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. |
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. |
'Vintage Therm-o-ware : Thermal Ware Decades of Plastics in Chicago Land' by RetroChalet
Bolero , Reinecke, Olympian , Sun Frost
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Wow, what a great informative article! Thanks so much for including my yellow Boleroware cups! Amy (glasspanic)
ReplyDeleteIt's great to know the history of these products. Thanks so much for a wonderful post. And thank you for including my Little Jack Horner chip/dip trays!
ReplyDeleteThis is an awesome article, thanks for including my Boleroware set!
ReplyDelete(BooandPie)
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ReplyDeleteI believe that also Nile Cryst O Therm made by Proven Products Chicago , Il. is also part of these products.
ReplyDeleteRob Norberg