Bird Cages by Hendryx
1938 Catalog No. 46 (full color pages)
Andrew B. Hendryx Company (published January 1, 2013)
Softcover, 10 × 8 in., 24 pages
Description
For many Americans living in the twentieth century, the name “Hendryx” is synonymous with elegant bird cages. With the ubiquity of the Hendryx brand, these bird cages could be seen wherever America’s beloved winged songsters were kept as pets. By the 1920s, the Andrew B. Hendryx Company had become the largest birdcage manufacturer in the United States. In the present day, the most prized bird cages surviving in American antique shops are of the Hendryx variety – a testament to the timeless success of this company.
Contents:
- “The Nippon”
- “The Palace”
- “The Quad”
- “The Duchess”
- “The Pagoda”
- “The Canarycote”
- “The Vogue”
- “The Castle”
- “The Futura”
- “The Cathedral”
- Shelf Cages, Flight Cage
- Single Breeding Cages, Double Breeding Cage
- Parrot Stand No. 1 with Cover
- Square Style Parrot Cages, Round Style Parrot Cages
- Hendryx Bird Cage Accessories
- Trade Price List
- Addition to Trade Price List
The “House of Hendryx”
The 1938 Hendryx Catalog marked a momentous occasion in the history of the Andrew B. Hendryx company, with the production of the 20 millionth Hendryx bird cage that year, delivered to a happy customer from the doors of the Hendryx industrial complex in New Haven, Connecticut.
There were many classic bird cages which were seen not only in the pages of the Hendryx catalog, but in countless other pet and animal supply catalogs which carried the ubiquitous brand. Indeed, it would have been very difficult to walk into a pet store in the 1930s and not come across a shiny new Hendryx bird cage for sale. A typical bird cage with wire spacing for a canary or love bird would have stood around 5 feet and 6 inches above the ground, which would have placed the bird at the eye level of doting observers.
A Step Ahead
While most supply catalogs at the time were printed in black-and-white, this premium catalog contains page after page of color illustrations showcasing each of its fantastic product lines. These bright illustrations reveal the dazzling array of finishes with which Hendryx birdcages were adorned, including “lustrous chromium,” “baked enamel” and “lacquered brass.” A variety of trims were available as well, in colours such as black, red, green, ivory, or blue. Although surviving examples are often left with a tarnished brass appearance after a generation of neglect (many people, in fact, adore the tarnish on antique brass bird cages), it is clear that for those who would like to restore their bird cages to their original appearance, there are many genuine looks to choose from.
Bonus: How We Digitized a Relic
Probably due to the highly collectible value of Hendryx products, bird cage catalogs from the Andrew B. Hendryx Company are extremely rare. Our copy was purchased from the archives of former pet shop owner whose shop had long closed. Luckily, the process of digitization has made this treasure available for everyone. This edition is not a simple scan or photocopy of the original: hundreds of hours of detail restoration work and professional colour correction went into the final product. Below is a glimpse behind the scenes at what goes into restoring and recreating this relic of time.
ABOVE BOTTOM: Creased edges were repaired digitally, and edges were carefully extended to match modern page dimensions. This project was a labour of love that required many hours of painstaking and detailed work.
This high-quality edition is a faithful replication of an exceedingly rare original company catalogue from 1938 and intended for pet retailers. Each page has been carefully copied using a colour-calibrated scanner, and the resulting image painstakingly processed using specialized software to capture and enhance every detail.
To fit modern book dimensions, the edges of the original publication needed to be extended. To achieve this requirement, we had to recreate the missing edges. This was not a simple process of extending a fill area. Instead, all the scans were originally prepared at four times the print resolution in order to allow accurate matching of the half-tone pattern. Each page resulted in a massive TIFF file around 100 megabytes in size containing a plethora of detail. Bit by bit, the missing edges were extended by meticulously piecing together fragments borrowed from other areas of the image.
The original was also hole-punched in several areas, and a similar process was used to repair these holes in this seamless fashion. These obtrusive imperfections were effectively eliminated, while other non-obtrusive marks which came about as a result of the original printing process were left to preserve the character of this vintage publication. Sharpness and contrast were enhanced, and the colours were re-blended in a beautiful harmony.
As a result of the painstaking and meticulous effort involved in this labour of love, the resulting product in an optimal book that fully exceeds the quality of the original catalogs that first came off the press in 1938.
Own a Piece of Hendryx History!
This book is a fitting tribute to the company that captured the imagination of America with its dreamy and modern bird cage designs. Though the remains of the Hendryx factory can no longer be seen in the rejuvenated urban landscape of New Haven, the legacy of Andrew B. Hendryx lives on in every one of the many surviving cages that left the doors of his factory before it was permanently shuttered. With its unparalleled ubiquity, Hendryx will forever be respected and celebrated as “The Great Name in Cages.” Own this piece of history today, and have this stunning replica delivered to your doorstep, just as it would have been in the 1930s, waiting for your to select the next beautiful home for your prized pet.
It is on sale for a very limited time: click on the link below to reserve your copy today!
