Cambridge Arms - Smart Table Appointments

by Mark A. Nye
Issue No. 275 - March 1996

The June 1949 Cambridge catalog did not offer or illustrate "Cambridge Arms." Several supplements to the catalog were issued during Cambridge Arms illustration the following year and among them were several pages showing the various components that make up "Cambridge Arms" and a number of "Cambridge Arms" units as the company called them. In several instances it is difficult to determine, from the illustration, just what is included in a specific unit. Price lists issued at the time itemized the components of each unit but these are generally not available to most collectors. The main portion of this article consists of a listing of the many Arms units and their components but first a brief history of "Cambridge Arms."

On April 10, 1947 a mold was ordered for a #1563 three way candleholder "as per wooden model." An application for a design patent covering this candleholder was filed on September 19, 1947 and granted a year later on September 21, 1948. As can be seen in the drawing that appeared in the U.S. Patent Office Gazette announcing the patent, this candleholder had a center knob. The following January an order was placed to revise the mold for the #1563 by replacing the knob with a candleholder. At the end of January 1949 an order was placed for a #1562 three arm vase holder with candleholder in the middle. During the following week, the molds for the #1536 nappy with peg, #2355 vase and #1633 vase were also ordered. In late December 1949 the mold for the #1634 vase with peg was ordered. It wasn't until October 1950 that a new plunger that would enable the five inch peg nappy with a candle or vase well to be made from the #1536 mold was ordered. November 1950 saw the six inch peg nappy with well designed and the mold ordered. Finally, in February 1951 an order was placed for the mold that was to be used to produce the #1539 blown peg nappy. Design patent applications covering the revised candleholder arm and the vase holder arm were filed and patents were granted to Cambridge. During these same years, such pieces as the #510 ball candlestick, the P.431 thirteen inch bowl, the P.436 thirteen inch bowl with well, the #1634 seven inch peg vase and the #1636 bird figure that were sometimes included in "Cambridge Arms" units also came out. Most of the Arms components remained in the Cambridge line right up until the 1959 closing.

Observe that the peg nappy shown in the reprinted catalog page is optic, that is it has ribs. This peg nappy was also produced without the optic pattern. The two candlesticks, nos. 628 and 653 were already a part of the Cambridge line when the "Arms" came out as was the #19 bobeche and prisms. Many of the Arms units listed below are illustrated on pages 158-167 (original page numbers) of the 1949-53 Cambridge catalog reprint. Other items are to be seen on pages 148F and 168, while the #1596 candlestick is pictured on page 148A.

Click on the underlined items for pictures. Not all units have been photographed.
#1
2 - 1563 4 candle arms 		#2
1 - 628 candlestick
1 - 1563 4 candle arm		 #3 
1 - P.431 bowl
1 - 628 candlestick
1 - 1563 4 candle arm
#4
1 - 628 candlestick
2 - 1563 4 candle arms		 #5 
1 - 628 candlestick
1 - 1563 4 candle arm
1 - 1562 3 vase arm
3 - 2355 7 inch vases		 #6 
4 - 1563 4 candle arm
#7
1 - 628 candlestick
1 - 1563 4 candle arm
4 - 1536 peg nappies		 #8 
1 - 628 candlestick
1 - 1563 4 candle arm
4 - 1536 peg nappies
1 - P.431 bowl		 #9
1 - 1563 4 candle arm
1 - 1562 3 vase arm
3 - 2355 7 inch vases
#10 
4 - 1563 4 candle arms
1 - 1562 3 vase arm
3 - 2355 7 inch vases		 #11
4 - 1563 4 candle arms
1 - 1562 3 vase arm
3 - 2355 7 inch vases
4 - 1633 peg vases		 #12
1 - 628 candlestick
1 - 1563 4 candle arm
1 - 1536 peg vase
(There is no #13) #14 
2 - 1563 4 candle arms
3 - 1633 peg vases		 #15
1 - 628 candlestick
2 - 1563 4 candle arms
3 - 19 bobeches
24 - #1 - 3 inch prisms
#16
1 - 628 candlestick
2 - 1563 4 candle arms
3 - 19 bobeches
24 - #1 - 3 inch prisms
3 - 1633 peg vases		 #17 
1 - 653 candlestick
2 - 1563 4 candle arms
6 - 19 bobeches
48 - #1 - 3 inch prisms		 #18 
2 - 1563 4 candle arms
3 - 1536 peg nappies
#19 
1 - 628 candlestick
1 - 1563 4 candle arm
1 - 1562 3 vase arm
3 - 2355 7 inch vases
3 - 1536 peg nappies
1 - 1633 peg vase		 #20 
1 - 628 candlestick
2 - 1563 4 candle arms
6 - 19 bobeches
48 - #1 - 3 inch prisms		 #21 
1 - P.431 bowl
1 - 1138 sea gull
2 - 628 candlestick
2 - 1563 4 candle arms
#22 
1 - P.431 bowl
1 - 1563 4 candle arm
1 - 628 candlestick
1 - 1633 peg vase		 #23 
1 - 653 candlestick
2 - 1563 4 candle arms
3 - 1633 peg vase
3 - 19 bobeche
24 - #1 - 3 inch prisms		 (There is no #24)
#25 
4 - 1563 4 candle arms
3 - 1633 peg vase
3 - 1536 peg nappy		 #26 
1 - 628 candlestick
2 - 1563 4 candle arms
4 - 1536 peg nappy		 #27 
4 - 1563 4 candle arms
6 - 1536 peg nappy
3 - 1633 peg vases
#28 
1 - P.431 bowl
2 - 628 candlestick
2 - 1563 4 candle arms		 #29 
1 - 628 candlestick
1 - 1563 4 candle arm
3 - 1536 peg nappy
1 - 1633 peg vase		 #30 
1 - P.431 bowl
1 - 1563 4 candle arm
#31 
1 - P.431 bowl
1 - 628 candlestick
1 - 1563 4 candle arm
1 - 1536 peg nappy
3 - 1633 peg vases		 #32 
1 - P.431 bowl
1 - 628 candlestick
1 - 1563 4 candle arm
3 - 1536 peg nappies
1 - 1633 peg vase		 #33 
1 - 628 candlestick
1 - 1563 4 candle arm
3 - 1536 peg nappies
#34 
2 - 1563 4 candle arms
4 - 1633 peg vases		 #35 
1 - 1563 4 candle arm
3 - 1633 peg vases		 #36 
1 - 1563 4 candle arm
3 - 1536 peg nappies
1 - 1633 peg vase
#37 
1 - 1563 4 candle arm
1 - 628 candlestick
1 - 1633 peg vase		 (There is no #38) #39 
1 - 1563 4 candle arm
1 - 1536 peg nappy
#40 
9 piece package
2 - 1563 4 candle arms
4 - 1536 peg nappies
1 - 628 candlestick
1 - 1633 peg vase
1 - 2899 2 1/4 inch flower block		 #41 
1 - 628 candlestick
1 - 1536 peg nappy		 #42 
1 - 628 candlestick
1 - 1563 4 candle arm
3 - 1633 peg vases
#43 
11 piece package
2 - 628 candlesticks
2 - 1563 4 candle arms
4 - 1536 peg nappies
3 - 1633 peg vases		 #44 
1 - 1596 candlestick
2 - 1563 4 candle arms
6 - 19 bobeches
48 - #1 - 3 inch prisms		 #45 
1 - 1563 4 candle arm
1 - 1633 peg vase
#46 
1 - 1596 6 1/2 inch candlestick
1 - 1563 4 candle arm
3 - 19 bobeche
24 - #1 3 inch prisms#48  		#47 
1 - 628 candlestick
2 - 1563 4 candle arms
3 - 1633 peg vases		 #48 
Shrimp Server
1 P.431 13 inch bowl
1 - 1563 4 candle arm
1 - 1536 peg nappy
#48 
Shrimp Server
1 P.431 13 inch bowl
1 - 1563 4 candle arm
1 - 1536 peg nappy		 #49 
5 - 1563 4 candle arms
3 - 1633 peg vases
8 - 1536 peg nappies		 #50 
1 - 628 candlestick
2 - 1563 4 candle arms
5 - 1536 peg nappy
#51 
1 - 1596 candlestick
1 - 1563 4 candle arm
1 - #30 bobeche
6 - #1 - 3 inch prisms		 #52 
1 - 628 candlestick
1 - 1563 4 candle arm
1 - #30 bobeche
6 - #1 - 3 inch prisms		 #53 
1 - 628 candlestick
1 - 1563 4 candle arm
1 - 1633 peg vase
1 - #30 bobeche
6 - #1 - 3 inch prisms
#54 
1 - P.494 3 1/2 inch candlestick
1 - #27 bobeche
6 - #6 prisms
1 - 1538 peg nappy w/well
1 - 1606 6 inch chimney		 #55 
1 - 510 ball base
1 - 1538 peg nappy w/well
1 - 1629 7 inch chimney		 #56 
1 - 1596 candlestick
1 - 1432 arm
1 - 1438 arm
4 - 2355 7 in. vase
3 - #19 bobeche
24 - #1 - 3 inch prisms
#57 
1 - P.510 ball candlestick
1 - 1537 peg nappy w/well
1 - 1633 peg vase		 #58 
1 - P.510 ball candlestick
1 - 1538 peg nappy w/well
1 - 1606 6 inch chimney		 #59 
1 - P.437 bowl
1 - 1634 peg vase
2 - P.510 ball candlesticks
2 - 1537 peg nappies w/well
#60 
1 - 628 candlestick
3 - 1536 peg nappies
1 - 1633 peg vase
2 - 1563 4 candle arms		 #61 
1 - P.431 bowl
1 - 1563 4 candle arm
2 - P.510 ball candlestick
2 - 1538 peg nappies w/well		 #62 
1 - P.510 ball candlestick
1 - 1537 peg nappy w/candlewell
#63 
1 - P.510 ball candlestick
1 - 1538 peg nappy w/candlewell
1 - 1636 bird figure		 #64 
1 - 628 candlestick
2 - 1563 4 candle arms
3 - 1536 peg nappies		 #65 
1 - 653 candlestick
1 - 1563 4 candle arm
3 - 19 bobeches
24 - #1 - 3 inch prisms