1928 Royal-Rochester label.
Back in 1999 at an antique store in Frankfort, Kentucky, I came across a very striking electric coffee pot. Painted in an abstract design in bold colors it almost bordered on the avant-garde. I had never seen anything like before, so the $110.00 price was not much of a purchasing deterrent. To me it exemplified the exuberance of the Art Deco aesthetic of the late 1920’s. A crazy, optimistic style that produced Roseville Futura pottery and the Chrysler Building and wouldn’t last long once the Great Depression hit in 1930. Made by Robeson Rochester under their trade name of Royal Rochester, a company well-known for the manufacturing of kitchen appliances.
1928 Royal Rochester electric percolator in the Modernistic pattern. Ceramic body made by the Fraunfelter China Company. From the collection of the author.
Once I had the coffee pot, I wanted to add more pieces and have to make a complete set. This wasn’t going to be easy because other pieces weren’t turning up. A couple of years later the teapot, creamer and sugar were up for auction on Ebay. The three-piece set ending up selling for over $500.00 and way out of my price range. Once that auction ended other pieces were just not turning up. And I was not coming across any of the set at flea markets or antique malls. But I did learn from that Ebay listing that this pattern’s name was “Modernistic”.
The Fraunfelter China Company of Ohio produced the ceramic pieces purchased by Royal Rochester for their various lines. “Modernistic” is only one line that used these shapes. The lusterware tan stripe and lilac stripe pieces turn up a lot more often and even though they have the same shape those designs are nowhere near as striking as “Modernistic”
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- Royal Rochester lilac stripe lusterware coffee service. Made with Fraunfelter China. Image from Pinterest.
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- Tan stripe with flower decal Royal Rochester coffee service. Image from Pinterest.
“Modernistic”, like all Royal Rochester lines had a full range of accessories to make any breakfast stylish and up to date. Beside the coffee pot and sugar and creamer, a smaller sugar and creamer came with the teapot. The center piece of the line was the large coffee samovar. Small ceramic cups in metal holders were good for both coffee or tea. A waffle set included a syrup jug, batter bowl and ladle and of course the waffle iron. Completing the line were a casserole and pie plate, both of which came with chrome metal stands.
Royal Rochester 1928 brochure featuring Modernistic. Image from Modernism.com
Advertisement for Bullock’s Department Store in Los Angeles and the introduction of Royal Rochester. November 21, 1928. Image from fultonhistory.com
The “Modernistic” pattern made its debut during the Christmas season of 1928. What we now call Art Deco made its American debut only less than two years before. Modernistic styles proved to be popular with more well to do people living in major cities. To the average American the new style seemed as foreign as a martian. Traditional styles, like colonial revival, remained the most popular in the United States through the 1940’s. Radios or refrigerators tended to be the only moderne style pieces in the household. Because of this Royal Rochester’s “Modernistic” ended up being a huge flop. The company’s advertisements for the 1929 Christmas season no longer mentioned this bold and colorful pattern. Since it was only available for a year or less, it makes the pattern extremely rare and hard to find today.
Christmas 1928, Sibley, Lindsay & Curr Company in Rochester, NY. Democrat & Chronicle advertisement, 12/14/1928. Image from fultonhistory.com
Covered Casserole in Royal Rochester’s Modernistic pattern. From the author’s collection.
The pie plate in its metal stand. From the author’s collection.
I never knew, until recently, how short a production time “Modernistic” had. This explained why it took eighteen years to find more pieces. Finally this summer in an antique mall in Wisconsin I found the large creamer, casserole in holder and pie plate. The dealer seeing a good customer told me she had more of this pattern in another mall nearby, just over the Illinois state line. There I picked up many more pieces, including the very rare waffle iron and batter bowl. Being very reasonably priced and 20% off, I took the plunge. I still need to get a few pieces, including the samovar, cups and the probably nearly impossible to find ladle. So the hunt continues!
Waffle Iron, Batter Bowl and Syrup Jug in the Modernistic pattern from Royal Rochester. From the author’s collection.
Handle detail of the Syrup jug. From the author’s collection.
“Modernistic” waffle iron, batter bowl, pie plate and casserole in chrome holder, by Royal Rochester, 1928. Author’s collection.
The “Modernistic” coffee pot I purchased in 1999 with the sugars and creamers purchased in 2017. Author’s collection.
2021 Update
Since this 2017 post has been published, I have since acquired the syrup jug and the samovar. The hunt for the teapot, cups and the ladle continues.
The Samovar with the large creamer and sugar bowl. From the collection of the author.
