Watertown Woodbine : Ivy Simply Beautiful Melmac by Jon Hedu

Blackbird Antiques NC offers these Woodbine cups and saucers.

Watertown Lifetime Ware's designer Jon Hedu was a genius.  Though Watertown's Lifetime Ware is widely collected still today, one later line not spoken of enough is Watertown's Woodbine.  I simply adore this line, the flowing ivy-like designs, which came later than the original Lifetime Ware. 

The raised design is simply lovely, showing the tiny fruits and wrapping vines.  Courtesy: BlackbirdAntiquesNC.

This line is simply stunning with a raised motif all around it. Perhaps the famous wild Woodbine Ivy, much like a Virginia Creeper, that grow wild and bore tiny fruit was the inspiration for such a design. This Woodbine design is simply stunning and with 3-D motif protruding out of the pieces themselves.  If something could be called a "design melmac masterpiece" this is it.

Note the raised backstamp also has a bit of a vine in it!  Courtesy BlackbirdAntiquesNC.

The designer left no stone unturned because even the attention to detail on the backstamp has a raised motif!  The original patent was filed in July 1952, and granted in October of the same year.

Courtesy: Google Patents, Read all the Patent Info found here.

So why is it that this lovely design hasn't made it's way into more homes?  One can only assume it was not as well received as it's predecessor Watertown Lifetime Ware--though I can't fathom why.  It's not for lack of marketing, that's for sure. I found evidence it was advertised in 1953 though various outlets including House and Garden Magazine, volume #103, with the target audience hearing the words "Distinctive Dinnerware" and at "the discriminating hostess..." The add even suggests you could even write to the "for a free folder" on their melamine. (Porter Street address.)

It was mentioned in the Hospitals Journal (The Journal of the American Hospital Association vol 28 circa 1954) and years later being tested favorbly in Consumer Reports, 1957.   Just by old magazine mentions,  we can establish a minimum four year market to table window.   So where is it all and why is it so difficult to find these days? Did the public stick to the tried and true regular old Watertown Lifetime Ware during this time?  Did perhaps the raised motif make for hard cleaning as dirt would have built up into the tiny berry crevices? Who knows, but it certainly is lovely and in my opinion everyone should have a piece in their melmac collection. ♥

Related Reading:

Read all Watertown related posts HERE.

Go to the Plastic Living Watertown Site HERE. 

Injection Molded Vending Toy Machine Capsules and Cardinal Plastics - How I Love Thee

Capsules from some mini football helmets, they used to be a quarter, now you must pay 50 cents or more for one of these type premiums.

It's those things we see in everyday life that we take for granted in the wide world of plastics technology. How often have you as a child or your kids put money into a gumball style toy machine hoping to get a toy capsule that you love?

Back in my day, I spent all my money trying for a pink once of these. Buy 'em at HeyYoYo.

Pick a winner.

It's these little works of art we take for granted and overlook. I rank them in the same catergory with the plastic Easter Eggs, the little egg shaped capsules that you see with candy in them! Little plastic works of art!

These available from MeanGlean on Etsy.

Hey Kids!  Look at all the pretty colors!  A great marketing technique to get kids to have to have them!  Who cares what's in them!

I was in shock however to read, that a local company by me produces such Gumball Machine Capsules.  Imagine a real live plastics factory right down the road!

CARDINAL PLASTICS - BALTIMORE

 

  Cardinal Plastics, Inc., founded in 1989, is a full service custom injection molder of thermoplastic materials.  

Just like in the olden days of melmac factories and 1950's plastic production companies, this factory runs 24 hours to keep up with the demands of the market.  They make the same capsules I'm talking about here, to the tune of 

TWO MILLION PER WEEK!

Their products website, (Cardinal Distributing) carries vending machines, capsules and the plastic toys that go in them at wholesale prices. So it seems I can launch my own vending machine business for under $300 (that's buying a machine at $130, and filling it with toy capsules) and start making a killing off selling little toys to kids.    They are located on Erdman Avenue in Baltimore, and their contact number is 1-800-368-2062 just in case you should be doing this yourself. 

I'd love to see those capsules being made!

In the meantime, I'll stick to vintage plastics. 

Vanished: Russel Wright Prototype pre Meladur Melmac Mug Where Did It Go and Why Did it Vanish?

Where Have I Gone?

This one from Syracuse University, has cracked with age....note the free flow handle into the rim.

Somewhere between March 1944 and 1946, came into existence a very rare melmac mug prototype (shown here in blue, above, and below.) This mug was designed by Russel Wright, and was set to be an accompanying piece in his original "test line" (originally marked Cyanamid Plastics, later named Meladur.) To understand the whole sordid saga, you must first understand this "test line" was designed by Russel Wright only to do research in restaurants and get consumer opinion wherein a huge survey was compiled and reported back to American Cyanamid. He did not have to design the line--as other melamine dishes existed in fact Edward Don and Company was one of the companies he was talking to to get crucial feedback.

Here it is! Marked Cyanamid Plastics, it was flat based, with stacking ridges.

The goal of the survey was an effort to get molders (more than 15 in the first year)* to mold dishes or dinnerware of melmac and melamine therein obtaining the powders from American Cyanamid. It's secondary goal was to gain consumer interest knowing that upper crust designer Russel Wright (whose American Modern had made it's way into tons of homes and housewives loved his style) was doing the survey.   The point here is, Wright's test line would later be produced by General American Transportation Company circa 1949 under the name Meladur.  When it went into production, the mug in question, all but disappeared--in fact, was replaced with a not-so-similar mug go with by General American. But why?

Redesigned Meladur Mug, Not even close! The handle is not flush with rim, no stacking ridges. Not Wright Designed.

FLUSH HANDLE DESIGN - CUPS AND MUGS

Flush-handle Cups.  Wright was known for these both in china and plastic.

What I'm talking about by a flush-handle is the way the handle "flows" right into the rim with basically "no" rim area present.  Although the FLAIR cup above has a bit of rim action, it gives the illusion of free form from other angles.    Top Left to Right: Blue-Meladur, Blue -Aussie Superware Duperite,  Bottom Row Left to Right : Orange: Flair by Russel Wright , Peachy Pink: Watertown Lifetime Ware, Yellow: Canadian.

Russel Wright's Residential Cups were Perfect Examples of Flush Handles, these @ RetroChalet.

**Bermuda Coral Free-Form Mug by Watertown, by QuietRainz.

WATERTOWN : FIRST TO THE FLUSH!

*It should be noted here, as per Christopher's research, that Watertown Manufacturing Company was "the first" manufacturer of the flush handled cup for residential use that we know of.  Christopher's research on Lifetime Ware has been extensive, and I must say--quite impressive.  Many people credit Russel Wright for being "first" melmac to the table, but sadly, that was just a fable started over time and not fact.

Back to the prototype mug in question, one known prototype exists in Syracuse, and some others in the personal collection of Mr. Melmac, obtained first hand from an American Cyanamid executive. But why and when did this cup disappear or stop being produced?  The mystery remains unsolved and the debacle continues.

Another shot of the one-in-Syracuse mug. Was it too simliar to it's Military counterparts below?

So we can date the original test pieces from 1945 to 1948.   In the original line, not only was a regular cup and saucer designed, but a small mug.  The mug had a free form handle that flowed into the rim such as these cups below.  It had a stacking ridge for drying purposes, and was not a large mug, but more of a upgraded coffee cup side, and of course, fit just fine in the well of the saucer. I guess the best way to describe it, was smaller than a regular mug, but larger than a coffee cup.  Odd, I suppose.


Possible explanation/s:

THEORY ONE: THE SIZING OF THE MUG WAS TOO SMALL.
The test mug was not as large as military mugs, and would have held maybe an ounce more if that than the coffee cup. So perhaps it was more European in sizing and perhaps American Cyanamid decided it wouldn't fare well in the USA.
 
THEORY TWO: COPYRIGHT (PATENT INFRINGEMENT) ISSUES.*

*Thanks to Christopher who pointed out this would have been a "patent issue."  We can look onto other melmac mugs and see some similarities in size, stacking ridges, but none have the exact shape of the free flowing handle. Many are close, but no two exact.

Military mugs (AngiesIris) are larger, different handle, not flush with rim but have the stacking ridges.

If copyright (*Patent Infringement) was the case, there are plenty of known examples where designs can be a bit different and not in infringement.  (Besides, I can't find any patents.)  So I find it hard to believe this was the case, but if so, why wasn't Wright's put into production? Even if Cyanamid thought it was too close to another manufacturer's existing style, why wouldn't Wright change it or redesign it slightly and put it into production later during the time Meladur was actually produced?  We can see "traces" of the original design everywhere we look.

Kysite of Maine, by Bitta Vintage.  Same shape handles and overall size.

My Austrailian Superware Duperite Set looks just like the real deal!

I bought these out of Canada, from ThriftFindDesign, they have free flowing handles and stacking ridges. Perhaps a predecessor of the Prototype Mug?

Dallas Ware Cups by AnnieGreenSprings hold many simliarities, size, ridges but still the handle is not free form into the rim.

These lovely orange cups by FunkDaughter are marked GPL of Canada.

GPL of Canada again by Cottagewear aka The Lakehouse.

Similiar design by Vanguard from Maplex of Canada available at StarlingMemory.

Harmony House Today mugs, same size, handle similar but not exact, missing ridges, now in the McPherson collection.

Many years ago, I found a patent search by HJ Stotter, which showed cups made of Stacking ridges almost identical to the prototype cups. Since these cups came much later, I did not think this could have been an issue.  I've also seen examples by Arrowhead, Boontonware, Cloverlane, and Halsey that are similar to the ones above.

THEORY THREE: THE CAT ATE IT.

Do you know why this mug vanished? Solve the Mystery!  Tell me! 

RELATED READING:

Read about the Test Line on the Meladur Page. 

Read about the first "flush form mug" and see Watertown at Plastic Living.

Special thanks to Christopher whose expertise keeps me in line.

Bolero Therm-o-Ware , Reinecke, Cornish, Sun Frost and the Monopoly on Thermal Plastics

BOLERO

Bolero Thermo Bowls from RetroChalet.

I just love these old Bolero thermal bowls. The set above, just sold, and this is what they told me, "My grandparents had these when I was a child and I absolutely loved them. I did a random search of retro plastic bowls with feet and found your set. I am so excited...oddly enough these bowls bring back such great memories of my grandparents and my grandmother's fresh from the garden cooking. I can't thank you enough!"

These available at Junk and Howe.

Ahhhhhh, the allure of old plastics!  So cute and space-agey for the 1950's (these fun colors) and 1960's (olive greens, golden yellow pieces) are still quite easy to find.  Therm-o-ware's "Double walled insulation" was supposed to keep your hot things hot and cold things cold.  I love the idea of the tripod feet so as not to sweat on your table this way. Accompaniments include small tumblers, tall tumblers, mugs, regular bowls,  insulated pitchers, and ice buckets--both small and large ones.  However, it all started with an industrial designer......

Courtesy: VintageBitsandPieces.

Mugs available at VintageBitsandPieces.

Bolero short ice bucket from VintageChics.

REINECKE

Reinecke Bowls look the same, by Proven Products, Evanstan Illinois. See them here.

The design of this tripod bowl is by Industrial Designer Jean Otis Reinecke. (male, read about him here.) The line carrying his last name was marked Proven Products Inc, Evanston, Illinois. I found them in a 1957 book stating they used extrusion plastic methods and made a lot of advertising and promotional plastics for companies. Proven Products quite possibly molded the bowls but  Reinecke and Associates indeed designed them. I found a reference as early as 1953, J.O. Reinecke was originally based in Chicago. He also developed the 3M tape dispenser in addition to a huge resume of work.

In a 1954 book  --> Society of Plastics Engineers  to which J.O. Reinecke also belonged, it the following was written about the thermal wares...."Conceived to meet the demand of the housewife for distinctly "high-styled" household objects, the thermo-bowls also meet the manufacturer's requirement for mass production at moderate cost."   

Reinecke Backstamp, courtesy of Doll Food

Instead of white insides like Bolero, the ones marked Reinecke had black bottoms with bright and vivid colors inside. These were indeed my favorite. The plastic was harder and more durable in my opinion than Bolero bowls.  I also saw the addition of a large serving bowl under the Reinecke line,  which I have never seemed to find in Bolero ware.  If it exists in Bolero, it's sure hard to find.  The large bowl is large enough to hold oranges, apples and fruits, obviously designed for the large salad!

Doll Food offers this great big Reinecke bowl for a bargain price!

So it is safe to assume both Bolero and Reinecke were indeed designed by Reinecke but selling at the same time under different names.  Then we have more deviations...take Cornish for example...

CORNISH

Marked Cornish Proven Products...above and below by Vintage Bits and Pieces.

Yet another style but same theory - thermal ware, and also marked Proven Products.  It is uncertain if Reinecke designed these, or if they were another deviation of the original thermoware line. I didn't like these as much, they had a more ribbed look, and the outsides were supposed to look "stoneware-ish" actually off white with flecks of grey.  You can tell this is the transition into the 1960's....the colors on the inside were lovely, but these designs just really didn't appeal to me.  I did find a set of mugs once, ironically their packaging was more lovely then the products. The mugs came in a clear plastic package of 8, and had a rope carrying strap. Over time the plastic used for the packaging had cracked, but it was something to see just how they would have sold way back when.

OLYMPIAN

OldBoldReadyToBeSold has this Olympian Pitcher for sale.

Just like a never-ending tale such as the recreation every decade of Madonna we see the same in thermal ware --this too just kept reinventing itself. In the 1970's we had Olympian ware, in olive green, mustard yellow, and red oranges. I think I'm having flashbacks of my childhood. My mother loved these colors (yeeeccchhhh.)

Cups available at Holly's Vintage.

PROVEN PRODUCTS may have been a subsidiary of Federal Housewares of Chicago that produced a lot of kitchen plastics such as strainers and measuring cups.

Proven Products bowls by OldTymeStore, their ribbing reminds me of Cornish ware.

Little Jack Horner chip-dip trays, by Reinecke/Proven Products, at Perfect Pie Lady.

It's safe to assume that in some way Bolero, Cornish, Olympian and Sun Frost thermal ware can be tied to one in the the same company, quite possible some original designs by Reinecke and changed over time...but who really knows? We know and can see that Bolero tripod bowls are that of Reinecke (same mold and design) but the question remains why wasn't his name on the back of them for maximum publicity? If we get into marketing strategies however, we may realize that some "unmarked" Reinecke products may have been sold at smaller five and dime stores and secondary stores for a lesser price, having the Reinecke name would mean premium prices and essentially both similiar and one in the same. This way, one could conquer two markets for two prices, with the same product. As for Cornish and Olympia, wouldn't that be something if all four lines were indeed a huge monopoly on thermal ware!

'Vintage Therm-o-ware : Thermal Ware Decades of Plastics in Chicago Land' by RetroChalet

Bolero , Reinecke, Olympian , Sun Frost

Vintage Bolero Therm-O-Ware ... JunkandHowe $23.00	Vintage REINECKE Thermo-O-Bo... magicmuti $20.00
Vintage Mustard Colored Olym... Retroburgh $14.99	Bolero Therm O Ware 8 Tumble... BooAndPie $37.50
Vintage Sunfrost Therm O War... kris67 $10.00	10 vintage bolero thermo-war... houuseofwren $16.00
Vintage Reinecke Therm-o-Bow... DollFood $12.00	Pair of Olympian Therm-o-war... hollysvintage $3.00
Vintage Bolero Therm-o-Ware ... DollFood $18.00	Vintage Bolero Pink Plastic ... retrotreasureh... $24.00
Vintage Tumblers Bolero Ther... glasspanic $8.00	SALE Marked 53% Off Vintage ... DollFood $9.00
Vintage Olympian Therm O War... peacenluv72 $18.50	Vintage 1960 Yellow and Oran... MemphisNanney $10.00
Vintage Insulated Pitchers ... MadeYaLook $15.14	Set of 6 Vintage Bolero Tumb... Bizzard $8.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

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