The Danson Company opened costume jewelry business at 4444 Marietta Street in Atlanta, Georgia in 1945 and was active for less than two decades. According to 1945 The Weekly News Magazine of the Industry, the company was manufacturer’s representative for David D. Leavy costume jewelry. John H. Ittleson was in charge. Danson handcrafted figural whimsical animals pins from pewter, metal alloys, gold, silver, art glass and rhinestones.

There is no doubt that the designer had an artistic education, but there is no information about him/her. Initially, the company’s jewelry did not have a marking. However, after 1955, jewelers marked their products with capital letters “DANSON” with a copyright sign on a rectangular cartouche. Unique animalistic brooches of the Danson company are very rare and have a collector’s value.

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One of the pioneers in making watch bracelets, Providence based company Hadley originally sold its product only to other jewelry manufacturers. Therefore, it was not known as a Hadley brand until 1921, when the company started to sell directly to the wholesale trade.

A native of Capetown, South Africa, Art Hadley (1885 – 27 May, 1941) came to the USA with his parents in 1888. The family settled in Providence. Art Hadley founded Hadley Co and was its president and treasurer for over twenty years. George A Ingleby was vice-president and general manager of Hadley Co. Charles A Mealy, the man who patented the first metal watch attachment, was general manager, and J. W. Springer was the publicity manager.
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Born in Belgium, Joseph Julius White (May 15, 1868 – December 2, 1936) came to the USA as a boy with his parents. He attended the public schools and served an apprenticeship at the jewelry business in Providence. In 1896 he and his wife Jessie established the jewelry business J. J. White Mfg. Co., at 155 Pine St., Providence, Rhode Island.

Later, their two sons Frederick B. White and Reginald J. White joined the firm. The White family’s jewelry business was very successful, and in 1927 they expanded the company by opening a division Helgen Mfg. Co. Among the owners were Joseph Julius White, Frederick White, Reginald. White, and Fred Perry, the latter formerly of Ford & Perry. The business was conducted at 144 Pine St., the plant of the J. J. White Mfg. Co.
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