Antique "Silver & Co" 31" Glass Towel Bar and Nickel Ends
William H. Silver (1850-1904) was born in Milford, Ohio in 1850 and entered the field of manufacturing at the age of 19. William relocated to Manhattan, New York in 1883 to start his business named Silver & Co. making and selling his first three innovative household devices. In 1886 he relocated the business to Warren Street where he established his "manufactory of household inventions". As a small operation, both the sales office and manufactory remained together in Manhattan until 1892, when a larger factory building was built in Brooklyn on Hewes Street. On January 1, 1900 a 42 page catalogue “No. 6” was published featuring their Brooklyn “bathroom specialties”. These included a large variety of nickel plated soap and sponge holders, tumbler and tooth brush holders, toilet paper holders, soap cups, towel holders, shower bath rings, robe hooks, match boxes, towel shelves, soiled towel baskets, bath sprays, tubular showers, bathtub seats, fountain shower sprays and folding Turko-Russian bath cabinets with heaters and vaporizers. In 1915, the company continued the expansion of the firm's product-line, advertising "1000 Specialties we manufacture in our large factory." In 1929, the tin kitchenware giant, Silver & Co., disappeared from the Brooklyn City Directories, tax records and all house wares buyer's guides. Its demise was likely the casualty of both the Great Depression and the loss in revenues from the sale of tin items due to the rise in popularity of enamel cooking-wear sold by competitors.
