The other day in my travels, I ran across a pattern I hadn’t seen before. I was familiar with Homer Laughlin china, which I’ve actually posted about before and is archived here on the Vintage Eve’s blog. I had never seen this pattern, though. It was in their DuraPrint line. Also, new to me, as I hadn’t picked up any pieces in that line before.
12″ Oval Platter
So this gorgeous pattern is called Star-Brite. If you look it up on Replacements, they list it as HLC1850 (HLC=Homer Laughlin China). It is so iconically 1950s with the black and aqua color scheme, and the atomic stars! I love it. I found two serving pieces and four dinner plates which have all since been listed in the Vintage Eve’s shop on Etsy.
Serving Bowl
DuraPrint was a rather interesting process. According to laurelhollowpark.com, DuraPrint was a design process in the 1950s where a bladder was filled with air, and the design was basically smooshed on to a piece as the bladder was inflated. The paint was forced through holes in a thin metal plate that was attached to the bladder, which then “stamped” the piece that was being decorated (Robbinsnest). I think it lead to a number of flaws, however, as the pieces I saw had some smears and missing spots. But they were not kidding about the name.
Up Close and PersonalGorgeousness
Those pieces that I put in the shop are just as bright as if they were done yesterday. After the design was put on, a clear glaze went on top. Because the design was under the glaze, they stayed looking new. Interestingly, this process only worked on the flatter pieces. Sugar bowls, creamers, etc., were one solid color with no design because they were too round to work with the DuraPrint process.
Dinner Plates
So that’s DuraPrint. I hope you enjoyed this short look at an old process. I do love old china and dishware, especially the bowls — you know I do! Have a great week everyone!
If you’ve written a blog for any length of time, it is hard to keep track of all the things you’ve talked about. Luckily, I can do a search, which is what I did today to make sure I hadn’t covered what I wanted to talk about today. I was honestly surprised to realize I haven’t done a post on Homer Laughlin! It’s one of those companies that has given us some really well-known lines.
Homer Laughlin Creamer Hotel Ware Line (available at Vintage Eve’s)
I myself have a number of Homer Laughlin pieces in my shop. The piece above and the piece below, both Homer Laughlin.
Homer Laughlin Ferndale Nautilus Salt & Pepper Shakers (available at Vintage Eve’s)
This company is actually still in business today which is commendable considering they rode out the Great Depression, recession and other economic issues that have taken down any number of great pottery houses. They began in 1871 on the banks of the Ohio River in Liverpool, Ohio. A lot of potteries started in Ohio during the turn of twentieth century.
Homer Laughlin Art Pottery circa 1910 (available at Wild Crockophile)
According to the Homer Laughlin website, the Laughlin Brothers, Homer and Shakespeare, wanted to make quality china at a fair price. They started out making yellow ware and stoneware. In 1873, the town of East Liverpool kicked in $5,000 (a lot of money in those days!) to build a “white ware plant which was still to be known as the Laughlin Brothers.” (Lehner, 1988, p. 245).
Homer Laughlin Kwaker Rosewood 4 Piece Set circa 1920 (available at Lindsay Jane’s Cottage)
By 1903 they had outgrown their factory and expanded to Newell Farm in West Virginia which was just across the Ohio River. They also began the framework for what was to become the town of Newell. So definitely an important company to that area of West Virginia!
Homer Laughlin Riviera Sugar and Creamer circa 1930 (available at Antiques by Granny)
They landed some government contracts supplying hotelware known as “double thick” in both WWI and WWII. In 1949 they started to produce hotelware full time. This includes products for the restaurant and food service business. That market is still a large part of their business today. Their Best China, a vitrified china product, puts them in the top 3 leaders in this field (Lehner, 1988, p. 245).
Homer Laughlin Best China Dishes (available at Mud in the USA)
They continued to expand through the 1930s when in 1936 they introduced a line of china that became a huge success. Any guesses? Fiesta!! Yes Homer Laughlin is the maker of Fiesta ware. Fiesta was made in a bold range of colors with some really unique designs. Fiesta has many collectors that seek out the vintage pieces. It was discontinued in 1973 but then reintroduced in 1986. The colors are slightly different on the new pieces so it can be difficult to determine old and new but the marking will be different. Check out this section on Laurel Hollow Park on identifying them.
Interesting fact…from 1943 to 1959 the most popular Fiesta color, Fiesta Red, was not produced due to government control of the depleted uranium that went into making the color. During the 40s and 50s the color choices of Fiesta were forest green, chartreuse, grey and rose.
Homer Laughlin Fiesta Red Pitcher (available at Molto Belle)
Apparently Fiesta Red was a complicated color to produce because when most of the original technicians who worked on producing the color retired by 1972, the new manufacturing processes could not reproduce the color and they decided, rather than make an inferior product, they would stop producing it. By 1973 all Fiesta production ceased.
There are A LOT of different backstamps identifying Homer Laughlin. Check out Lehner’s Encyclopedia of U.S. Marks on Pottery, Porcelain & Clay for a comprehensive list. Some of their lines include Sunrise, Zylco, Kenmark, Royal, Priscilla, Swing and many, many more.
Homer Laughlin Harlequin Nut Bowls (available at Coleblk)
Homer Laughlin China has innovated over the years becoming a multi-generational employer. They worked hard to introduce some green production, and actually have always produced and manufactured what they sell. I loved learning their story and sharing it with you. Hats off to one of the remaining great American potteries!
I will be partying at the blogs to the right all week, please join me if you have some time. Have a great week!
I found this lovely little cup in a box the other day.
Capsco Demitasse Cup circa 1950 (available at Vintage Eve’s)
It’s just one of those cute little demitasse cups you would pick up in a souvenir shop. This one has a picture of the White House in Washington, D.C. On the bottom is a foil sticker marked “A Capsco Product.” It’s a pretty retro collectible from the late 1960s.
Capsco actually stands for Capitol Souvenir Company and it has a longer history than I thought. My original thought was that this company was a pop up in the 1950s but it actually started in the early 1920s. In 1922 a man named Jacob Goozh opened Empire Photo Studio at 917 Pennsylvania Avenue.
He was someone with a lot of drive. He grew his business by going out onto the streets of Washington and photographing soldiers returning from WWI. He used “tin-type” photography so within minutes, the soldiers could take home their souvenir.
By 1930 Jacob had relocated the business, which was by then Capitol Souvenir Company, to 105 Pennsylvania Avenue. The move allowed the company to catch the tourists visiting Washington D.C. by train and sell them souvenirs. This new location was minutes from Union Station. Location! Location! Location! Am I right?!
I have to say, he knew what he was doing and really worked hard to make this life in America, where he had moved to in the early 1900s from Europe, be his dream.
Capsco Plaque with Sentiment (available at Alice’s Attix)
As time went on, Jacob branched out his business into Virginia and Maryland. He hired more salesmen and opened a retail shop. He also began visiting the Asian markets to import the souvenirs directly. In the 1940s his son, Joseph, took over the business which was growing into a national company.
Then during the 1960s Joseph’s sons, Jay and Martin joined the business and Capsco became one of the most well-known names in souvenirs. They are still in business, actually. Under Jacob’s great-grandson, Capsco is still running out of Washington D.C. They also provide souvenirs at historic sites, museums, zoos, aquariums and more.
It’s always amazing to me how people can make their own destinies. An interesting company for sure.I got most of this information from Capsco-inc.weebly.com in case you want more in depth info.
If you have any memories of a Capsco souvenir, share it with me. I love to hear from all of you! I will be partying at the link parties listed on the right this week. Great blogs, all of them. Have a great week!
This week’s post is about something that is near and dear to my heart. One of my absolute favorite movements in design has always been Mid-Century Modern. We hear it and see it when we go looking for our vintage treasures and we know it when we see it. But what is Mid-Century Modern? Where did it start? Who gave it that name? It obviously wasn’t called that as people were creating the iconic pieces that defined the movement (can I get an “Eames!”) But just like Art Deco, it was coined Mid-Century Modern somewhere along the way. Just look at all this MCM goodness I’ve added to the store recently!
Mid-Century Modern (photo courtesy of Vintage Eve’s)
I am totally drawn to MCM, myself. I love the lines, the sculptured form balanced with the usefulness of the design. It makes me think of the 1960s, a house of windows high in the Hollywood hills. Wood, metal, and popping color. Sunken living rooms. Original “Man From U.N.C.L.E.” kind of stuff. That particular show makes me think of guys in turtle necks, hanging out in their Danish Modern apartments.
So who did coin the “Mid-Century Modern” name? According to Curbed.com, a woman by the name of Cara Greenberg used the term first as the title of her book “Midcentury Modern: Furniture of the 1950s” published in 1984. She made it up and it stuck. The term was adopted quickly and came to embody an aesthetic that ranged from the “mid-1940s to the mid-1960s” (CollectorsWeekly).
Adorable Teak and Metal Snail Hors-D’oeuvres Forks (photo courtesy of Brass Teak)
Collectors Weekly says that MCM is frequently associated with Eichler tract homes that popped up during the 1950s in California. Eichler says he was inspired by a Frank Lloyd Wright house that he lived in briefly. Glass walls, open floor plans, varied heights to give dimension (think half-walls and sunken living rooms). Who knew I could mention sunken living rooms twice in one post! Let’s face it, I just think they’re cool.
Sunken Living Room 1960s
The MCM aesthetic came out of the U.S., Britain, Japan and of course Scandinavia. From the U.S. we had Eames whose chairs, created in the 1940s and 1950s are highly collectible. They were made from wood, fiberglass, and metal. His designs were really new and unique in design and technology. His molded chairs were very different from what had been designed before.
Herman Miller was another name in furniture. With architect George Nelson designing for the Herman Miller Company from 1945 until the 1980s, Herman Miller produced some of the most iconic MCM furniture that is synonymous with what we think of when we think mid-century modern (CollectorsWeekly).
In other countries the aesthetic was alive and well. In England, Robin Day was creating convertible beds, tables and chairs. In Scandinavia Børge Mogensen was designing his Sleigh Chair and Arne Jacobsen was designing his Swan Chair.
Furniture was not the only thing being created during this time. CollectorsWeekly says that clocks were a big thing during this time. Sunbursts, asterisks and more were being designed. Lighting was also taking on a completely different look.
Lights that were made from steel and plastic, designed to be hung from the ceiling became popular as did pole-tension lamps that added light to corners of the room. As CollectorsWeekly says, this was really the last time in history that “design drove the look and feel of popular culture” instead of the other way around.
The key elements of mid-century modern architecture are flat planes, large windows, changes in elevation, and integration with nature. Those large windows inviting you to bring the outdoors in from multiple vantage points (hgtv.com).
Mid Century Modern Home Plan (from a book courtesy of PopuLuxe)
Mid-century modern is even more collectible today than ever. These designs are either loved or hated by people with very little middle ground. Collectors look for really unique pieces, which can definitely be found as this was such a breakout time period. Love it or hate it, it’s definitely found its part in history.
Alvar Aalto Danish Modern Chairs (photo courtesy of Deerstedt)
That was fun! I really enjoy finding out about the things I love. What do you think about mid-century modern? Love it? Loathe it? Have a house designed around it? Leave a comment! I love hearing from all of you!
As always, I will be partying with all my friends at the link parties noted on the right. Have a great week!
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