Vintage Stratton Brand Presentation Boxes And Puffs
Sometimes we see listings where the merchant states that the Stratton compact is presented in the original box. On occasions these Stratton brand vanities date to the 1950s and the “original box” dates to the 1980s!
The following information has been compiled to show the wide variety of Stratton brand presentation boxes and puffs.
However, this brand was so long lived this may not be a complete guide.
We will update this blog when we find more examples.
Some of the earliest boxes we have seen are stamped Stratton & Co.
Some boxes and puffs include the name of the vanity contained therein.
Some Stratnoid compacts were fitted with puffs very similar to the one shown above.
Stratton’s Self Compressing Vanity Box is also likely to have been known as the Stratton Cushion.
The compact is fitted with an inner lid on which is stamped:
The interior of the inner lid is fitted with a thick pad of felt.
This pad compresses loose foundation onto a sprung backing plate to prevent spills.
Not all original Stratton boxes have the Stratton signature on them.
It would be logical to ask how we know that these unsigned boxes are original to the vanities contained therein.
The answer is because they have the correct item code shown on the base of the box and that we have seen multiple boxes which look the same and have the right item codes written on them.
We date the boxes by the known years of availability of the vanity contained in the box and the other vanities contained within the same style of box.
The plain white box above is an original Stratton brand box.
The Stratton Punt was known to be available in 1940 and 1952.
There can be more than one style of box which is original to the same Stratton models.
For example, we have seen Stratton Punt & Pontoon models in blue Stratton boxes also.
This same style of box (far left) is also seen with the Stratton Pontoon shown below.
The Stratton Pontoon was known to be available in 1948, 1952-1954
The next Stratton Pontoon is presented with a blue box which is also an original box.
Around the time the Stratton Pontoon model was crafted we see royal blue and also pale blue pouches made from felt.
Most of the earlier Stratton brand pouches are not signed.
The next image shows a closeup of this box design.
This gift (presentation) box is interesting.
We see this style of gift box housing Stratton accessories made in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s.
The presentation box has the brands owned by Jarrett, Rainsford & Laughton Ltd. stamped on the pale blue pearlized exterior.
If you look closely you will see the words Lady Jayne, Gilda, Expanda, Stratnoid, Velva, Stratton and Studiette impressed on the exterior presentation box.
A picture can paint a thousand words and so we have included vintage advertisements showing Lady Jayne, Gilda, Expanda, Stratnoid, Velva, Stratton and Studiette products.
As early as 1929 the firm was producing a wide variety of novelty and fancy goods, including Ladye Fayre Compactums. The 1929 advertisement shown above lists cigarette, brush and sewing equipment holders, as well as clothes brushes.
As well as the plain white boxes and blue signed boxes we have just shown, the firm also presented their compacts in pearlized pink boxes and blue and white checked boxes in the 1940s and 1950s.
The original presentation box, felt pouch, pretty floral puff and sifter are present. The item code 146/ET is written neatly on the base of the presentation box.
We often see puffs with scalloped edges with a wide variety of very appealing fitted floral or romantic themes in the Stratton Scone without Inner Lid model. This model dates to the late 1940s.
You may wonder why there is so much variation in the Stratton brand gift boxes and puffs of the late 1940s - 1950s.
The answer is that after WWII when four out of five of the company’s factories were destroyed they had lost so much stock that they had to use whatever good quality items they could find to kick start the business once again.
The first known year of the Stratton Scone is 1948. The embroidered compact shown above is presented with all the original accessories which include a box decorated with blue and white check design.
The original item code is shown on the box.
We have seen three of these vanities with exactly the same item code on the presentation boxes.
This is a very rare unused mid-century Stratton loose powder compact. This vanity is presented in the original box with all the original accessories. We know the model item code (548/DN), as it is stamped on the box, but as yet we do not know the name of this intriguing vanity. The Stratton Scone model has rare variations. For example - the Piccadilly (1959/1960), which is just like the Scone, except that it has a lid fashioned into the four leaf clover shape and the Photo Compact (c.1959) which has a heart shaped locket in the lid. The Scone model has also been used to create the Stratton Initial Compact.
The next image shows this box design in more detail.
The printed paper has a luxurious pearlized appearance which the camera has not managed to capture.
We have seen this style of box with various models some of which include the Stratton Muffin & Princess models.
The Stratton Muffin was known to be available from 1948, 1952 and 1953.
The first known year of the Stratton Princess was 1953.
More wonderful vintage Stratton compacts & accessories.
This beautiful unused 1950s enamel Bird Scene Stratton Convertible powder compact has spent the last sixty plus years in the original box. Two enchanting blue tits are perched on twigs. The background enamel is lustrous cobalt blue.
The compact is presented with all the original features - presentation box, felt pouch, luxury puff, velour edged sifter, padded paper insert and instruction leaflets.
The next image shows the well known Stratton design which is seen on boxes made in the 1950s & 1960s.
This vintage compact is presented with the original accessories.
Borders of deep green enamel and a diamond cut feature frame an enchanting plaque embellished with Le Serment d'Amour (The Oath of Love) after Jean Honoré Fragonard.
We see this design of Stratton gift box with 1970s & early 1980s accessories.
The next image shows another presentation case from the same era.
This 1980s Stratton Mini-Convertible powder compact is complete with the original box, pouch, puff, sifter, inspection docket, instruction leaflet and spacer ring.
The pale orange pouch is signed Stratton.
By the late 1980s the felt pouches were often replaced by synthetic soft velour types of fabric.
This later Stratton pouch is signed Stratton.
Here is another image of this style of box.
Another style of 1990s Stratton presentation is shown in light grey and red lettering.
This compact is fitted with a grey pouch which is signed Stratton in red lettering.
We know that this box was made prior to Laughton & Sons Ltd. (owners of the Stratton brand) sold out to Firmin & Sons because it is stamped:
Stratton brand accessories are famed for their quality and reliability.
Modern 21st Century Stratton compacts are made but they are not British made & collectors consider them inferior to the vintage Stratton compacts.
Sometimes modern 21st Century compact mirrors are passed off as being vintage.
However, if you buy from a collector or specialist compact dealer, such as ourselves, they know how to date vintage Stratton compacts by the design on the base.
Sometimes it is possible to cross-reference this with the model type & date a particular compact to within two years.
We only stock authenticated vintage and antique accessories and jewellery.
https://thevintagecompactshop.
1997
Laughton & Sons Ltd. sold out to Cork International.
2000
The Stratton brand was sold to Firmin & Sons.
Some time after this Stratton accessories ceased to be British made.
This compact was made by Firmin & Sons.
How do we know that this compact was not made in England?
The leaflet states:
There is no mention that the compact was actually made in England and although the compact is signed STRATTON it is not signed STRATTON MADE IN ENGLAND or STRATTON MADE IN GREAT BRITAIN.
