Is this a match to Andresen Monk?

[Nathan Flory]

Just wondering because I can't see any lettering on the bottom, just a possible indentation line on the bottom at 12 o clock.

[Nathan Flory]

Here is the bottom

[Nathan Flory]

Here is the bottom after the e-bath.  It looks like a really rough casting.  Lots of marks.  Maybe someone intended this to look like a rare pan?

Only distinctive mark is at 12 o clock on the bottom;  a horizontal line.

Any thoughts?

[Larry Pesek]

Looks very OLD to me...Love that handle!

[Tom Neitzel]

Nathan, I've been on vacation for the past week or so.  I suspect it is a recast (AKA shop project).  I'll post some measurements from my pans so we can compare.  Take a steel rule and measure the diameter on top.  Also the diameter of the cups.  A recast will be a bit smaller than an original.  I think that 12 o'clock line is a gate mark.

[Nathan Flory]

Without posting a photo of my ruler, it appears to measure 9 1/8" from outside edge to outside edge on the top.  If you want a photo I can send that later :)

[Nathan Flory]

I forgot to measure the diameter of the cups, but I did today.  They're 2 1/2" in diameter.

Also I noticed that there are two of those horizontal lines, one at 12 and one at 6 on the bottom of it.

[Tom Neitzel]

I'm working on some pictures, but mine are 9 inches in diameter (to the outside edge) with cups 2 3/16 inches in diameter.

I suspect the two lines are gate marks.

I'll get the pics up in a little while.

Tom

[Tom Neitzel]

Finally got the pictures done.  I'm going to post more than you wanted to know, but I've wanted to get this out anyway.  Someday I will get around to writing a more comprehensive description of these pans.

To give you a short answer, your pan is of the early Andresen style, but is larger and has what appear to be gate marks.  It's most likely that some other person or foundry was inspired by the design and copied it.

Alfred Andresen opened his company in 1894 as "Alfred Andresen & Co.", and "The Western Importers".  As far as I've been able to determine, he started selling cast iron goods in 1896.  Alfred was a real marketing genius.  I've not seen anything he sold without his or his company name on it.  We know that Griswold started making his cast iron goods around 1904.  Prior to that the early products (say, about 1896 to 1904) were NOT made by Griswold.

I've attached a few pictures of what I consider to be the earliest Andresen Munk (or Aebleskiver) pan.  It is unmarked on the bottom, has AA& Co and MPLS on the top.  It is side gated.  A very nice pan, but excuse the lack of cleaning on my part. ;D

Tom

[Tom Neitzel]

Here's what I consider to be V2, it is marked on top the same as V1, by has a had inscribed M1 (Munk 1) at the 12 o'clock position on the bottom.  No other markings.

I am suspicious that this is the first of the Griswold production but using patterns supplied by Andresen.  Griswold would have put the pattern number on, but since it was not their product, would have kept it out of their sequence.  Of course, remember this is just conjecture on my part. ;).

The mark is at the top of the picture, upside down, so it looks like 1 W.

These first two variations have the company markings as just simple slugs that were easily attached to the pattern.  It may be that your pan predates these and that Andresen was offered the pattern by whatever foundry he was using.  Andresen did state in a later catalog that he brought the patterns from Norway with him, although I've not seen this pan design in the Scandinavian foundries.

[Tom Neitzel]

Here's the 3rd variation, and what is considered the first Griswold made Andresen pan.  I differ a bit from Jon Haussler in the order of the pans, but again it is just my opinion.  That's based on how Andresen was kicked out of the company in 1913.

It is marked with the 2992 pattern number on the underside of the handle along with Andresen Munk Pan inscribed on the bottom.  No markings on top.  There will not be any top markings on any of the later products.

[Tom Neitzel]

This is an interesting Scandinavian Importing pan.  The company was incorporated in Maine, but located in Boston (near where the great Molasses Disaster occurred.)

It is considered Griswold made from the pattern number.  It is identical in size to the Andresen pans.  Could have been contracted through Andresen, or just a reuse of the pattern by Griswold.  The quality of the markings makes me think it is later than the Andresen products, but again, conjecture.

No markings on top, 2992 under the handle, and Scandinavian Importing Co, in raised letters, on the bottom.  Better lettering than the Andresen products.

I'm sure this is far more than you ever wanted, but it is stuff I've wanted to document for a while.  Usually this is not on the public side, but there is far more on the WAGS side with things that I'm sure will interest many.

Tom

[Tom Neitzel]

Just to tie up one loose end, Alfred was booted from his company in 1913.  They removed his name from everything that was easy to change, replacing it with Western Importing.  I think Jon's V1 of the No. 33 Griswold pan with 2992 under the handle and no other markings on the bottom is a reflection of that removal and comes after the Andresen marked pans.  Then a redesigned handle with Western Importing on the bottom was produced.  Again, my speculation.

[Nathan Flory]

Thanks for all the information.

From what I understand of your first message, you believe someone copied the design.  Which means there is likely no good way to date this piece is there?

[Tom Neitzel]

I don't know who copied who.  Yours could be older or newer, just depends on how the foundry did their casting.

As far as age I think a general range of 1895 to about 1910 or 1915.