Joe Zawadowski is a vintage cast iron pup collector. He is also a turtle champion, wood carver, bog hunter, dog judge, and skull seeker. I had wanted to see, learn, and write about Joe’s vintage cast iron pup collection for quite some time. The visit that Linda and I made to Joe and Nancy Zawadowski’s…
Griswold Cookware
Collectors and Collections,
History and Stories
Griswold, Lodge, Wagner, Favorite, Wapak, and More!
The Word from Marg on Griswold Cast Iron Quaker Ware
I posted a series of photos of old advertisements for Griswold Quaker Ware. Old ads such as those are very helpful when trying to determine what pieces were part of a particular line of pans. Larry and Marg O’Neil have the full collection of Griswold Quaker Ware, and I had the opportunity to photograph the…
Ask Mary: Was this griddle made by Griswold?
Scott M. of Medford, Maryland wrote to me via the contact form on the site and asked: Hi,I recently purchased a Erie 1786 No 8 Griddle and I am being told it is a reproduction since Griswold never used numbered tags. It was suggested that an original was used as a mold. I did see…
Down the Rabbit Hole and into the Seemingly Never-Ending World of the Odorless Skillet
The vintage and antique cast iron “Odorless Skillet” – who made it?
Just What, Exactly, is an “Odorless” Cooking Vessel?
In my quest to find out who had manufactured a pretty antique Odorless skillet I used to own, I uncovered a huge amount of information. So much so that I’ve written two blog posts about the topic! Coal, Coke, & Wood-Burning Stoves To understand the Odorless skillet and other kettles/pans/broilers designed for the same purpose,…
Lodge Collectors and Collections
Mary’s presentation on “Lodge Cast Iron Collectors and Collections” at the 2019 Lodge Cornbread Festival in South Pittsburg, Tennessee.
John Clough, Vintage Lodge Cast Iron Collector
John Clough has an impressive collection of vintage Lodge cast iron. In September 2018, he graciously showed Linda and me his collection. John, his wife KT (Katherine), and their cats Oreo and Wewe live in a tidy rambler in Chester, Virginia, about 15 miles outside of Richmond. John is a painter by trade and a…
How to Make a Cake to the “Brenda” Standard with a Vintage Griswold Cast Iron Cake Mold
Cast iron collector Brenda Bernstein is a master cake-maker-baker-froster. She makes beautiful cakes and is very accomplished at using vintage cast iron cake molds. Given that Easter is just around the corner, I decided it was time to showcase Brenda’s cake talent just in case you were thinking about making an Easter lamb or rabbit…