under “Rome”. The high-quality items produced were in competition with other better giftware lines made by Chase, Manning-Bowman, Kensington and others. Part of Revere Copper and Brass Co.’s success was due to employing some of the best known and critically acclaimed industrial designers of the day. The clean lines are the “modern look”, what we now call Art Deco.

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Along with the designing the elegant Zephyr Cocktail Shaker, William A. Weldon also designed the hard-to-find Empire Cocktail Cups. These versatile cups are paired with many cocktail sets and work especially well when paired with the Zephyr. With the elegance of all his creations, his most popular design for Revere was a 1950 tea kettle.

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Norman Bel Geddes’ first commission for Revere Copper and Brass Corporation was a line of a line of beds in 1934.  He was rehired to design part of their new Revere giftware line. Some iconic pieces include the Manhattan Cocktail set, and 5 o’clock canape trays. The Cocktail Hour Tray with the etched Norseman design pictured above with Weldon’s Empire cups is often misidentified as the Zephyr Tray so seamlessly do the designs work together. To see a catalog of Bel Geddes’ work for Revere, please click HERE .

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Fred Farr contributed the Scroll line to Revere.  His bookends incorporate simple rolled steel in either a single or double design. Fairly easy to find, they come in a variety of stains and colors.  Some are smooth and others carved. Unique pieces incorporate clocks, barometers and thermometers.  Often attributed to Walter Von Nessen, the Scroll Magazine stand is an elegant addition to any modern home.

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Unfortunately, production ceased on the Revere Giftware catalog in 1941 with onset of WWII. The conscription of metal and conversion of production to the war effort ended the beautiful and popular line. Although never revived by Revere Copper and Brass Corporation after the war, some of the designs were sold to and produced by other manufacturers.

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Thanks for reading and happy hunting!

Chris & Anthony (the Freakin’ ‘ tiquenGuys)