Ornamin Melmac Melamine History

Vintage Creekside on Etsy has this lovely modern set that looks frozen in time for $35

Ornamin Melamine and Melmac Dinnerware

Ornamin, is it a fantastic melamine proprietary blend or a German trade name for Melmac?  I have traced vintage backstamps which may indicate production in the UK, Canada, Belgium, Australia, Sweden, Switzerland and even Arabic country Jordan, just to name a few with exports to other countries like India. Granted, take into account my "Shared Production Theory " below.  When speaking of "vintage" Ornamin or Ornamin Ware, I assume this to be a trade name just like Cyanamid's "Melmac", wherein only the manufacturers who paid for the licensing could mark their dishes or pieces with the official stamp. Early pieces may be marked "Ornamin Ware" or just "Ornamin ®" .   German Wikipedia indicates that Ornamin is a process used in production of pressed parts out of thermoset resin (and goes further to indicate the molded dishes/dinnerware.) The bombshell indicates "It was developed in 1953." Additionally, the internet shows a current factory in Germany producing Ornamin.  Translating their site, I was able to read about how they currently in 2016 make moulded picnic ware and camping dinnerware .

Vintage Creekside's photo shows the original Made in Switzerland ink stamp!

Switzerland's Ornamin

Pieces have been found "Design Sleny" and ink stamped "Made in Switzerland" with thanks to Vintage Creekside who found a pretty much untouched set with the original ink stamp we can see the Swiss were producing it in one of their plastics factories.

Cross Creek Pokeweed brings us this Belgium Example of Ornamin 

Belgium Ornamin

Meanwhile six hours from Switzerland in Belgium, the COGEBI company was also producing Ornamin, circa 1958,  the most common designs seem to be these using Ornamin to produce promotional items such as ashtrays or souvenir trays.

Backstamps show COGEBI, a Belgium Company made this, buy it here.

Thanks to Cross Creek Pokeweed, who took a great picture of the backstamp and did research on the plate, tracking it to the Compagne Generale Belge Des Isolants (Obviously a Belgium Company) we can trace the backstamp to the Belgium Manufacturer possibly making these in 1957 or early 1958 in time for the exposition!

ScandiLicious Etsy shop found this proof of Swedish Production!

Swedish Ornamin 

In the same region as the above, Ornamin was being used to produce wares. In this case, Stif Lindberg produced this design for Gustavsberg circa 1960's-1970's. We can assume Stig was the designer who came up with this beautiful blue mod design and Gustavsberg was the provider of the dinnerware. The US equivalent would be Kaye Lamoyne (designer) producing for Branchell dinnerware company. So you see it is wonderful that ScandiLicious Etsy shop above was a great treasure hunter in finding something with not only a great backstamp but an original paper label to give us more clues to old production!

Ornamin tray from Sweden from Etsy Shop ScandiLicious

Shared Production Theory

Now, there is some speculation that Switzerland, Belgium and Sweden could have shared one manufacturer of the plastics, who marked different backstamps. This was not at all an impossibility especially since the regions were so close. In the USA it was not uncommon for a major plastics factory to take on production of several lines, using the company's proprietary backstamps. In other words, if a company in Brussels or even Great Britain was producing all the melamine for that region, they could have molded the dinnerware to specifications and changed out the backstamps considering each a specialized job.   I have deduced this due to a small rectangular character I see on some of the Great Britain pieces, which is illustrated below ***

Backstamp*** from ThingsNeedaHome for a great Ornamin Piece they are selling.

***Note the rectangular character between the words Great Britain.  I have seen this on some of the Australian pieces.   Could this be a shared production example? Was UK making the entire European's share of Ornamin?

Great Britain  & United Kingdom Production 

Queen Elizabeth Coin Tray or Ashtray Ornamin from Thingsneedahome

The triangular coin tray or ash tray mold seems to be very popular , and the ones I see most often. It was not uncommon for companies to use such things for promotional items.  The one above is clearly marked Great Britain for production, and below England depending on the Era of when the country was referred to as what...

Ornamin Trays from England, find them at The Copper House on Etsy

Ornamin Clearly Shows English Backstamp for these Trays Pic: TheCopperHouse.etsy.com

The designs below are traced to Austrailia but production is questionable if Aussie or UK.

Lovely Ornamin BBQ Plate from Australia for sale at 20thCenturyStuff

Australia 

Ornamin was sold widely in Australia and the mid century modern designs may indicate the 50-60's.  I believe it was produced there as well, as there were some major Aussie companies producing plastics it would have been less expensive than importing it from UK yet some of the backstamps may indicate Great Britain's production and exporting to Australia depending on the design.

Ornamin Cocktail Tray from Aussie Etsy shop Tickle and Finch

Canadian Ornamin

I have proof of course that Canada was producing their own Ornamin. Although Canada is ruled by Great Britain, clear backstamps show Canadian molding companies.

Ornamin Melmac Plate from KressHill on Etsy, cost $12.38 here.

A lot of it in my travels has been found and traced to Canada, but perhaps that's because I spend a lot of time in Maine, and thrift stores on the border seemingly have more Ornamin than I would find in my home town of Baltimore or when traveling up and down the East Coast.

The Odd Owl offers this adorable kids cup for $6.00 on Etsy marked Ornamin / Canadian Buttons Ltd

Canadian Buttons, Ltd company was known to produce it. This company was an early plastics manufacturer with listings dating back to 1920's, from celluloid items and buttons, later expanding to other plastics products. I assume production to have started sometime 60's for the designs shows above as they are circus items and most kids melmac sets came out 1958-1968 era.

Rarities in Ornamin / Ornamin Ware

Rare Ornamin tray , found at Retro Dazy

Jordan

This is odd to say the least, but a backstamp indicating the Ornamin tray was produced in Jordan. Unsure if country Jordan has a leading plastics factory or if they commissioned this to show off the Arak beverage that is popular in Jordan, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine and Israel. It reminds me of the old French spirits Absinthe in color, and is an anis beverage.   However, note the backstamp below, which clearly shows production in Jordan. Rare to say the least.

Rare Ornamin Backstamp made in Jordan?  Pic: RetroDazy.etsy.com

Exports to India

I have also found evidence where it's being imported to India circa 1965 listed in a magazine called "The Illustrated Weekly of India" Vol 86 circa 1965 advertising it with this :

"It looks like the most delicate china, but your heart is not in your mouth every time your using it! Ornamin, the new wonder in tableware, resists breaking, chipping and cracking!"

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Current Ornamin

Modern Day Ornamin found at Ornamin.com, produced in Germany.

They design , mold and produce tableware at Ornamin.com

Allied Chemical Melamine : Melmac Gone But Not Forgotten With a Few Pretty Surprises

Allied and Avocado Green are like Peanut Butter and Jelly. Dishes from ricracandbuttons

Some of the most hideous Melmac came from Allied Chemical, (Allied Chemical Corporation) and I can't say I'm a fan. Most of my finds led me to believe a lot of their production was done in the sixties. You will often see ugly browns, avocado greens, golds paired with something that would have been in Mom's kitchen.  Yuck.  Most are thin and cheaply made dishes versus the thicker, heavier, quality weight dinnerware and bright funky colors of the fab 1950's.

Backstamp photographed by Corr Nucopia

What also bothered me is their "two-timing and double-dipping."  Allied was one of the big manufacturers of "melamine crystals" (competing with American Cyanamid).  This makes me wonder, why even worry about putting out crappily made dish sets if you are doing just fine selling the powder?  Why sell crystals and be a molder?  I don't know,  I'll leave that to the experts to figure out.  I was however shocked to find out that Georges Briard was a designer there for many years. I wonder if he designed it all, or just the cool ones?

Once in awhile, Allied will really surprise me, offering prettier finds than I'd expect to find. Here are a few:

Pretty two tone pitcher and cups with dainty handle styling say art deco meets classy by Allied Chemical as offered by JetSetVintage.

These pretty plates offered by VintageGoodies say that designer was Georges Briard. I love this pattern and have never seen it before yet is certainly to be commended for beauty!  Note, I did confirrn Briard was a partner with Phillip Stetson in new Jersey, and designed for both Stetson and Allied Chemical.  Source: here 

Then for once we have "limey" green at RetroChalet versus the regular avocado. Perhaps a "touch" of hipness thanks to Briard.

I am a fan of the sugar bowl design. The handle is dainty.  This set is only $5.99 at OMan77. What a deal.

I guess I can develop some love for a 'touch of the avocado" as these mottled spatterware plates are kind of growing on me.  These offered by cushionchicago

Corr Nucopia's fifties blue creamer and sugar set, nice styling on these.

Rise and Fall of Spaulding Ware Melmac Dinnerware in Chicago Land

The Dilemma:

Hello, what's this? Spaulding Ware Creamer in Color-Flyte Colors?

It doesn't matter how long you collect something there will sooner or later be things that pop up that mystify you or are unexplainable. Imagine my surprise when I find this creamer marked Spaulding Ware, Chicago, but is a dead ringer for the designer  Kaye Lamoyne's "Glow Copper" color of the Branchell Color-Flyte line.

Mottling in Color-flyte colors as shown on the Branchell History Website by Dennis Teepe.

So my question was which came first, the chicken or the egg?  Relatively little is known about Spaulding Ware company history, I looked in some old Modern Plastics Encyclopedias and didn't see any Spaulding listed in Chicago in the forties.  I then found them listed in a 1953 Registered Corporations book of Illinois, however under "A-A Housewares, Inc." At the same address was the offices of  Spaulding at 3520 N Spaulding Avenue, Chicago 18 Illinois wherein respective representatives were  Harry Wohl and Dorothy Pollenz.

The original building where Spaulding Ware offices' were still stands in Chicago. 

Spaulding Ware Galore as offered in dadadish!

Just when I thought this "glow copper" creamer dilemma could be an uncommon fluke, melmac collector Ken Whittington of North Caorlina tells me there were other colors done in the other Color-Flyte colors as well! I was baffled!  

What is the Connection?
Sadly I cannot form any connection what so ever between Branchell and Spaulding, no matter how much sleuthing I do. Branchell, according to Dennis Teepe's Branchell History site lists them in business circa 1952-1958 at which time it was sold to Lenox.  Branchell's factories in St. Louis and Puerto Rico do not explain how during the same era the colors of the Color-Flyte designs would have gone to Spaulding. I believe Spaulding's dinnerware was produced elsewhere in Chicago, so definitely NOT in St. Louis!

There are of course only four possibilities that I deduce: 

1)  "Maybe Laymoyne worked for Spaulding."    I don't think so. Certainly he was under contract at the time and to leak a top secret formula would have been a huge no-no with legal ramifications.

2) "Maybe Spaulding had the color first and Laymoyne bought it."   Doubtful, he was a great designer.

3) "Perhaps Spaulding acquired it after Branchell's demise."  This would have meant the dishes had to be produced circa 1958 when Branchell closed.  Spaulding would have had a four year window to do so, from 1958 to 1961 because they were still offering melmac in 1961 as listed in a Supermarket Merchandising Magazine under "Melco-Ware".

4)  "Perhaps they duplicated it and used it without permission with no one ever catching them."   It wouldn't be the first time, I've seen examples of  Residential by Russel Wright and Daileyware using the same formula, but these were also produced in the same factory.  Being that ColorFlyte was produced in Missouri and Puerto Rico, this didn't seem a viable solution.

A full set of hard to find Spaulding Ware recently sold on Etsy at PomDecor's shop. 

If you look closely at the photo above the creamer and sugar would indeed be a more rigid feel.   I always thought that some of the creamer and sugars like the styles above were indeed polystyrene. We will find out soon, that Spaulding was using "less melamine" in some of their pieces which would explain why the pieces in the same set may feel or look differently (and perhaps not wear as well.)


The Answers, or Not?
The more I read on Spauldingware, the more I think the latter two possibilities may indeed apply to the latter years window.  In this May 1956 ad, Life Magazine shows Capri (regular color palette) and Decorated (patterns) as the two "styles."  They were also showing "Melco-Ware" at the Housewares Show in Chicago according to Modern Plastics Magazine. "Melcoware" is also traced back to their office address.  I can only assume that Melco-Ware stands for (Melamine - CoPolymer - Dinnerware). 

Ironically, in June 1960, the Spaulding Corporation (then containing the names of Gilbert B. Fern and the same Harry Wohl and Dorothy Pollenz from above) were being charged both as a whole and individually by the Federal Trade Commission. Essentially scamming the public as melamine co polymer did not exist, and it was in their print ads, guarantees, and advertising. By December the same year they were in huge trouble.

Guess I'll never know why or how these Spaulding Ware Spice Containers came to be.

It's no wonder by the early 60's they were gone. No doubt legal fees and loss of production time would drive them into their ultimate demise.   ~Poof, just like that~  We may never know the beginnings or the end of this company, or half the inner workings, but I can't help to find it odd that they would go to a housewares show and brag and advertise their wares as Melamine Co polymer only to become quickly indited. Did a competitor get a whiff of this infraction and turn them in?  Was this a sneaky way to avoid the inflating costs of melamine?  Did they cross the line too many times and operate shadily before (hence eluding to the Colorflyte dilemma)?

I'd like to think the wide world of melmac production full of mobsters and loan sharks, because , after all, this was Chicagoland.  I guess we'll never know.

Back in the day in Chicagoland, Postcards Available at VintagePlum's shop.

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