Griswold Cast Iron Vintage Quaker Ware Dealer Ads

One handy way to learn about the pieces in a particular line of vintage or antique cast iron cookware is to get your hands on an old catalog or old advertisements for the product. As I like to say, “Follow the paper trail!” The paper can give you verifiable information about a product. Dealer ads – here for Griswold’s vintage cast iron Quaker Ware line – can help you to identify a piece if you find it while out hunting, and can also help you to know what you need to complete a collection.

Larry and Marg O’Neil have a tremendous amount of cast iron and aluminum ephemera, which I have had the opportunity to devour on several occasions. I still haven’t gone through it all, however! Libraries, of course, have a wealth of information available – you have to do some digging. As time passes, more and more of the old catalogs, advertisements, and information are being digitized and maintained online. A Google search can turn up tons of information. Learn more here about other resources available to you to learn about your vintage cast iron cookware.

For example, a Reddit user ¹ asked about a piece of Quaker Ware he had recently acquired – he didn’t know what it was. From reviewing some of the information in the ads below, as well as photos and an article that Marg O’Neil had written for the Griswold & Cast Iron Cookware Association, I could give him the (correct, factual) information he sought about the piece.

What is Griswold Quaker Ware?

Griswold made the Griswold cast iron “Quaker Ware” line in the 1950s. It is identified by its appearance. All of the pieces are black iron with a white porcelain enameled interior.² The line is a favorite of collectors Marg O’Neil and Doris Mosier.

Take a look at these Griswold dealer ads, and see for yourself!

The Full Line of Griswold Quaker Ware

Here are some of the Quaker Ware dealer ads from Larry and Marg O’Neil’s ephemera collection. You can see from these old ads just what exactly was encompassed in the vintage Griswold cast iron Quaker Ware line.

Wouldn’t you love to pick up some new old stock of these pieces for the prices advertised? I know I would!

You can see Marg’s beautiful collection of Quaker Ware in the article she wrote for the GCICA newsletter; it’s also printed here, lush with photographs. It’s gorgeous!

1. There is a subgroup on Reddit devoted to cast iron. Look for r/castiron
2. The Quaker Ware line is only the black iron cookware with a white enameled interior. Griswold enameled pieces in other colors are not part of the Quaker Ware line.