Lenox, Incorporated

For details of the history of Lenox, Incorporated, and an overview of its records, click here .

From the guide to the Lenox, Incorporated, records (03): Series 16-30, 1889-2005, (Rutgers University. Special Collections and University Archives)

From the guide to the Lenox, Incorporated, records (04): Series 31-35, 1889-2005, (Rutgers University. Special Collections and University Archives)

From the guide to the Lenox, Incorporated, records (02): Series 1-15, 1889-2005, (Rutgers University. Special Collections and University Archives)

• 1889: On May 16, the Ceramic Art Company is founded, by Walter Scott Lenox, Jonathan Coxon, Sr., William S. Hancock and Joseph Rice, for the production of porcelain artware, primarily in the form of undecorated whiteware. Coxon serves as the company's first President, with Lenox serving as Secretary and Treasurer. On August 12, the company's pottery at Mead Street and St. Joseph's Avenue in Trenton, New Jersey, officially opens. On October 17, the firm exhibits its first produced wares.
• 1890: In February, announces arrangement with LeBoutillier and Company as the sole retailer of its wares.
• 1891: In May, announces publication of its first product catalog. In the Fall, New Jersey Governor Leon Abbett appoints Walter S. Lenox Secretary of the New Jersey World's Fair Commission for organizing the American ceramics display at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago.
• 1892: In January, employs its first traveling sales representative. Erects a new building for storage. Harry A. Brown begins working as a bookkeeper.
• 1893: Erects a third building for production purposes.
• 1896: In May, Jonathan Coxon retires as President, with Walter S. Lenox replacing him. Joseph Rice also resigns, assigning his single share of stock to Harry A. Brown. Reportedly produces campaign buttons, perhaps for William McKinley
• 1897: In June, a second catalog is issued, exhibiting approximately 350 new shapes. Sponsors the National China Painters Bowl Competition. Sells its first ever museum piece to the Smithsonian Institution.
• 1898: Glen Iris line of painted floral decoration is introduced.
• 1899: On April 10, more land is purchased for additional expansion of the Trenton pottery.
• 1902: Production of bone china (white) service plates is initiated on a custom order and design basis.
• 1903: Ledgers indicate the company employs two salesmen, one to handle New England, the other to handle all sales west of Chicago.
• 1905: In March, workers move into a new three-floor addition, built as part of the conversion to dinnerware production. Hires Frank Graham Holmes as chief designer, partially in response to Walter S. Lenox's deteriorating eyesight. Begins marketing tableware under the brand name Lenox China.
• 1906: On February 1, the Ceramic Art Company votes to change its name to Lenox, Incorporated. Around October, the original kiln shed is expanded and a new kiln is built.
• 1908: China Color and Fire, by Walter S. Lenox, a manual for painting and firing china, is released, distributed as part of a marketing campaign for whiteware.
• 1909: In April, an advertisement for Lenox china appears in International Studio, possibly representing the company's first retail advertisement.
• 1910: Begins marketing dinnerware with a belleek (cream-colored) body, a china body previously reserved for the company's artware.
• 1915: Around November, James W. Johnston is appointed Vice President and replaces William Hancock on the Board of Directors following Hancock's death
• 1917: Isaac Broome creates a parian bust of Walter S. Lenox. A few years earlier, Broome had been put in charge of the materials laboratory. Mandarin and Ming, the first dinnerware patterns using the decal decorating process (decalcomania), are introduced.
• 1918: On March 30, an order for the Wilson White House china service is placed through the firm of Dulin and Martin, the first White House service ever produced by an American manufacturer.
• 1919: On August 22, company by-laws are amended to increase the Board of Directors from three members to five. Col. Anthony R. Kuser and John L. Kuser become members of the board. Autumn, pattern code S1, is introduced.
• 1920: On January 11, Walter Scott Lenox dies; he is subsequently interred at Riverview Cemetery in Trenton. On February 27, the Board of Directors approves the construction of six new buildings, containing two continuous gas tunnel kilns (replacing several older periodic kilns) as well as a new showroom (with the intention of inviting buyers to Trenton, rather than keeping displays in the New York market). John L. Kuser is elected Treasurer. Harry Brown becomes President following the death of Walter S. Lenox.
• 1921: Pattern V40 is created for display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, most likely for the Fifth American Industrial Art Exhibition.
• 1926: On December 6, the Board of Directors votes to remove the word belleek from the company's trademark.
• 1928: In April, the National Museum of Ceramics at Sèvres, France, accepts a gift of thirty-four Lenox pieces for its collection. Mrs. Ferdinand W. Roebling, Jr., places the first of three orders for serving plates depicting Roebling built and supplied suspension bridges, to be painted by William and George Morley, who were primarily known for their decorated plates depicting pheasants, orchids and fish.
• 1931: Lenox representatives begin holding traveling exhibits or "road shows" at retail establishments as a marketing scheme to "educate" the consumer base.
• 1933: In August, success in producing lamps, lighting fixtures and giftware novelties is announced at a shareholder's meeting.
• 1934: In the Fall, begins use of a previously experimental "Walking Beam" kiln developed in part by the Rutgers University Ceramics Department. In November, an announcement is made of the commissioning of the Roosevelt White House china service, to be produced by Lenox and purchased through W. H. Plummer and Company of New York City.
• 1935: In January, Roosevelt White House service is delivered.
• 1938: Russian-born artist Simon Lissim is commissioned to create several museum pieces.
• 1939: Issues a Fiftieth Anniversary Catalog (revised in 1942), which attempts to chronicle Lenox's 3,000 shapes and 4,000 decorations produced to date. Produces service plates and after-dinner cups and saucers for the Federal Building at the New York World's Fair. The set, which includes dinner plates manufactured by Theodore Haviland of New York, was later donated to the White House. Begins producing ballerina figurines designed by Patricia Eakins, which are manufactured intermittently until 1954.
• 1940: In February, hires the New York advertising firm of Geyer, Cornell and Newell to conduct a nationwide campaign.
• 1941: In March, a new gas-fired test kiln is installed for research on low-loss ceramic suitable for the impending war effort.
• 1942: In May, John Tassie and William Siesel join Lenox to help produce steatite for use in electrical, radar and radio equipment. In June, the Board of Directors approves reorganization to accommodate the Lenoxite division and its production of steatite. In addition, Lenox would produce dials for Liberty Ships, Victory Ships and the Army and Navy.
• 1943: John Tassie is promoted to general manager of the Lenoxite division.
• 1945: The Making of Fine China motion picture is produced by Lenox, along with teachers' materials for class discussion of the film.
• 1946: In the Spring, the Lenoxite division is sold to American Lava Corporation. In November, Leslie Brown becomes President after the retirement of his father, Harry. John Tassie is named superintendent of the china works. John Tassie discontinues 390 patterns, ending Lenox's policy of not retiring patterns.
• 1947: Only 47 patterns are produced, mostly designs created after 1932. Of the earlier patterns, Ming, Autumn, Mystic and Blue Tree survive. The number of regional sales managers increases from three to eight.
• 1950: The number of Lenox retailers reaches 767, up from 250 in 1938. Institutes a loan exhibit program for retail stores entitled Command Performance, exhibiting special order plates (including White House china and the elaborate pattern V40B) often accompanied by a showing of The Making of Fine China. Advertising firm Benton and Bowles of New York is retained to produce Lenox's national year-round ad campaigns.
• 1951: The number of patterns increases to 79, with 51 readily available. Truman White House china, consisting of 120 place settings, is delivered.
• 1953: In July, John Tassie hires Winslow Anderson to succeed Holmes as chief designer. Frank Graham Holmes designs his last china pattern for Lenox, entitled West Wind.
• 1954: In April, Frank Graham Holmes dies. On June 1, a new Lenox factory opens in Pomona, Atlantic County, New Jersey. Kingsley, pattern X445, is introduced, exhibiting a solid-color border, a new concept for Lenox borders and designs.
• 1955: The inaugural National Table Setting Contest, sponsored annually by Lenox, is held. The word giftware replaces artware in Lenox catalogs. The slogan "You get the license, I'll get the Lenox" is introduced (created by Phyllis Condon of D'Arcy, which took over Geyer, Cornell and Newell's ad account). The Art of Selling Lenox China is published for use by retailers. Begins issuing catalogs for business (executive) gifts, such as desk sets, cigarette boxes and ash trays, marketed separately from the standard line of giftware. By the mid-1950s advertising focus begins to shift from wares to use and context (eventually shifting to selling based on style or prestige, with ad campaigns such as "Art is Never an Extravagance"). Additionally, the five-piece place setting is introduced to reduce set prices for the middle class. Bridal Registries are also promoted as a means of marketing china.
• 1956: Lenox claims over 50 percent of the domestic fine china dinnerware market.
• 1958: Lenox acquires Hellmich Manufacturing Company for the purpose of producing melamine plastic dinnerware. In November, plastic Lenoxware is introduced.
• 1959: In January, the Sculpture shape is introduced to complement the Standard and Coupe shapes. In April, Leslie Brown retires as President and becomes Chairman of the Board. John Tassie becomes President and CEO.
• 1962: In the Spring, production begins on Oxford Bone China, Lenox's first bone china since the 1920s. A production plant opens in Mexico, producing Lenoxware for Latin America, which is eventually marketed under the Lenox Mexicana name.
• 1963: On April 22, Lenox stock is made public, with the initial offering resulting in 1,300 stockholders.
• 1964: Lenox china is featured in the House of Good Taste at the New York World's Fair. Following the purchase of the previously leased Pomona plant property, the production facilities are expanded, and all remaining manufacturing operations are moved from Trenton.
• 1965: The Dimension shape is introduced. The Holiday giftware pattern is introduced, one of the few giftware items to be decal decorated at the time. Bryce Brothers crystal of Mt. Pleasant, Pennsylvania, is acquired; its products are initially sold separately from Lenox Crystal stemware, introduced the same year. Lenox de Centro America, S. A., is formed in El Salvador, and begins producing Lenoxware by late October.
• 1966: The original Bryce crystal line is merged into Lenox Crystal.
• 1967: Market share for domestic china manufacturers rises to over 70 percent.
• 1968: In December, Paragon Products Corp., a wax manufacturer, is acquired. Paragon subsidiary Victrylite Candles becomes Lenox Candles, Inc. Ralph Steiner's film Of Earth and Fire, detailing the manufacturing process for Lenox china and crystal, is produced. Alladin Plastics, a California-based plastic kitchen item and furniture manufacturer, is acquired. In October, Plata Elegante, a Mexican flatware producer, is acquired. Lenox china and Oxford china achieve over a 50 percent market share.
• 1969: The Pomona plant is expanded by an additional 30 percent. The Innovation shape is introduced. Lenox Crystal obtains a 25 percent market share. Acquires Kaumagraph of Wilmington, Delaware, a specialty printing company, with the initial intention of producing china decals. Candle and soap producer Carolina Company, Inc., of Southern Pines, North Carolina, is acquired.
• 1970: In October, a modern crystal manufacturing plant opens in Mt. Pleasant, Pennsylvania. J. R. Wood and Sons, Inc., the largest U.S. manufacturer of wedding rings, is acquired. Products of the newly acquired company are then sold under the name ArtCarved. Lenox, Incorporated, is restructured as a holding company with wholly-owned subsidiaries, among which are Lenox China, Lenox Crystal and Lenox Plastics. First edition of the Boehm Bird limited edition plate series is introduced.
• 1971: In February, company shares begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange. In December, the Imperial Glass Corporation of Bellaire, Ohio, a manufacturer of pressed glass, is acquired.
• 1972: Temperware, Lenox's casual dinnerware, is introduced. H. Rosenthal Jewelry Corporation of New York is acquired.
• 1973: Lenox Plastics, the North American producer of Lenoxware, is sold, along with the St. Louis Lenoxware factory. Lenoxware would continue to be produced in El Salvador for the Central American market through 1989. Acquires Sheridan Silver Company, Inc., a manufacturer of hollowware, and rebrands it as Taunton Silversmiths Ltd.
• 1974: Acquires John Roberts, Inc., of Austin, TX, largely a class ring manufacturer, a subsidiary of which (Morgan's, Inc.) is rebranded as Lenox Awards in 1975. John Roberts class rings are then sold under the name ArtCarved. Market share for Lenox and Oxford china reaches 53 percent.
• 1975: Alladin Plastics is sold. John Tassie retires as President. John Chamberlain of General Electric, a former Lenox VP, takes over as President and CEO.
• 1977: Columbia Wax Products, a candle manufacturer, is purchased.
• 1978: In July, Kaumagraph Company, Inc., is sold. In November, a new corporate headquarters in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, is dedicated. The Trenton facility continues to be used, primarily for its showroom and storage facilities.
• 1979: A. H. Pond, a leading manufacturer of diamond engagement rings marketed under the Keepsake brand, is acquired and added to the jewelry group. The Smithsonian Collection of giftware, which reproduces historical porcelain pieces in the museum's collections, is introduced.
• 1981: Imperial Glass is sold. A new White House china service is ordered by the Reagans, to be paid for by a private foundation. The Standard Shape is renamed the Presidential Shape and adds several patterns named after former Presidents. The Cosmopolitan shape is introduced.
• 1983: In January, acquires Hartmann Luggage. Brown-Forman Corporation, owner of Jack Daniels, Korbel and Southern Comfort, acquires Lenox, Incorporated, which becomes a wholly-owned subsidiary with the same management in place. A new division known as Lenox Collections is formed, which markets giftware, produced primarily overseas, by direct mail. The National Table Setting Contest is discontinued.
• 1984: Taunton Silversmiths is sold. Lenox Merchandising is created to sell discounted Lenox goods that do not meet first quality standards, opening its first outlet store in May. The 50th Presidential Inaugural Committee commissions Lenox to create one plate and one crystal jar as gifts for President Reagan. Safford Sweatt is named President of Lenox China.
• 1985: In January, opens a manufacturing plant in Oxford, North Carolina, and shifts giftware production to the new facility. Chinastone is introduced to replace Temperware, after abortive attempts to introduce a successor casual dinnerware under the names Lenox Every Day, Cuisine and Lantana.
• 1986: In July, the Keepsake line of jewelry is liquidated. Safford Sweatt is named President of Lenox China and Crystal.
• 1987: In April, ArtCarved jewelry is sold. All wax subsidiaries are sold.
• 1988: In the Spring, the Trenton property is put up for sale; it is sold to Circle-F Industries in September. In November, the sales administration, consumer services and creative services departments expand from the corporate headquarters into additional office space in Ewing, New Jersey. Lenox Decor, a line of hotelware, is introduced. The Classics Collection, a line of bone china to replace Oxford, debuts.
• 1989: On October 21, the exhibit "Lenox: Celebrating a Century of Quality, 1889-1989," opens at the New Jersey State Museum in Trenton. Centennial celebrations also include the December awards ceremony for the Lenox sponsored Create-A-Plate contest for school children. Lenox Merchandising begins experimenting with "first-quality" stores to sell regular Lenox direct to consumers. Several such stores, designed by architect Michael Graves, open in shopping malls over the next few years.
• 1990: In February, the Lenox Awards division is sold. In March, Lenox acquires the Kirk Stieff Company, silversmiths and pewterers of Baltimore, Maryland.
• 1991: In May, opens a new fine china dinnerware manufacturing plant in Kinston, North Carolina. In July, Brown-Forman acquires Dansk, a housewares firm, and its subsidiary, Gorham Silver of Rhode Island, to complement the Lenox line of products.
• 1994: On March 1, a corporate reorganization places Gorham and Kirk Stieff under Lenox China and Crystal, makes Dansk a standalone unit, and splits and subsumes Lenox Merchandising into Lenox China and Crystal and Dansk.
• 1995: In March, Dansk moves its corporate headquarters from Mt. Kisco, New York, to White Plains, New York.
• 1996: Domestic fine china market share rises to 41 percent from 36 percent.
• 1999: Kirk Stieff production facilities in Baltimore, Maryland, are closed.
• 2000: In November, the Clinton White House china service is unveiled. It is the first Lenox White House service to feature an image of the White House instead of the Presidential Seal.
• 2002: In April, the closure of the Gorham manufacturing plant in Smithfield, Rhode Island, is announced. Gorham silver production is then transferred to Lenox facilities in Pomona, New Jersey. Production facilities in Kinston, North Carolina, are expanded by 50,000 feet to accommodate production formerly undertaken at the manufacturing plant in Oxford, North Carolina.
• 2005: In March-April, the original Lenox factory buildings in Trenton are razed, leaving only the office building (which housed Lenox's ornate showroom) and portions of the adjoining structures from the early 1920s remaining. On July 21, Brown-Forman announces its intention of selling Lenox, Incorporated, to collectible manufacturer Department 56 for $190 million. On November 14, china production at the manufacturing plant in Pomona, New Jersey, ceases and is transferred to Kinston, North Carolina. Additionally, thirty-one, out of sixty-one, Lenox retail stores close. The corporate archives, which was not purchased by Department 56, is donated to several repositories, including the gift of china-related materials to Rutgers University Libraries and the historical china collection to the Newark Museum and the New Jersey State Museum.
• 2006: On January 17, Lenox Group, Inc. (formerly Department 56), announces that Lenox headquarters will relocate from Lawrenceville, New Jersey, to Bristol, Pennsylvania.
• 2007: The Pomona, New Jersey, facilities are sold by Lenox Group, Inc., following the cessation of all production there.

From the guide to the Lenox, Incorporated, records (01): Introduction, 1889-2005, (Rutgers University. Special Collections and University Archives)