The Napier Company is an American

jewelry Jewellery ( UK) or jewelry ( U.S.) consists of decorative items worn for personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, pendants, bracelets, and cufflinks. Jewellery may be attached to the body or the clothes. From a w ...

manufacturing company, and was one of the first modern corporations in the United States. The company is also known historically as a cutting-edge silver object manufacturer.

History

The Napier Company got its start in

North Attleboro, Massachusetts North Attleborough, alternatively spelled North Attleboro, is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 30,834 at the 2020 United States Census. The villages of Attleboro Falls and North Attleborough Center are ...

1878, under the name of The E. A. Bliss Co., manufacturing gilt men's watch chains. In 1882, the company became incorporated as The E. A. Bliss Company with the word "The" as part of its legal name. The company relocated to Meriden, Connecticut in 1890, after the company sustained rapid growth in the previous decade. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

(and again in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

), they ceased production of jewelry, and instead focused on producing war-related items, such as medallions and medals. James H. Napier became president of the company in 1920, and the company was renamed, The Napier-Bliss Co. In 1922, the company again changed its name to The Napier Co.

Timeline

The company was known for its ability to be on the forefront of fashion and design and had a history of sending its designers to Europe. In 1925, James Napier attended the ''World's Fair Exposition Internationale des Artes Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes'' in Paris, and brought back with him business ideas, including designs influenced by Parisian and European fashion. Mr. Napier himself, did not design jewelry. James Napier work for the company from 1914 to his death in 1960. From 1920 to 1960 he served as president. In 1999, the company was bought by Victoria & Company. The plant in Meriden, Connecticut was closed by Victoria & Company on October 15, 1999. However, under the umbrella of

Jones Apparel Group Nine West Holdings (formerly The Jones Group and Jones Apparel Group) is an American designer, marketer and wholesaler of branded clothing, shoes and accessories. In 2019, the company restructured under and is renamed Premier Brands Group Holdin ...

, Napier jewelry is still being manufactured and distributed.

Jewelry designs

In the 1920s and 1930s, Napier designed necklaces, bracelets and earrings in a range of styles including, designs featuring

Egyptian Egyptian describes something of, from, or related to Egypt. Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to: Nations and ethnic groups * Egyptians, a national group in North Africa ** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of years of ...

motifs, such as cobras, Victorian Revival designs and Deco-style motifs. The company produced very little jewelry during the 1930s, focusing on its giftware lines. In the 1940s, most of the jewelry produced was sterling silver tailored pieces. In the 1950s, it produced jewelry in a wide range of styles. Napier jewelry is notable for its simple, modern, geometric and floral designs. However, the company also produce boutique and high-end jewelry. Some of the metalwork bears resemblance to Mexican and Scandinavian designs. The fan jewelry collection was introduced as a 10-year fundraising commitment in 1955. In the 1950s, the Napier Company presented

First Lady First lady is an unofficial title usually used for the wife, and occasionally used for the daughter or other female relative, of a non-monarchical A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state fo ...

Mamie Eisenhower Mary Geneva "Mamie" Eisenhower (; November 14, 1896 – November 1, 1979) was the first lady of the United States from 1953 to 1961 as the wife of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Born in Boone, Iowa, she was raised in a wealthy household i ...

with a bracelet bearing an elephant design, which was reputedly one of her favorite pieces of jewelry, and which she wore often, and the Napier Company gifted the contestants of the 1955

Miss America Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 17 and 25. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is now judged on competitors' talent performances and interviews. As ...

Pageant with fashion jewelry.

Historical silver designs

Napier silver designs from the first half of the 20th century are in museum collections including the Brooklyn Museum,

Newark Museum The Newark Museum of Art (formerly known as the Newark Museum), in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey, United States, is the state's largest museum. It holds major collections of American art, decorative arts, contemporary art, and arts of Asia, A ...

and a substantial collection at the

Dallas Museum of Art The Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) is an art museum located in the Arts District of downtown Dallas, Texas, along Woodall Rodgers Freeway between St. Paul and Harwood. In the 1970s, the museum moved from its previous location in Fair Park to the Art ...

. Over the years, Napier silver has been featured in museum exhibitions, including ''Modernism in American Silver: 20th Century Design'' at the Smithsonian in Washington, the Dallas Museum of Art, the Wolfsonian in Miami Beach, the

Nevada Museum of Art The Nevada Museum of Art, is an art museum in Reno, Nevada. Located at 160 West Liberty Street in Reno, it is the only American Alliance of Museums (AAM) accredited art museum in the state of Nevada. The museum has chosen a thematic approach, placi ...

in Reno, and the Dixon Gallery and Gardens in Memphis, TN (2005–07). Napier designs have also been included in two shows at the Brooklyn Museum, entitled ''19th century Modern'' (2011–12; 2013–15). In November 2016-November 2017, the iconic Napier penguin cocktail shaker is the lead design of a Dallas Museum of Art exhibition ''Shaken, stirred, styled: The art of the cocktail''.(c. 2016)
"Shaken, Stirred, Styled: The Art of the Cocktail"
exhibition announcement. Dallas Museum of Art website. Retrieved December 18, 2016.

Trademark

From 1922 through the 2000s, the Napier

trademark A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a type of intellectual property consisting of a recognizable sign, design, or expression that identifies products or services from a particular source and distinguishes them from others ...

in block was used. The trademark in its script form was introduced in 1965 and was used both singly or in conjunction with the block letter Napier trademark. How the trademark appeared on a piece, stamped, embossed, or on a plaque, was based on the design of the piece.

References

External links

{{Commons category, Napier Company
Golston Jewelry WebsiteGold & Diamond JewelryCostume Fashion Jewelry
American jewellers American jewelry designers Jewelry companies of the United States Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2018