STRATTON OF ENGLAND Ladies Powder Compacts, Ladies Cigarette Cases,Ladies Portable Ashtrays.: 02/01/2007

A Brief History of the Stratton Of England Factory By Kind Permission of Juliette Edwards

Here is a " A Brief History of the Stratton Name " as written by Juliette Edwards. (Founder of The British Compact Collectors' Society. ) and this is wholly attributed to her. A Brief History of the Stratton Name: In 1920 two Birmingham companies merged; Jarrett & Rainsford, makers of haberdashery goods and cheap jewellery, and Stratton Ltd., makers of knitting needles, radio receivers and men's jewellery. Stratton Ltd. was owned by G.A. Laughton and the new company was called Jarrett, Rainsford & Laughton Ltd., with the Stratton name retained for the company's Fancy Metal department. From 1923 part-finished powder boxes were imported from the USA to be assembled and decorated in England until the company set up its own compact and lipstick case manufacturing equipment in the 1930s. This was so successful that by 1939 half these items for the British cosmetic industry were being made by Stratton Ltd., although they did not carry the Stratton name. At the same time a range of "fancy vanity boxes" (compacts) marked Stratton, or the earlier "Stratnoid" name, were produced for the jewellery trade, competing successfully against imports from the USA, Germany and Japan. An employee of a German competitor was forced to flee the Nazis in 1938. He joined the company, adding his experience and expertise gained with Rowenta to Stratton's Fancy Metal Department, which was located in the Alexandra Works, one of the company's five factories in Birmingham. In November 1940 four of these factories were destroyed by Luftwaffe bombing raids on Birmingham, with 500 foot-high flames engulfing the Alexandra works and the adjacent Globe Works. The company found new premises at scattered locations around Birmingham and turned production to the war Effort, adapting salvaged machinery where possible: for example, machines designed to make lipstick cases were modified to produce shell cases. The manufacture of powder compacts was resumed in 1946 at the rebuilt Leominster Works, using new and adapted machinery, so that many post-war Stratton compacts are unlike their pre-war counterparts. A new factory was built at Warstock Road, Birmingham, for the Twinco Moulding Division of the company and in the mid-1950s, in response to an export drive, the Fancy Metal Department was able to move to premises on the same Warstock Road site, where the company operated until it changed hands in the late 1990s. In 1997 the company (then known as Laughton & Sons Ltd.) sold the Stratton name to Cork International; in 2000 it became the property of Firmin & Sons PLC, a company with a long involvement in the fancy metal business. The Stratton name has recently (2006) changed hands again and the new owners, Faze Two Manufacturing Ltd., plan to reinstate the Stratton name with the prestige it formerly held. Thank You:- I would like to thank Juliette Edwards for giving me this Brief History on "The Stratton Name". I would hope who ever reads this will get pleasure and insight into one of our a great British factories. Juliette, this " Brief History on the Stratton Name" has added great content to my blog "Thank you" ____________________________________________ Juliette Edwards is also the author of the 'Miller's Powder Compacts A Collector's Guide' of which I have a photo included in my website. Trevor Hall.(This website designer)

Sunday, February 18, 2007

Apsolutly Stunning Three Peice consisiting of Cigarette case, Lighter & Powder Compact

This Stunning scene by a waterfall,as two angels watch over this happy couple,truly delightfully.
I would love dearly to find the Ashtray to match !!

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Stratton Cobalt Blue Powder Compact a stunning blue flower Design.

This Stratton compact was purchased to match my cigarette case in the same design,the cobalt blue flowered design on a white background,with an outer Colbalt blue circle and gold band design,again no Reg.Des number....so if anyone can date it for me i would appreciate this.

Stratton Powder Compact with Compressed Powder Refill

The Gorgeous Stratton compact has not a got a Reg Design number,But the Cigarette Case compact that matches the design has a Reg Des number of 886136 which puts the Cigarette case to the year cerca 1957, But i really don't know if this Powder compact would be earlier or later.Even so a beautiful compact with glorious white Rose design on a Bluish grey background,and the rest of the compact is in Engine turned gold coloured metal.It has the Stratton of England Stamp to the rear.

Sunday, February 11, 2007

Stratton of England Quality In This Case And Great Choice Of Colours

A beautiful Case with an Enameled lime green background,swirling Red,Green,& Blue type Berries,maybe a cherry or even holly Berries,Even so this is a beautiful designed case, and the colours are really amazing together.

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Where do i start and where do keep my gorgeous collection of Stratton Memorabillia

Well the first large consideration when starting a collection, is where do you keep it, how large will it become, and will it just hang around collecting dust, which really is going to reduce its appeal to yourself and others, which in turn looses it`s value. Do you hide it from those none desirables in society that want to have all that we have, and at any cost, or do you put it on show for the world to see( was that not the reason why you wanted to own a collection? Yes of course it was) So It is going to go on show!!...........BUT WHERE....I will share that with you, when you have had chance to view more cases.

A Great eBay tale !! But a very true Story

Stratton Cases come with a fantastic amount of Enameled Fronts, consisting of themes, scenes,birds, flowers,and Characters, and some to match the Era in which they were made, and i have only been collecting these for the past year and now it is 2006, and i always have a rush of blood when i see a case that i have not yet seen or collected, this one was one of those blood rushes, in fact i was on the edge of my seat waiting to see if i could win the bid on eBay to rescue this case to my collection.I waited seven days and watched in anticipation,watching and waiting to see if i was the lucky bidder, for three days i held my bid of just fourteen UK pounds,and this only after i had taken the bid of someone El's in the race for this beautiful case.It did not take me long to feel bad about the whole situation, as i had lost the bid to another bidder coming from the United States.I tried to take on a bid almost immediately, and unfortunately for me the bid went higher and higher until i was the highest bidder once again, but it was Higher than i wanted to pay, and only for one reason as i really did not know how much to pay for something i had only paid a few small UK Pounds for before, i needed to know how much they were worth, i tried to find websites on collecting Strattons, and the only indication i could find was for the Ladies Make-up compacts, and these were being sold for some small amounts of Money, to very large amounts of money, in fact a lot more than i was paying for this cigarette case.Anyway the moral of the story was Hey i Wanted that case badly and i would pay for it, like this other person would pay for it, so it must have been worth at least that much to me, as it was to them. Guess what YES i WON the BID..........Yes it was 26 UK Pounds, but I do really really like it and it stands proud in my collection...........Was i right to pay that much for it...........well i think i was !! Don't you?

A Very Clever Design, Again the Larger Case!

These larger cases have a size of 11cm x 8.05cm and different to the smaller and older cases in this collection. The Retaining Clip is the same in design BUT, only carries the REG.DES Nª 985948 by the hinge peice, and the Stratton England name is stamped further down the clip, the older cases carry a Patent Number, and the Stratton Stamp is besides the patent and reg.des number.These case have a push stud type clasp, which is different again from the earlier cases, which had the twist clasp.

It Really Does Not Have To Be Expensive Collecting Your Favorite Memorabillia.

It really does not have to be an expensive hobby collecting your favorite memorabillia. you can find what you want in many boot sales around the area where you live, or even take a tour on eBay, you will be quite surprised just what is available, and not so expensive as it would be if you visited an antiques dealer. Go on try it out!! I started with nothing and now I have some really nice pieces, and all at affordable prices. Dont forget the saying:- Some ones Trash is always someones Treasure !!

My Small Collection Of Ladies Potable Ashtrays

Some of these Portable Ashtrays were my very first Collected, as when i started collecting these I never knew at the time of collecting that you could find sets to match, in fact most of these Portable Ashtrays did not seem to match the cases or compacts, Why i have not found out just yet, may be they were around and I have not yet seen them. The Cigarette Compacts with the Enameled fronts were very popular and I believe after the second world war production on the enameled fronted cases compacts were increased to popularity, Because the war machine was in desperate need of the metal to make war material, so most of the compacts etc ground to a halt and not much production if any was made untill after the war. ladies would regularly go to the cinema or a show, they would be able to smoke without having to worry about where they would put their ash and stump out their cigarettes, in fact these Portable Ashtrays also came with a moveable insert were one could also rest the lighted cigarette, which of course was more lady like in those days, as most floors would have then been carpeted. So these ashtrays would have been designed for this one purpose!! What a great little design by Stratton.

The Mark Of Stratton

On the inside of the cigarette case,you will see a Retaining Hinged Clip that holds the Cigarettes in place. On the Clip it is Stamped With the Stratton Name And Stamped Made In England, and the REG.DES 886136 Pat.App. But on the Later models The Patent number would be in place,So you would get on the clip Reg.Des 886136 Pat.No 851743. Also you will get on the inside of the cases and on the rear either Regency Stripes on the Engine turned Gold Colour base metal, and on other cases you have a Star effect into the metal.

STRATTON OF ENGLAND Ladies Powder Compacts, Ladies Cigarette Cases,Ladies Portable Ashtrays.

A Brief History of the Stratton Of England Factory By Kind Permission of Juliette Edwards

Sunday, February 18, 2007

Apsolutly Stunning Three Peice consisiting of Cigarette case, Lighter & Powder Compact

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Stratton Cobalt Blue Powder Compact a stunning blue flower Design.

Stratton Powder Compact with Compressed Powder Refill

Sunday, February 11, 2007

Stratton of England Quality In This Case And Great Choice Of Colours

An Intresting Collection of Ashtrays Compacts & Cases.

Where do i start and where do keep my gorgeous collection of Stratton Memorabillia

This Apsolutly Stunning Case, This Case Has A Deep Black Gloss Enameled Background & A Red Rose

A Wintery Autumn Scene ! Breathtaking.

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Stratton Cigarette Case & Powder Compact

A Great eBay tale !! But a very true Story

A Matching Enameled Fronted Cigarette Case,Make-up Compact and Portable Ashtray,

A Stunning Pair of Compacts, this is a Cigarette Case, and a Miniture Powder Compact

Millers Powder Compacts..This is a must if you are serious about collecting Compacts,

Stratton Quality White Enameled Background / Flower Motive.

Flying Geese on a Translucent Blue Background

Tom Brady Gossip

Imaculate Chocolate brown compact,with cream trumpet flowers

Strange Colours but very effective

Counter

Stunning compact, Butterfly Resting on flowers, surrounded by a Translucent blue Background

This Case Is Apsolutly "Stunning"Stratton Of England Pure Quality

Hello From Spain, I hope you enjoy my collection of Cigarette Cases & Compacts

A Stratton Case from Cerca 1970/80s And Would Be Used for the kingsize Cigarettes

Three Cases Showing Gorgeous Designs Each Of Them BreathTaking.

World Aids Day

Beautiful Stratton Cigarette Case Aqua Marine With Plum Coloured Flowers

A Very Clever Design, Again the Larger Case!

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Another Stratton Enameled Fronted Case Cerca 1950s

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Stratton Cigarette case & Powder Compacts.

A Really beautiful Stratton Cigarette Case.

It Really Does Not Have To Be Expensive Collecting Your Favorite Memorabillia.

THIS JUST REMINDS ME OF SNOW FLAKES

My Small Collection Of Ladies Potable Ashtrays

A Ladies Portable Ashtray.........Nothing better than candle light , champane and a smoke.

Chocolate Brown Enameled Case Cerca1950/60s

A Very Clever design with swirling lines to leave Diamond shapes.

One of Strattons Strange But Clever Designs And Apsolutly Sunning Shapes and Patterns

A Plain Stratton Cigarette Case For The Men

Inside a Typical Stratton Cigarette Case

The Mark Of Stratton

A Chineese Draggon Scene with a Dancer in Costume

A Cigarette Case,With A Beautiful Front

The Cigarette Case & Lighter To Match

A Brown Swirling effect on this case

This is also the Larger case Showing what brillient artwork was Accomplished By Stratton

This Must have been Designed for the ladies who loved Insects

Two Stratton Cases. Both different sizes.Both Breathtaking !!

A Really Interesting Case

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