Author Archives: freakintiquenguys@gmail.com

Reference Library Update

"Wisdom"

“Wisdom”

 

A new article has been added to the Reference Library: Some Modern Furniture Designers by C. Adolph Glassgold. A seven page article featuring the work of Paul Frankl, Kem Weber, Donald Deskey and Wolfgang Hoffmann among other. Plus two vintage advertisements. To read a PDF of the article click on the magazine cover below.

 

House Beautiful - February, 1930

House Beautiful – February, 1930

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

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Fashions of the (Not So) Roaring Twenties

Flapper. Roaring Twenties. Speakeasy. Bootlegging.

1920s-9

 

Say these words and a magical world flashes through most people’s minds of young ladies in short beaded dress, bobbed hair, feathered head pieces engaged in wild parties filled with Jazz Music, gaspers (cigarettes), and scandalous behavior. These images are reinforced by decades of movies and shows.

Did this come to mind?

Did this come to mind?

In truth, these visions represent a brief period of the late 20’s. To discuss all the misrepresentations and misconceptions would be overwhelming. So I’ll briefly (really briefly) stick to one subject: Women’s dress fashions. (Don’t worry, I’m not going to tell you how to sew a period dress – at least not yet!)

Both originally set in 1922, Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967 movie and the 2002 Broadway production) and The Great Gatsby (1949 directed by Elliot Nugent, and the arguably fascinating but bloated 2013 Baz Luhrmann version) have reinforced this false reality of fashions to the modern audience. The 1974 movie (newly set in 1926) directed by Jack Clayton is the more accurate in regard to the women’s wardrobe of the time – allowing hemlines to be a bit fashion forward. A reported exception may be the lost 1926 movie (also newly set in 1926) by Herbert Brenon noted to be the most faithful adaptation and period accurate movie. This would make sense as it was shot fairly contemporary to the time. I’ll use these as examples.

2013 The Great Gatsby costumes by Catherine Martin

2013 The Great Gatsby costumes by Catherine Martin

The early 1920’s found women less confined by their restrictive and body contorting corsets. Influenced by the war in 1917, steel, a major component in corset construction, was conscripted for the war effort. According to Wikipedia, enough steel was saved to build two battleships. Talk about freedom! Still, the new fashion demanded a flat chested boyish silhouette, and “binders” (undergarments that essentially bandaged the breasts down) was popular. Despite this, it was also a period of adaption as women began wearing separate brassiere and panties. And showing just a bit of skin!

 

Lingerie made of the finest silks and satins, expensive lace and fine embroidery were the envy of women and their admirers.

1922 Lingerie - free from corsets at last

1922 Lingerie – free from corsets at last

Outerwear also transformed from restrictive and multi-layered (and undoubtedly hot), to loose (almost shapeless) and comfortable (for the time).   Styles became more body conscience as the decade progressed.

1920-1929 the shape of things to come.

1920-1929 the shape of things to come.

As you can see, both The Great Gatsby and Thoroughly Modern Millie lean toward the 1926 -1928 hem lengths and silhouettes.

 

 

Most articles I’ve read for research tend to lump the progression of fashion of this time together as “the ’20’s style”.  I read an article (which I cannot locate) about an interview with Broadway costume designer, Martin Pakledinaz, for Thoroughly Modern Millie.  He admitted that the costumes were incorrect for the period (1922) but did not want to disappoint the audience expectations as the fashions of 1922 were not what was expected.  Can you imagine the “Modern Millie” above being “modern” in one of the styles below?

You can see from the illustrations, the reality of the decade as a whole versus the artificial world ingrained in many of us will always be in conflict. To some extent, I can forgive the big screen/Broadway period inaccuracies. In hindsight for so many, that flash of glitter so associated with (and as) the Roaring Twenties was a brief and welcome  spark before darker days yet to come.

 

 

Yes, I know this was hardly an in depth  article, not even a scratch on the surface. I am just giving you something to think about the next time you hear of, think of, or see a movie/show depicting the Roaring Twenties.  Coming soon I will be entertaining you with my vintage pattern collection.  (Maybe I WILL show you how to sew a vintage dress.)

 

Chris

Half of the “The Freakin’, ‘Tiquen Guys”

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Fiestaware 101: A course for beginner collectors. Part One 1936.

1937 Fiestaware Price List

1937 Fiestaware Price List. Click above to see a PDF of the entire brochure.

January, 2016 marked the 80th anniversary of Homer Laughlin’s most popular and enduring line, Fiestaware. This is the first of a series of posts about this famous dinnerware. It is intended as an overview of it history and as a guide for novice collectors. I have been collecting Fiestaware for 19 years starting with the new Fiesta because I liked its nostalgic appeal. By the time I stopped buying “Post ’86 Fiesta”, I had place settings for 20 people and many serving pieces. So it wasn’t much of a leap from the new to the old. It started innocently enough with a vintage 9 inch, light green plate purchased on Memorial Day weekend, 2000 at the Circle Drive-in Flea Market in Scranton, Pa. Little did I know how much of an obsession it would become. By the end of the day I had added three more pieces to my collection. It has become a goal of mine to acquire one piece of vintage Fiestaware in each color. I still have a long, long way to go.

 

Pre-History

 

In the late 1920’s, Bauer Pottery introduced a solid color tableware. Around 1933 they introduced a line called Ringware which proved very popular. Other California pottery companies soon started producing similar lines.

 

 

Bauer Ringware sold very well on the west coast and was making some inroads in the east, but was eclipsed by the introduction of Fiestaware in 1936. Designed by Frederick Hurten Rhead (1880-1942) in 1935, this was his crowning achievement in an illustrious career that spanned over forty years.

Born in England, Rhead immigrated to the United States in 1902 and became a manager for a small pottery company in Tiltonville, Ohio. By 1904 he was, briefly, at Weller Pottery before going over to Roseville as art director. After running his own pottery company in California from 1913 – 1917, Rhead returned to Ohio and in 1927 was hired by Homer Laughlin as art director. In 1930, perhaps as a response to the solid color dinnerware being produced in California, Rhead designed the Wells Line. Wells Art Glaze can be seen as the direct antecedent to Fiestaware. Wells pieces were matt finished in the subdued colors, unlike the bright colors used by Bauer. It was also traditional in style and would fit in nicely with the Arts and Crafts aesthetic.

 

 

Wells Art Glaze back stamp.

Wells Art Glaze back stamp.

 

Here are some pieces of Wells Art Glaze from Chris’ collection –

 

 

Homer Laughlin phased out the Wells Art Glaze line in 1935. That same year Frederick Rhead was busy creating a new solid color dinnerware line, eventually named Fiestaware.

 

The Birth of Fiestaware

 

Towards the end of 1934 Homer Laughlin was ready to begin production of a solid color dinnerware line. During the first few months of the 1935 Rhead was busy creating shapes and choosing glazes. By April the glazes under consideration were: yellow, bright red, lava red, turquoise, buff, white, green, blue, ochre and rose ebony.

 

Carafe in the Rose Ebony trial glaze. Image from laurelhollowpark.net

Carafe in the Rose Ebony trial glaze. Image from laurelhollowpark.net

 

Homer Laughlin general manager, Joseph Wells chose six colors for limited production on basic table items such as cups and saucers, plates and sugar and creamer. The colors were deep blue, rose ebony, yellow, mandarin red, turquoise and white.

 

Prototype Fiestaware Sugar & Creamer.

Prototype Fiestaware Sugar & Creamer.

In a late 1930’s Rhead wrote an article for the Crockery and Glass Journal which he described the main design theme for Fiestaware – –

 

We wanted a suggestion of a streamline shape, but one which would be subordinate to texture and color. Then the shape must be jolly and pleasant, that is, convex and curving rather than concave and  angular. There was to be no relief ornamentation.  The color must be the chief decorative note, but in order that the shape be not too severely plain we broke the edges with varying concentric bands.”

 

With the shapes and colors in development, a name was needed for the solid color dinnerware. In the first two weeks of April, 1935 the following names were in the running:

Rhumba ware; Park Lane; Rhapsody; Plaza; Faience; Tazza; Tazza Faience; Chalet Faience; Dashe Faience & Flamingo.

 

Flamingo was the name most used by Rhead. Sometime around mid-May the name Fiesta was suggested and shortly thereafter chosen. And Fiesta was the perfect name, suggesting Mexico / Southern California and the type of pottery this new line was emulating.

 

Test of a "C" shape handle and a red glaze.

Test cup with a “C” shape handle and a red glaze. Photo from Strawser Auctions.

 

Throughout the spring and summer of 1935 tests were being made on the clay, glazes and shapes. By late October the final decisions were made and the glazes chosen were, yellow, red (more orange than red), blue (referred to by collectors as cobalt), green (called light green today) and old ivory chosen to be a neutral. Out were white, rose ebony and for the moment turquoise. Now production went into high speed to be ready for its January launch.

 

 

Fiestaware 9 inch plates in the original five colors.

Fiestaware 9 inch plates in the original five colors.

 

 

When Fiestaware hit the stores in early 1936 its simple modern design and bright colors made an immediate hit. Backed by a powerful marketing campaign and a large factory for mass production, Fiestaware was available in higher quantities everywhere, compared to the products of the California potteries. At its introduction there were 42 items in the line from cups & saucers, plates, coffee pots and mixing bowls.

 

Here are examples of relish trays as sold to the retailers. These are seldom found this way today and were probably mixed and matched in the store to suit the customer’s wishes.

As this first group of items was hitting the stores, Rhead was busy on the finishing touches of the next set of pieces. Rhead and Homer Laughlin were always interested in feedback from store owners to determine what needed to be changed or added to the Fiestaware line. These items were added in August, 1936.

 

 

When collecting Fiestaware, either vintage or Post ’86, it is primarily important to know the colors and shapes. Knowing this will prevent you from being taken by pieces marked as vintage (with corresponding prices) to items that were made in the past 20 years or are still being sold today. And this can work to your advantage in finding vintage Fiesta that is being sold as new.

 

 

This brings us to the end of 1936. Part two will look at the years 1937 – 1940.

Here are some useful resources for Fiestaware collectors both seasoned and novice:

http://www.happyheidi.com/antiques/ (A great site, and where many of the photos in this post came from).

http://www.collectorsweekly.com/china-and-dinnerware/fiesta

https://www.kovels.com/price-guide/pottery-porcelain-price-guide/fiesta.html

 

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

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Time to Collect – Art Deco Clocks

Collecting Art Deco clocks can be addictive. Since they were mass-produced there are thousands out there in many different styles, so you are sure to find one or more that will fit right in with your decor.  And often they are not that expensive, we’ve paid less than $10.00 for some, but most are in the $25.00 to $50.00 range. First a word of advice or warning, vintage clocks can often be found in good working order when you purchase them. But sometimes the electric motors that run the clocks can burn out and since they are no longer being manufactured, repairs, if it can be fixed, can be expensive and take a really long time.

 

Shelf or Desk Clocks

Chris and I are both fond of Art Deco clocks. Chris is the winner of this collecting quest as he has the best clock of our collections, the General Electric, Brenton. Manufactured between 1937-1939, with a retail price of $8.95 ($148.00 in 2015). The frosted glass clock face sits on a silver painted stepped base, has etched numbers and abstract design that is illuminated from below. This clock is sometimes erroneously attributed to Rockwell Kent, but was actually designed by John Rainbault.

 

 

None of the clocks in my collection equal the Brenton, but they are stylish. My favorite clock of all that I own is the Westclox Andover. Introduced in April of 1938, it originally sold for $4.95 ($83.21 in 2015). Production of this clock lasted just over four years and was discontinued in 1942. I particularly like the stylized numerals and the translucent blue band around the face. The Andover does not have a self-starting motor like Telechron and GE clocks so to get it running one has to turn the upper knob on the back of the clock.

 

 

Here’s a clock that I picked up about ten years ago at the Haddon Heights Antique Center in Haddon Heights, N.J. It was a great buy at only seven dollars, which is exactly the price of the clock when it sold originally, and it runs great. The model name is the Debutante, it was manufactured by General Electric from 1933 – 1938 and was available in brass or chrome. This is another design by John Rainbault.

 

The General Electric Debutante, 1933 - 1938.

The General Electric Debutante, 1933 – 1938.

 

Driving for Deco friend Nancy picked up a very nice “Modernistic” wood mantel clock a few years back at  Salamanca Mall Antiques, in Salamanca, New York. As a matter of fact it was the same day and place that Chris picked up his General Electric Brenton. Who knew that Salamanca was such a hot bed for Art Deco clocks? There is no manufacturer’s name on the clock and I can’t find any information about it on-line. About 15 years ago there was an online store specializing in Art Deco that had this same clock, painted in blue, but it seems to have gone out of business. So if anyone can offer some information about this clock, we would be grateful.

 

Circa early 1930's Art Deco mantle clock.

Circa early 1930’s “modernistic” wood mantel clock.

 

 

Kitchen Clocks

 

When kitchens are depicted in 1930’s advertisements there is always a clock on the wall. My kitchen clock is the General Electric New Hostess. It was made from 1934 – 1941 and then from 1947 – 1952. The molded plastic case came in red, green, black and ivory. The pre-war models had a metal back of “nicral”; the later models had a plastic back. My clock is from the post-war era, but it looks almost exactly like the early versions. And it shows up well hanging on the wall. This was one of the most popular kitchen clocks of the 1930’s and can often be seen in kitchen advertisements of the era.

 

The General Electric New Hostess kitchen clock, 1934-1941 & 1947-1952.

The General Electric New Hostess kitchen clock, 1934-1941 & 1947-1952.

 

The clock that hangs on Chris’ kitchen wall is an Miller 8 day, wind up clock, circa 1930. It  was made by the E. Ingraham Company of Bristol, Connecticut, which was in business from 1844 – 1967. This particular clock was not working when Chris purchased it. He was able to get it repaired but it took about six months for the job to get done.

 

 

Miller 8 Day Clock, Circa 1930, made by the E. Ingraham Company in the Art Deco style.

Miller 8 Day Clock, Circa 1930, made by the E. Ingraham Company.

 

 

Alarm Clocks

 

 

Designed by George Graff, this was one of the most popular alarm clocks made by the Telechron company in the 1930’s. And there were four variations of it with different face styles, hands and case designs. I own the 715 model, which is slightly different from the original 711, as there is no illuminating light and the clock face is beige rather than white. The case is Dura-silver-alloy that stands on a black, bakelite base and it is heavy, weighing nearly three pounds. Later models were offered in green, ivory, orchid and blue enamel. The one problem that I have with the clock is that the alarm is fickle and doesn’t always ring, it does keep good time though, not bad for a clock that is about 85 years old.

 

In the mid to late 1930’s cobalt and peach color mirrors became very popular. Colored mirrors were not only used to hang on wall, but also for table tops and for clocks, too. My previous alarm clock was one of these, the Mirolarm. Manufactured by Telechron from 1937 – 1942, it came in cobalt blue or peach.

 

 

 

Chris owns this stylish, chrome alarm clock, made by the Hammond Clock Company of Chicago, Illinois.

 

Founded in 1928, by Laurens Hammond, he would invent the electric organ in 1935 and the company’s name would change to the Hammond Instrument Company in 1937. Hammond’s Production of clocks ended in 1941. The above clock is the Polo, first manufactured in 1931, it was one of the most popular clocks made by Hammond.

 

 

Clocks I wish I owned

 

Even with all the clocks that I own there are still a few really special ones that I would love to have in my collection. Gilbert Rohde not only designed furniture for the Herman Miller Company, but also a series of clocks in the early 1930’s. These clocks are highly collectible today and can cost anywhere from $1,000 to up to $8,000.

 

 

 

The clock on my most wanted list is Paul Frankl’s Modernique (1928-1932) for the Warren Telechron Company. This clock quickly acquired the nickname the “fifty dollar clock”, referring its price. Because of its price it was not a big seller and as a result I’ve only come across them twice at antique shows and each time it was priced over $500.00.

 

Paul Frankl's Modernique for Telechron 1928-1932

Paul Frankl’s Modernique for Telechron 1928-1932

 

 

So until I own one or more of the clocks above, my quest for clocks will continue and I’m sure the same goes for Chris, too.

 

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

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