The Chase, Brass & Copper Co. met the end of Prohibition with a number of stylish cocktail accessories. For this post Driving For Deco will take a look at the first of the Chase cocktail set that helped  lift spirits (figuratively & literally) during the Depression.

 

The Gaiety Cocktail Set

1933 – 1942

Cocktail Shaker

Entirely modern in its appearance, it retains the usefulness of old fashioned shakers.The top is fitted with a sleeve which fits snuggly into the pouring lip when shaking to prevent the leaking or spilling of contents. A strainer is also provided to hold back the mint, lemon or other solids. Finished in bright chromium with black enamel rings at the top and bottom. – 1934 Chase Catalog.

 

By far, this has to be the easiest of all the Chase cocktail sets to find. The cocktail shaker and cups are readily available in the collector’s market. The tray can be found with a bit of hunting.

 

The shaker, designed by Howard F. Reichenbach (1902 – 1959) in 1933, is classic moderne. Its most notable decorative feature is impressed, painted bands, on the body and lid. On the lid, two raised concentric circles lead to the finial. A Bakelite ring is at the base of the chrome finial.

The lid of the shaker sits snuggly on the neck of the body. Inside the neck is a removable strainer. The Chase centaur trademark is on the bottom of the shaker.

 

Cocktail Cups

Simplicity is an outstanding feature in the design of this distinctive cocktail cup, but it is the simplicity of line and decoration that suggests sophistication and good taste. – 1934 Chase Catalog.

 

Retailing at only $0.50 each ($10.75 in 2022), these simple cups, a Harry Laylon (1911 – 1997) design,  must have been very popular.  One can easily find these cocktail cups on the collector’s market today.

 

Cocktail Tray

This simple tray is ideal for use with cocktail cups, but may be used equally as well with other cocktail service pieces. It comes individually packed in either polished chromium or polished copper finish. – 1934 Chase Catalog.

 

In the mid-1930s one of Kool Cigarettes offered premium coupons to its smokers. And the Chase Gaiety Cocktail Set complete or in individual pieces was a premium. 200 coupons for the shaker, 125 coupons for four cocktail cups and 125 coupons for the tray. 400 coupons would get one the entire set, not to mention a chance at smoking related diseases.

When purchasing any of the pieces of the Gaiety set there are a few things to keep an eye out for. Let’s start with the shaker. The Gaiety Cocktail shaker is so readily available, at flea markets, antique malls and online, there is no reason to buy one in less than good condition. Often the strainer that sits in the neck of the shaker is missing.

 

Make sure the Bakelite ring on the finial is not chipped or missing altogether. The paint in the impressed bands should be not be flaking off. And because of the shaker’s shape and lack of handles it must have been slippery when filled with ice and liquid, which means that a good number of the shakers have dents and surface scratches.

 

 

Things to watch for with the cups are dents and splits in them along the sides. Issues with the tray can include bends and dents. Sometimes the chrome plating has worn away exposing the brass base metal. All these issues will affect the value of the pieces.

 

 

And speaking of values, the prices for the Gaiety pieces are all over the place. The Shaker, alone, sells anywhere on the collector’s market from, $25.00 (sometimes even lower) – $450.00. In our opinion any price over $45.00 is too much for a shaker this common. But there is one exception to this rule, but more about that later. The cocktail cups can run in the $7.00 – $15.00 a piece range. The tray is so hard to find, that as of the writing of this article, we have not found one as a stand alone. And complete sets fall into the $150.00 – $450.00 price range, in online stores. Although sometimes they can go higher, one dealer, selling through 1stdibs.com is selling the shaker and four cups for $895.00. This seems high, but the pieces are in mint condition and come with their original packaging.

 

What is really rare regarding the Gaiety Cocktail set are shakers with colored stripes and Bakelite ring on the finial. They were only produced between 1939 and the discontinuation of the line in 1942. The available colors were red, green, blue and white. These are so rare that we have never come across one “in the wild”, only online. A set of three sold at 1stdibs for $3,900.00.

 

Gaiety in the Movies

The Gaiety Cocktail Shaker, to the best of my knowledge, made its movie debut in the 1934 film, Change of Heart (Directed by John G. Blystone for the Fox Film Corporation). Though the shaker is not one of the stars of the film, that goes to Janet Gaynor, Charles Farrell, James Dunn and Ginger Rogers. It is used by Ginger Rogers trying to woo Charles Farrell from Janet Gaynor. Below are some frame grabs showing the shaker in action.

 

So if you are into Chase items or into cocktail collectibles, the Gaiety Cocktail Shaker or set is a good way to begin. It is classic in streamline Deco looks and it is often affordable.

Cheers till next time.

Anthony & Chris (The Freakin’, Tiquen Guys).

SOURCES

The Complete Chase – Donald-Brian Johnson & Leslie Piña

The Chase Era 1933 and 1942 Catalogs of the Chase Brass & Copper Co. – Donald-Brian Johnson & Leslie Piña

Chase Catalogs 1934 and 1935 Catalogs – Donald-Brian Johnson & Leslie Piña

Art Deco Chrome Book 2: A Collector’s Guide Industrial Design in the Chase Era – Richard J. Kilbride