Reed & Barton are known for their quality silverware. They started in 1824 in Taunton, Massachusetts, when under the name of Babbitt & Crossman they began making a type of base metal also known as pewter or Brittania (which was used to create the Oscar statuette). They later specialized on silver plated pieces and this was well before changing their name to Reed & Barton in 1840.
Reed & Barton were well established as Silverware production company by the end of 1840s selling a large number of their silver plated pieces, including trays, bowls and pitchers to Rogers Brothers in Connecticut that in turn placed the now famous hallmarks on those items. At the same time, they were involved in the production of weapons for the Union Army soldiers and officers in American Civil War along with a growing range of silver plated products, many of them depicting animals such as dogs, cats, horses and sheep by the turn of the century.
