Manufacturer McClary Manufacturing

Famous McClary Ashtray

Date1950s

Credit LineGift of Jane Bondy, London, Ontario, 1990.

Object number1990.015.002

Label TextIn 1852, John McClary (1829-1921) and his older brother Oliver (1818-1902) opened J. & O. McClary, a tinsmith shop in London. Over the years, the McClary Manufacturing Company produced a vast array of high-quality items, including cast iron stoves, copper kettles, and decorative enamelware. The company took advantage of every opportunity to trumpet the quality and range of their products. From match holders to ashtrays to toys, their goods reminded customers of the McClary name and reputation. In 1927, the McClary Manufacturing Company merged with four others to become General Steel Wares. Its London plant closed in the mid-1970s. First called an “ash pan,” the device to catch ash was defined in a dictionary for the first time in 1857. The word “ashtray” made its first appearance 30 years later in 1887. Manufacturers made them out of a variety of materials and in range of designs. As the ones here demonstrate, they became promotional and souvenir items.

NameAshtray