Tag Archives: Art Deco Chrome

Labor Day Weekend Find – What is It??!!

This past Labor Day Weekend, as Chris and I struggled trying to finish our last post on our 2023 summer trip to Detroit, we decided to do some “freakin’, tiquen”. It’s been a while since we antiqued in Clarence, New York, we decided to take the trip west. After a less than an hour trip we arrived. Because it was the first Sunday of the month, it was “Super Sunday – Great American Garage Sale”. Since only hitting the three mall buildings was my reason for the trip, examining the many dealer tables put me in a surly mood.

Chris at the Antique World Flea Market, Labor Day Weekend.

Chris checking out the dealer tables at the Antique World Flea Market, Clarence, NY.

After only a cursory look at the flea market, we went inside. Our only purchases in the first two building were chocolate covered dried cherries, candied cashews and two soft drinks. But once I had some sugar in me, my mood improved. As far as antiques went nothing really caught our eyes. So it was onto the last building.

Premier Antique Center, Clarence, New York.

Premier Antique Center, Clarence, New York. Image from antiqueworldmarket.com.

The Premier Antique Center generally has higher quality pieces than the other two buildings. After going through about half the store, Chris noticed a polished chrome, footed centerpiece sitting on the floor, propped up against a case on the floor of one of the booths. Supporting the shallow, chrome bowl are three, circular, transparent yellow (apple juice) Bakelite feet. Engraved in the middle of the bowl is the Roman Goddess Pomona with out stretched arms over a stylized orchard. The chrome rim is serrated and not smooth. It is very striking and very Deco.

Pomona Bowl on the floor at the Premier Antique Center.

Pomona Bowl as Chris found it on the floor at the Premier Antique Center.

The piece has a good weight to it, appears to be of high quality and most surprising – unmarked. With a price tag of over one hundred dollars, while we both liked it, we needed more information. We thought this would be easy, we were wrong. Our Google searches began with Pomona bowl, no luck. Chrome, deco, Pomona bowl, nothing. We did learn that Pomona was the Goddess of fruit trees, orchards, gardens and abundance.

The Pomona Bowl in its new home, my dining room table.

The Pomona Bowl on my dining room table.

Detail of the engraving in the middle of the Pomona Centerpiece bowl.

Detail of the engraving on the Pomona Centerpiece.

The stylized engraving reminded me of the work of several artists of the 1930s. The first one that came to my mind was Rockwell Kent. Trying to make a connection I immediately thought of Kent’s General Electric Pavillon mural at the 1939 New York World’s Fair.

 

Rockwell Kent Mural General Electric Pavillon.

Rockwell Kent mural for the General Electric Pavillon. Image from miSci-Museum of Innovation & Science.

So we tried searching Rockwell Kent, chrome, deco bowl. Nothing. Next, I thought of  Hildreth Meière’s Radio and Television Encompassing the Earth (1932) from the facade of the R-K-O Roxy Theatre.

Radio and Television Encompassing the Earth (1932).

Hildreth Meière’s Radio and Television Encompassing the Earth (1932), on the 49th Street facade of the R-K-O Roxy Theatre in Rockefeller Center.

I thought the hair in both were similar as well as the attitude of the out stretched arms. And just like with Kent, nothing showed in searching Hildreth Meière and Pomona, Deco chrome. Next up, Lee Lawrie. Arguably Lawrie’s most famous works are Wisdom (1933) or Atlas (1937) both in Rockefeller Center.

Lee Lawrie's Wisdom (1933).

Wisdom by Lee Lawrie over the entrance to the RCA Building in Rockefeller Center.

Statue of Atlas in Rockefeller Center.

Atas (1937) Lee Lawrie in collaboration with Rene Chambellan.

Again no luck with a Lee Lawrie search. Lastly, we looked for a connection with William P. Welsh, whose seasonal covers for the Woman’s Home Companion were familiar to Chris and me.

And just like all the other searches, nothing came up with Welsh. As the adage goes when buying art or in this case antiques or collectibles, “buy what you love”, so that’s what we did. But we still want to know more about this piece. Here are a couple of more photos of the centerpiece.

Transparent yellow (apple juice) Bakelite foot.

Detail of one of the transparent yellow, Bakelite feet and serrated rim.

Unmarked, polished chrome, Art Deco, Pomona centerpiece bowl.

Unmarked, polished chrome, Art Deco, Pomona centerpiece bowl.

So if any readers of this blog recognize this piece and can provide some information to the artist or the manufacturer, please let us know.

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

Chase Specialty Line – Russel Wright Designs

Chase Brass & Copper logo.

Chase Brass & Copper logo. Image from a 1934 advertisement.

 

For this installment of Driving for Deco’s series on the Chase Specialty Line, we will look at the pieces we have in our collection designed by Russel Wright.

 

Russel Wright

Russel Wright in 1940.

Russel Wright, 1940. Image from Condenaststore.com.

A multimedia designer, Russel Wright (1904-1976) designed 13 items for the Chase Speciality line during the 1930s. Born in Lebanon, Ohio, Wright’s lineage goes back to signers of the Declaration of Independence. He entered the industrial design field while working as a set designer for Norman Bel Geddes. Wright’s approach to design came from his belief that the dining room table was the center of the home. By the early 1930s Wright began to establish his designer reputation with a series of spun aluminum, raffia, cork and wood serving pieces.

 

Russel Wright's spun aluminum pieces.

Russel Wright’s spun aluminum creations of the 1930s. Image from atomic-ranch.com.

These very modern articles caught the attention of Chase, which then hired Wright. After Wright’s time with Chase he went on to design the best selling American pottery line of all time, American Modern for Steubenville Pottery. Wright would design pottery for Bauer and Casual China by Iroquois. Vinyl fabrics for DuPont and furniture and lighting for various companies. Throughout the 1950s & 1960s Wright slowly retreated from the design field, retiring in 1968. Russel Wright died eight years later in 1976.

 

Now let’s take a look at some of  Wright’s designs for the Chase Specialty Line.

 

Pancake and Corn Set

(1935 -1939)

 

The four piece Pancake and Corn set by Russel Wright for Chase.

Russel Wright’s 4 piece Pancake and Corn set for the Chase Specialty Line. From the collection of the author.

 

This amusing four-piece set designed by Russell (sic) Wright in polished chromium will add sparkle and color to any table setting. Deep blue glass forms the bottom of the tray. The pitcher made be used for syrup, drawn butter, cream, French dressing or chocolate sauce for ice cream. The spheres will hold salt and pepper, powered sugar or other condiments. Price complete $4.50 ($91.30 in 2021); pitcher only $2.00 ($40.58 in 2021). – 1935 Chase Catalog.

 

Pancake and Corn Set sold by Chase between 1935 and 1939.

Chase Pancake and Corn Set. Sold between 1935 and 1939. From the collection of the author.

 

This is one of the most collectible sets of the entire Chase line. A complete set usually sells for around $300.00, but some online stores sell these for as much as $950.00. With some effort the set can be put together from the individual pieces. The blue glass tray is prone to scratching so be careful when purchasing one online sight unseen.

 

Salt & Pepper Spheres

(1935 – 1942)

 

Russel Wright's salt and pepper spheres in the original box.

Salt and Pepper Spheres in their original box. From the collection of the author.

Costing only $1.00 per set ($20.29 in 2021), these salt and pepper shakers were very popular. Today these are easily found in the collectors market. From 1935 – 1941 they featured screwable metal bases. For 1942 (their last year of production), due to the beginning of wartime restrictions on metal, white plastic bases were used. A couple of condition issues to look out for when purchasing a set today are to make sure the bases screw on and off easily, they tend to fuse to the body of the shaker. And to look at the chrome around the holes, it tends to wear off, especially from corrosion from salt.

 

Ice Bowl and Tongs

(1935 – 1939)

Russel Wright's Ice Bowl and Tongs for the Chase Specialty Line.

Ice Bowl and Tongs designed by Russel Wright. From the collection of the author.

This classic bowl, 7 inches in diameter designed for Chase by Russell (sic) Wright, holds an ample supply of ice in cracked or cubed form. The bowl may also be used without the tongs for potato chips, pretzels, crackers or nuts. The handle makes it easy to hold in passing food when entertaining. Finished in chromium or combination polished brass and polished copper. Price, complete with tongs, $4.50 ($91.30 in 2021) each. – 1935 Chase Catalog.

 

Handle detail of the Ice Bowl designed by Russel Wright.

Handle detail of Russel Wright’s Ice Bowl. From the collection of the author.

 

The ice bowl is a relatively easy piece to find. What is more difficult is finding one with its original tongs. A simple but stylish design, the only decorative element of the set is the fluting on the curved handle and matching tongs. The ice bowl and tongs is typical of Wright’s  aesthetic and fits the Streamline Moderne movement of the mid-1930s.

 

Cocktail Ball and Olympia Saucer

(1936 – 1942)

Looking like an explosive mine or a really spiky version of Sputnik, the Cocktail Ball and Olympia Saucer added an almost avant-garde, modernist touch to parties in the 1930s. These are more examples of a Wright design that is simple yet striking.

 

Russel Wright's Cocktail Ball and Olympia Saucer for the Chase Specialty Line.

Chase Cocktail Ball and Olympia Saucer, both designed by Russel Wright. From the collection of the author.

Cocktail Ball – This shining Cocktail Ball is for serving cocktail sausages, tiny fish balls, shrimp, olives wrapped in bacon, and other hors d’oeuvres on toothpicks. – 1942 Chase Catalog.

Olympia Saucer – This saucer, shown with the Cocktail Ball, can be used with a syrup or cream pitcher, or marmalade or berry jar. – 1942 Chase Catalog.

 

At only $1.00 ($20.00 in 2021) for the Cocktail Ball and $0.75 ($15.00 in 2021) for the Olympia Saucer these two items sold very well. Finding them today at antique stores and flea markets is relatively easy. The only conditions to be aware of (other than surface scratches) is the chrome plating wearing off and exposing the brass base metal. And the drying out of the maroon rubber base on the Cocktail Ball, causing it to crack and eventually fall apart.

 

Sphere Pitcher

(1937 – 1939)

Sugar Sphere

(1937 – 1941)

Sugar Sphere and Sphere Pitcher, designed by Russel Wright.

 

And here is a look back at the two of Wright’s designs from our previous article on the Chase Specialty Line,  the Sphere Pitcher and the Sugar Sphere. To read more about these two pieces click here.

 

For our next installment on the Chase Specialty Line Driving for Deco will take a look at the barware and drinking accessories they made.

 

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

Russel Wright Creating American Lifestyle – Donald Albrecht, Robert Schonfeld, Lindsay Stamm Shaprio