We’re on the hunt for – you guessed it – Bruce Hunt.

Style isn’t static. Transition from Victorian, to Arts and Crafts, to Art Nouveau, then to Art Deco is an example of how, relatively speaking, quickly styles can overlap and change.

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Straddling design styles was more or less successful depending on the skill on the designer. And the resulting marriage in lesser hands resulted in items that were, frankly, odd. Think Art Deco bedroom suites decorated with religion screens and cherubs as seen below!

For many, the introduction of Art Deco was synonymous with high class. Think Nick and Nora Charles in the Thin Man movies series, for example. But the exaggerated and uncluttered deco style showcased in movies was both impractical and financially out of reach for most people.

And a tanking economy didn’t help. It was more likely, for example, to find a streamline toaster among traditional kitchenware. Not because the person necessarily wanted something moderne, but rather, they needed a new toaster and what was available was in the new streamline style.

Manufacturers recognizing the limitation of their clients scrambled to meet their needs, and budgets, while completing for their business.

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Chase Brass & Copper, Co, retooled stock items into attractive household goods.

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Revere, Co, already with their diverse catalogue, adapted fairly quickly to the changing market.

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Kensington, Co, with the introduction of wares from that newly available metal, aluminum, was originally one of the most expensive of the giftware lines at the time.

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A host of other companies and designers sprang up vying for a piece of the action. With the passing of time, scant information is available on most of these businesses. We are currently looking into several well-known and yet, lesser-known designers/companies. And the focus for this article is Bruce-Hunt Company, New York.

As with most companies,  Bruce-Hunt adapted to changing time. Yet they didn’t want to alienate their base clients.  Giftware was available in both traditional and current styles. And some, like the tray above, successfully straddled the two.

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We were unaware of Bruce Hunt until a few years ago with the contentious purchase of a vase. I liked it. And in a rare example of disagreement, Anthony did not.

It clearly bears the Bruce Hunt hallmark and neither of us thought much beyond that.

Last summer I picked up this pair of Bruce Hunt candlesticks at my local Goodwill. Since this is now technically a collection (3 or more pieces!) I decided it was time to start delving into Bruce Hunt.

And I would love to find the matching candelabra.

After months or research, what I found is – not a lot. While items are easily found online for sale, scant references are made to the designers and / or company.

 

What I have found is that the company name is sometimes written as Bruce Hunt (no hyphen), or Bruce-Hunt (with hyphen). But most companies change their hallmark for a variety of reasons. We don’t know if this was to indicate when an item was manufactured or simply to clarify an association between two individuals, Bruce and Hunt. Or, possibly to make the company sound more high end. I lean, with no evidence, toward the latter.

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Bruce-Hunt Company was apparently well known at the time and quite successful. This is evident in their advertising campaign featured in higher end magazines of the day.  And this makes the mystery of the lack of information even more intriguing.

Although chrome is predominately featured, a variety of finishes are available.

A popular design by the Bruce-Hunt Company is their chrome coffee set. It was designed circa 1935 by C. R. Theodore Hess (aka, “Ted” Hess). It is recognizable by the severely angled handle at the top, ending in a ball. Anthony thinks the sugar looks like a guy with his fists on his hips looking for a fight!

Born in 1873, C. R. Theodore “Ted” Hess was an American by birth and moved to the U.S. Here he established himself in the world of industrial design.  And he excelled it the use of the newest material available of the day. He worked for several industrial companies. And while not a household name, Hess was well respected in his field.

Unfortunately, just as there is little information available on Bruce Hunt Company, there is little to nothing of the designers.  And, I hope to update the article if, or when I find more information. If you have anything to add, please let us know.

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Thanks for joining us!

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Chris & Anthony (The Freakin’ ‘tiquen Guys)