Other maker marks
Wagner cast iron markings
The name “NATIONAL Wagner Ware SIDNEY -O-” appears among Wagner cast iron markings on cast iron from Sidney, OH, United States.
- Active years
- 1891–1999
- Country
- United States
- City / region
- Sidney, OH
- Products
- Cast-iron cookware, Cast-aluminum and Magnalite cookware, Nickel-plated cookware, Retailer-brand cookware
- Marks
- 17
Original Sidney production 1891–1999; family ownership ended in 1952. Current Wagner reissues are a later revival beginning in 2022.
What to look for
- Record whether WAGNER is straight or arched, whether WARE is present, and whether the two words share a large decorative W. Add the location and placement of the logo on the pan base.
- Separate size numbers, catalogue numbers and pattern letters. A four-digit number such as 1056 identifies a product and size; it is not a year.
- Read the whole base and handle. Wagner's 1891 Original is a later product name, while current reissues add paired production years such as 50|23. Neither should be dated as an 1891 casting.
- Use the raised heat ring, handle, logo layout and full lettering together. Slight differences between hand-made patterns do not necessarily indicate separate manufacturers or exact production years.
Marks & lettering
17 marks
c. 1895–1915
cast iron
cast iron · Sidney, OH, United States
Wagner and Sidney, O. lettering both arched.
c. 1897–1903
cast iron
cast iron · Sidney, OH, United States
Centered Sidney block mark; gallery associates it with ownership of the SHW foundry.
c. 1897–1903
SIDNEY
cast iron · Sidney, OH, United States
Arched mark; gallery associates it with ownership of the SHW foundry.
c. 1910–1915
cast iron
cast iron · Sidney, OH, United States
Arched WAGNER over straight SIDNEY O., placed low on the base.
c. 1910–1915
WAGNER SIDNEY O 10
cast iron · Sidney, OH, United States
Straight, centered Wagner and Sidney, O. lettering.
c. 1915–1920
WAGNER SIDNEY O.
cast iron · Sidney, OH, United States
Arc-over-straight layout, high placement.
c. 1920–1929
WAGNER WARE SIDNEY O ROUND ROASTER 6A
cast iron · Sidney, OH, United States
Arc-over-straight-over-straight layout.
c. 1922–1924
NATIONAL Wagner Ware SIDNEY -O-
cast iron · Sidney, OH, United States
Dual National and Wagner Ware logo with size number.
c. 1922–1959
Wagner Ware SIDNEY -O-
cast iron · Sidney, OH, United States
High stylized logo: with heat ring and size number, with heat ring and catalogue number, with smooth bottom.
c. 1924–1935
cast iron
cast iron · Sidney, OH, United States
Centered stylized logo with heat ring and catalog number.
c. 1924–1945
NATIONAL WAGNER WARE SIDNEY -O- 1357
cast iron · Sidney, OH, United States
Dual National and stylized Wagner Ware marks with a catalog number.
About Wagner Manufacturing Co.
Milton M. and Bernard P. Wagner established the Wagner Manufacturing Company in Sidney, Ohio, in 1891. The foundry made cast-metal cookware, then commonly called hollow ware. Nickel-plated products followed in 1892 and cast aluminum in 1894. In 1897 the company acquired the hollow-ware business of local industrialist Philip Smith, extending its production capacity.
Wagner supplied a broad range of skillets, griddles, kettles, roasters and waffle irons. Its products appeared under Wagner and Wagner Ware identities, as well as National, Long Life and retailer-related names such as Wardway. The Magnalite cast-aluminum line was introduced in 1934. Patterns and moulds carried maker lettering, product numbers, size numbers and sometimes additional line names.
The Wagner family sold to Randall in 1952. Randall added Griswold in 1957, and the businesses passed to Textron in 1959 and General Housewares in 1969. Production therefore continued beyond the period associated with the familiar Sidney-O logo. Later cookware included the Wagner's 1891 Original line, whose name commemorated the foundation year. The Sidney foundry closed in 1999. A separate modern revival began issuing Wagner designs in 2022.
Also known as: Wagner Ware · Wagner · National · Long Life · Wardway · Magnalite · The Wagner Manufacturing Company
Look-alikes & how to tell them apart
Griswold
Its cookware and brands came under the same ownership.
Look for ERIE on earlier Griswold production and examine later combined marks. A Griswold logo can occur on Sidney-made cookware after the 1957 acquisition.
Sidney Hollow Ware Company / Philip Smith →
Same town and an acquired cookware business.
A plain SIDNEY mark needs comparison with the acquired foundry's patterns and history; it is not identical to the later stylized Wagner Ware Sidney-O device.