What could be the history of this pan?

Question

I inherited this aluminum frying pan from my grandmother who passed away in 1998. Since then, it has mostly sat in the cabinet thanks to its distinct downward bulge in the center, and its inconveniently small size at about 12" upper-inner diameter. The handle has a wooden outer "shroud" painted black (well worn).

The exceptions to sitting in the cabinet, for this pan, for us, have been mostly to fry rueditas on the sideburner of the grill. This is due to the downward bulge in the center of the pan which makes it wobbly and a bit unsuitable for any sort of normal use.

Can anyone shed any light onto the age and history of this pan? Who made it? What year(s) was it in production? Etc.? Also owing to its center-bulge, most of the maker's markings are worn off. I'm not sure if I'm dealing with something from the $1 stores of the mid 90s or something from the late 40s shortly after my grandmother's marriage.

Thank you!

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Answer 1

That logo seems pretty clear: it's Club Aluminum Cookware. The unpainted finish, "hammered" brand, and wood handle suggest that it's from the early history of the company -- between 1923 and 1933. However, it was a mass-market brand and such pieces are not particularly valuable.

Value aside, it's a servicable pan and you could use it for a couple decades yourself if you wanted to.