The 1847 Rogers Girl

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From 1899 until 1909, International Silver used a girl’s head with bonnet in advertising campaigns. In 1909 Advertising Manager, William G. Snow, developed his idea of using a full-size, real model costumed in 1847 attire. The 1847 Girl toured the country advertising silverware, and appeared in vaudeville theaters, jewelry stores and events where she handed out silver spoons, postcards and other items to her adoring fans.

The 1847 Girl made quite an impression. A reporter for the Lima, Ohio Democrat wrote:

There was a stir of excitement, a craning of necks, at the dedication dinner of the Grace M.E. Church recently, and everyone turned toward the door, in which was framed the figure of a young girl in the quaint, picturesque costume of long ago. She had seemingly stepped from the frame of some portrait of ante-bellum days, and as she was escorted to a place at the table she curtsied right and left with charming grace. Whispered comments, exclamations were unsatisfied until someone exclaimed, “It’s the Rogers 1847 Girl.”

After her appearance at the National Retail Jewelers Convention in 1911, the following was reported in the Richmond Times-Dispatch: 

She is a comely damsel arrayed in the fineries which delighted great-grandmothers when they were girls, and looks like a character in a Mary Johnson novel. She wears the fichu, bodice and poke bonnet of the ante-bellum period as if to the manner born – a costume which is reinforced with silk mitts and the tiniest bit of black courtplaster beneath the right eye. She takes your name, smiles a Louis XIV smile, and presents you with a pretty silver teaspoon bearing the firm’s advertisement.

Mothers across the land sent photos of their children wearing 1847 costumes to Mr. Snow hoping to be chosen as the next 1847 Girl. The costumes became so popular, International Silver retained the Butterick Company to produce a complete set of patterns with directions for making the 1847 Girl costume in three sizes, and were distributed to “1847 Girl” sewing circles. The 1847 Girl remained popular into the late 1930s and starred in a radio show. 

Below: A bronze coin token (1 1/4 inch diameter) commemorating 1847 Rogers Bros. 75th Anniversary, 1847-1922.

The back of the coin reads: “History records the birth year of 1847 Rogers Bros. as a year of plenty. May this seventy-fifth anniversary year prove one of prosperity to him in whose hands this token falls.”The images below are of full-color advertising postcards of the “1847 Girl” at home.

Left: The 1847 Girl Garden Series. Right: The 1847 Girl Living Room Scene.

Left: The 1847 Girl Hall Scene with caption “You are cordially invited to inspect our fine assortment of 1847 Rogers Bros. “silver plate that wears” Right: The 1847 Girl Portico Scene.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 21st, 2006 at 10:40 pm and is filed under Reference Articles, Silverplate Flatware. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.