Q: My story begins like most others--with a box discovered in Mom's attic. While unpacking a carton, I found a Buffalo Pottery canister with the word "Oatmeal" on it. The bottom is stamped 1906. Not only did I find eight more canisters, but there were covers for each of them. Others were marked "Currants," "Prunes,"Raisins," "Rice," "Coffee," "Tea" and two that say "Sugar." Tell me about my treasures.
A: Your canisters are part of a "soap opera." The Larkin Co. was founded in Buffalo, N.Y., in 1875 by John D. Larkin. The company manufactured soap. One of Larkin's innovative marketing ideas was to eliminate the "middleman" and sell directly to customers. He offered merchandise premiums to encourage customers to buy more soap. As the premium business grew, Larkin made the pottery, glassware, leather, textiles, and furniture that were premiums. In 1901 the Larkin Co. founded the Buffalo Pottery Co. to make dishes and other ceramics to use as premiums and to sell in retail showrooms. In the 1920s and '30s, the pottery shifted to the manufacture of hotel and institutional ware. Larkin Soap Co. went out of business in the mid 1940s. The Buffalo Pottery trademark is still in use.
Your canister set was made in 1906, but was never listed in a Larkin catalog. There was probably also a canister marked "Flour."
