Edward W. Menger
Edward “Ed” William Menger (31 December 1881 – 10 November 1960) — one of the six Menger brothers (sons of Dr. Rudolph Menger Sr.) and a partner/figure in the Hoffmann-Hayman coffee family. His birth and death dates come from the Tim Draves “Mary Menger Descendants” worksheet (rev. 7 July 2016), transcribed in the Draves 19 June 2026 scans; see also Menger Family.
Metalwork artisan
Per the Draves sessions, Edward was the metal craftsman among the brothers, casting decorative metal pieces. Tim Draves described his signature deer-mount hardware as two parts: the visible, art-like metal mount and a clamp / pressure device that held the mounted head firmly against the plaque. Both elements are embodied in his “Horn Mount” patent (see below): a single ornamental plate that grips the horn bases, with a center bolt that clamps the skull against the plate’s curved inner surface.
Patents
Edward W. Menger of San Antonio, Texas is the named inventor (and self-assignee, on the utility patents) of at least five U.S. patents, 1921–1939 — confirming and dating the oral account. The deer-mount Tim Draves described is the 1935 Horn Mount:
| Patent | Type | Title | Filed | Granted | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US 2,003,896 | utility | Horn Mount | 12 Jun 1934 | 4 Jun 1935 | The deer-mount. Single triangular plate with embossed V-recesses gripping the horn bases; a center bolt fastens the skull against the curved inner surface; accommodates “horns of various sizes” without precise skull trimming. |
| USD 96,848 | design | Wall Bracket for Mounting Horns | 1 Jul 1935 | 10 Sep 1935 | Companion ornamental design to the Horn Mount. |
| US 1,387,996 | utility | Pressure-Screw | 24 Jun 1921 | 16 Aug 1921 | Improved pressure-screw for C-clamps / screw presses / lathes (spherical bearing for free rotation) — general clamping hardware, his earliest patent; not the deer-mount itself. |
| USD 101,383 | design | Mantel Ornament | 1 Aug 1936 | 29 Sep 1936 | Decorative metalwork. |
| USD 114,639 | design | Door Stop | 7 Mar 1939 | 9 May 1939 | Decorative metalwork. |
The 28 May notes had recorded only an oral reference to a “patented improved deer-mount”; this resolves it to US 2,003,896 “Horn Mount” (1935), with the Pressure-Screw (1921) as a separate, earlier Menger patent. (Pulled 13 June 2026 from Google Patents.)
Surviving family pieces
Metalwork Edward made for his mother/grandmother survives in the family. Nancy Draves’s son owns game mounts that resemble Edward’s work (12 June 2026 session).
Open questions
- Birth and death dates, and his birth-order position among the brothers.
- Whether Edward held any documented role at H&H beyond the family/silent-shareholder context.
- Whether any of the surviving family mounts are themselves Horn-Mount (US 2,003,896) units.
See also
- Menger Family — synthesis of all Menger officers and the brothers’ character
- Dr. Rudolph Menger — patriarch / father of the Menger brothers
- Gustav P. Menger — brother, president 1920–1960
- Theodore J. Menger — brother, treasurer
- Louis B. Menger — brother, office manager / accounts