The Griswold “Erie” Spider trademark skillet is among the most sought-after by collectors.
What is the origin of the spider trademark, you ask?
Bulletin A of Griswold’s “general catalogue” (1904) (left) gives us a pretty solid clue: 1
The back of Bulletin A shows the spider trademark, and states:
As the little spider brought success to Robert Bruce, so cooking utensils bearing this trademark brings success to all who use them.
The Robert Bruce Legend
The reference to Robert Bruce has its origins in a story about King Robert Bruce of Scotland and his repeated battle losses in the 1300s. A simple internet search reveals many variations of the story.
According to legend, King Bruce was exiled after suffering many defeats in his fights for Scotland’s independence against the King of England. While hiding in a cave, he observed a small spider attempting to build its web, swinging from wall to wall. The spider tried and failed six times. King Bruce thought to himself, “If the spider fails again, I will concede. If it succeeds, I will return to battle.” On the seventh attempt, the spider was successful. Inspired by the spider’s perseverance, King Bruce rallied his army and re-entered the battle with renewed determination. This time, he succeeded in driving back the King of England and reclaiming Scotland for himself.2
Roy Meadows, who has exhaustively studied the early Griswold “ERIE” skillets, discusses the spider skillet and Griswold’s interesting choice of trademark in his article, “‘ERIE’ Skillets.”
The “ERIE” skillet featuring Griswold’s spider trademark is one of the most desirable pieces of cast iron cookware. Not much is known about the reason why Griswold produced this uncommon skillet. It can be dated to c. 1890 to 1891 by comparing the heat ring, reinforcing rim, handle reinforcing pad, and full rib handle. Why this unique skillet was apparently produced for such a short period of time is unknown. It may have been produced as a commemorative item for a special event. Perhaps many housewives didn’t like having a “spider” in their kitchen. The design was not particularly durable in that the spider trademark is a positive (protrudes from the base) and was therefore worn off easily as the skillet was moved around on the stove. Was this the reason for its short life? ….
We know the spider trademark was a favorite with Griswold management as it was used in their company letterhead for many years after it was no longer used on their skillets and teakettles. We have seen examples of letterhead used by Matthew Griswold as late as 1908 that still uses this trademark.
Note: I have also seen a Griswold letter dated 1911 that is on the spider letterhead.
If you happen to find yourself an ERIE spider piece of antique cookware, whether on a skillet or teakettle – you’ve found a highly collectible antique piece of cookware.
The crisper the spider, the higher the value. The beautiful spider skillet shown below sold at auction in August 2024 for $10,000!
Happy hunting!
- The Bulletin is undated, though Roy Meadows sets its date as 1904 in his article, “Erie Skillets.” He sets the time of manufacture of the Erie spider skillet to “about” 1890-91.
- This is a much-condensed version of many versions I have read; one example is here.
- I am sorry that I did not note the source of this document when I uploaded it. If you are the holder of the original letter and wish to have attribution, I am happy to add it; if so, please contact me.
