Cambridge Springs 1904 chess set

Steve, given that there is some misinformation circulating in the public that the King size of the sets used during the Cambridge Springs tournament was St.#8 (4 5/16th inches), it might be nice to compare the pawn size in the Shipley image to where it is shown against the Waterbury clock.  Note that the Kings in the tournament sets are not much larger than two pawns stacked or even better two Rooks atop as anyone can easily see in the image.  Clearly the Kings are smaller than the combined Rooks and not even close to the top of the clock in the photograph!  I know we took measurements during our initial reconstruction session and am looking for that now.

Cambridge Springs 1904 (cs1904.com) image of Schlechter-Lasker game from WPShipley 

Cambridge Springs chessmen and vintage clock image taken 08/30/2018 
  

Found the worksheet you prepared during our measurements. 

Closer to St.#6  3.75" Kings as in the only two specimens known.  Yours and Mick Deasey's!

WK  51.00165 grams, 1.799 oz. weight,  3.786 inches, 96.17mm high, 1.525 inch,  38.73mm base

BK  48.6795 grams, 1.717 oz. weight, 3.824 inches, 97.13mm high, 1.526 inch,  38.75mm base 

We did not measure the Rook or Pawn sizes, just their weights.

Photos taken 08/30/2018 courtesy me & Steve.

Some more images that provide some sense of proportion.  Taken 08/30/2018 me & Steve.

Steve was gracious enough to allow more measurements and confirmed what we already knew.  White King size is 3.782 inches or 96.050 mm with a 1.525 inch or 38.730 mm base

Black King size is 3.812 inches or 96.830 mm with a 1.517 inch or 38.520 mm base

White Rook size is 2.146 inches or 54.510 mm

Black Rook size is 2.160 inches or 54.870 mm

Black Pawn size is 1.887 inches or 47.930 mm

Chessmen used at Cambridge Springs were indeed St.#6 (3.75") tournament size Kings based on examination of Shipley's photographs and comparisons with these chessmen believed to have been used during the Congress and the period clock owned by Steve.

Images taken on 08/16/2021 me & Steve






 

And the empirical evidence proving the King 3.75" size used in Cambridge Springs.

Photos taken 08/25/2021 Steve E. 

Earliest known advertisement from Sears was in the Fall 1899 Catalog and compares to the ACM v2 Jul1898 chessmen seen in post #40 which may indicate a common source. 

Sears catalog advertisements for Early American Chessmen in this pattern run through 1912.
1899-1906 Spanish-American Chessmen
1907-1912 Fine Boxwood Chessmen Staunton Pattern
1913-1915 Chessmen Staunton Pattern
1916 Milton Bradley Chessmen Staunton Pattern
1917-1920 Wm.F. Drueke Chessmen Staunton Pattern

Sears No.109 1899 Fall Catalog page 665.

Sears No.115D 1905 Fall Catalog page 1013 and 115E 1906 Spring Catalog page 1013.  

Final reference to Spanish-American Chessmen.

Sears No.116G 1907 Spring Catalog page 1252.

Mention of French Chessmen in Staunton pattern first appear in ACB Vol. IV No.10 October 1907 catalogue as model 3513, but with no illustration. ACB model 5700 and 5707 (no loads) with kid leather bottoms are the familiar pattern appearing above. Are they the same as shown in these Sears catalogs?  Note the price in the bulletin was $2.25 for St.#3 King set of chessmen and not 50¢.  The French Chessmen offered in the ACB catalogue as mentioned above, did list for this price as St.#00 size, but it's unclear whether the reference applies here. 

Sears No.117H 1907 Fall Catalog page 1135.

Sears No.125K 1912 Fall Catalog page 627.

Other stationery supplier catalogs that make mention to American Staunton Wood Chessmen include E.G.Shelchow 1879 page 46 and the familiar image again seen in A.C.McClurg 1908 on page 210 (a copy of the ad is owned by Duncan Pohl).  It is clear from photographs of players and tournaments that these spire topped Staunton pattern sets were used from 1860 and continued to be sold by the American Chess Company through 1910 and seen in play many years later.

That chess clock is such a beauty / who's the maker ?

Ok so it's a Waterbury clock

$4 usd original price.

www.cs1904.com

Good Evening my fellow chess enthusiasts.
Just want to share my ACC vintage staunton set that I recently won from an auction. The pieces feel solid with a robust body even the pawns. The King height is 3 inches. One white rook is either a manufacturing defect (unfinished) or a replacement from a similar set. One black knight has chipped ears. But still I love this set not only because of the history behind it but also because it's truly a vintage American made!

Very nice.  I'm glad it went to a good home.

Love the set Edwin....I hope you get much pleasure from owning such a gem.

Any details on this beautiful set?

Curious to me is the appearance of eyes on these Knights and trying to organize the variations in time.  Any thoughts on this are welcome.