Dishwasher Worthy Westinghouse Ovation Melmac for Fifty Nine Cents

I just had to share this great item, for sale at VintageGoodies on Etsy,  for only $10 a box!

Leave it to Lisa Price of VintageGoodies Etsy shop to find these way cool melmac sets by Westinghouse in their original boxes. Ultra rare indeed is to have such original boxes still existing. This was a three piece place setting which was set to sell for $3.20 manufacturer price, but as you can see was marked down in the (five and dime, or A&P where Hemcoware and Westinghouse was often sold?) store to only .59.  Fifty nine cents, sort of hard to believe when you think of what things cost these days now isn't it? I would have thought that the production of the melmac alone would have cost more than that. Not to mention the printing of the boxes.....

Lisa says they are dated 1957 and she's selling them for $10 a box, a really cheap price in the world of vintage melmac. What is even better than the price are the clues given to us, of how "Ovation dinnerware may be washed in boiling water or an automatic dishwasher".  Wow. Crazy.

The ad goes onto caution about using abrasive scrubbing compounds. I guess they weren't counting on us trying to clean melmac dinnerware  55 years later.....

Westinghouse Electric Corp
Bryant Division
Bridgeport 2, Connecticut.

If you love melmac, get over to Lisa's store VintageGoodies and grab some of these before they are gone. The advertising along is worth $10.

If you like Westinghouse Melmac history, then check out this other article:
Westinghouse Melmac History: A Million Bucks in Ten Weeks

I Wanted to Mention A Big Thank You to this page's sponsor based on an experience I had back in 2012:

Thank you to Cabling Plus for the  BNC Connector.  Cabling Plus is a sponsor of this page, they helped sponsor a post to keep me writing. But, a plastic girl doesn't know anything about connecting and splitting cable wires and security / tv stuff, much less how to get everything connected so I can secure the premesis.........so here's what happened...........I recently bought and installed a CCTV system at my home which was a great experience. The system was easy to install (thank goodness, because I'm no tech expert). I'm so excited to have my home now secured.   I did have a little issue putting the BNC connectors on the ends of my coaxial cable.  I was like "what goes into what?"  I called Cabling Plus which is where I bought my system and they walked me through the process of terminating a BNC connector.

After a couple tries I got it perfectly! Can’t say enough about how helpful the people at Cabling Plus were. Call and they walk you over the instructions "so easy a plastic gal can do it!"   Now my CCTV system is up and running and doing exactly what it is supposed to be doing. Protecting my home, family, and property. Great experience!    Check out Cabling Plus by clicking on the links above for help with Networking, Home Security, Surveillance, Home Theater, Cables, Adapters, Connectors and more....

Checked for quality assurance 11.22.18  If you notice any broken pictures or links, please report to RetroChalet.etsy.com

Westinghouse Melmac History : A Million Bucks in 10 Weeks

Newport cream and sugar by Westinghouse. Find it at  loves2frame.

Yep, that's right. Westinghouse as in those "appliance folks" that date back to 1886. They acquired the  Bryant Electric Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut in 1901.  Bryant acquired Hemco plastics in 1928.  So, therefore, the whole Westinghouse - Bryant - Hemco - associated thing came to be.  

Oh how cool it would be to mold up your own promo items. These are only $14 at MyRetroStuff.

The plastics division in Bridgeport was big in 1940's wartime production of helmet liners and economy plastics.  On top of that, it made parts for their electrical lines such as housings, switches, and casings. Now add on all the plastic parts for their appliances.  They parts would be for their fans, stoves, washers, dryers, dishwashers, freezers, fridges, just about anything you can think of appliance wise coming out of Westinghouse. From a plastic dishwasher rack to a plastic stove knob. So why not dishes?  Not that far off right?

Backstamp Courtesy and pieces available at Loves2Frame on Etsy

By the 1950's Westinghouse had a good market share for plastic dinnerware between the Westinghouse "Newport" , "Darien" and "Ovation" lines ,among several others. Add that to the fact Hemco, Hemcoware, and Hemcolite were being alternately produced under the Hemco backstamp (these wares ranging from a lightweight picnic ware to heavier melamine pieces.)  I do find it odd that Westinghouse's lines were competing with it's own Hemcoware lines but perhaps that's part of their whole marketing tactic. You can see more photos of products here on my other blog post about Westinghouse.

Photo: Wikipedia Commons

My research has led me to a very interesting article published in 1958 by Decker Communications. It appears Westinghouse wanted to sell their melmac in grocery stores. They went to A&P stores ( The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, Inc., which operates A&P--some may still be in operation today.)  With the help of an 8 foot corregated cardboard display unit, also called a "merchandiser", the sets were spot tested in 400+ stores in and around New York City.  Sales hit a million dollars in ten weeks.

Newport Creamer and Sugar at OldLikeUs

That's a lot of dough for plastic dishes, even back then. So  it's safe to say I'm giving Westinghouse a pat on the back. I do have to sit and wonder, if that was the case, and they sold so many darn dishes, where the heck did they all go?   Sadly most of the Westinghouse marked examples I've seen are on the thin side, and have lots of scratches. I suppose it's safe to say the housewives may have really used them to death. 

Did you use Westinghouse? Tell me about it!

Welcome to the Melmac Center : Russel Wright Melamine Ephemera at it's Finest Shows Rarities in Modern Design

Update: January 27, 2012: Mr. Melmac aka Robin Thorne has identified lots of new patterns! 

Not only do I love the Melmac of the 50's but the advertising too.  This ad is from one of my Etsy customers, who is enjoying their melmac dishes I sold them in their travel camper. I must say, they were very smart as they found a perfect match in Boonton's maroon and Meladur's burgundy.  I would not have thought of mix matching the two but they worked!

CLICK ON THE PHOTO TO SUPERSIZE!

What I love most about old ephemera, is learning new clues.  I don't know what year this ad was from, but I think I' would have estimated it at 1953-1955, but I stand corrected by plastics great Christopher McPherson ! UPDATE: He has one very similiar if not exact from 1957.  So there you have it.

 I do know Russel Wright's Residential was really being advertised a lot in 1953-1954.  There seemed to be a huge campaign by Cyanamid for advertising the super duper Melmac dishes around this time.  I'm sure that companies may have paid to be included in their "Melmac Center" ads, as many different ones exist and sometimes the manufacturers will change.   We can also date the ad around the early 50's due to two other reasons a) the fab colors used and b) the 2 digit zip code. (by the early 60's the zip codes were changed.)

What I'm shocked at is in my opinion a lot of the dishes here are considered rare and hard to find now. Something so plentiful then, is dried up now. Rare in the sense that in my 20+years of collecting I've not seen enough of the below starred items to make an entire set.  To me, that's rare.

Obviously I'm not counting the dishes behind her. Be sure to click the hyperlinks to see "real melmac examples"!

First Row: 

Brookpark Modern Design  Update: Robin aka Mr. Melmac says, "This is the famous TROPICANA PATTERN in orange! This also came in turquoise, tan, red, and yellow although the orange and turquoise were by far the most popular." ( See a set similar here.)

TexasWare

Classic*(by Mallory, this is rare and hard to find,  If you are looking for other Mallory go here.)

Lucent Update: Robin aka Mr. Melmac says "Spring Bouquet by designer Raymond Lowey for Lucent, this is very rare indeed!"  (You may also like  Evening Song which is most often found Lucent also by Raymond Lowey)

Second Row: 

Holiday (by Kenro)

Branchell* (Branchell is common with their Color-Flyte lines, but this pattern, Button Flower is a rare pattern. See it here.)

Harmony House    Update: Robin aka Mr. Melmac says "This is a popular pattern called Woodland!"
 
Fostoria Melmac is hard to find much less this awesome champagne bubble pattern! Update: Robin aka Mr. Melmac says "This is one of my favorites called Kismet. There was a popular MGM musical by the same name at the time references the middle east. These are a little like moque domes, but also abstract and remind me some of the logos of the time like the ones for US Steel and Alcoa! Pure whimsy! "

Row Three: 

Prolon  Update: Robin aka Mr. Melmac says "This Prolon Florence pattern is called "Blue Poppy". I bought a complete set in Palm Springs about 20 years ago for $12--a steal today! It's heavy duty and often you will see this in brochures and articles."


Stetson

Russel Wright (Residential)

Lifetime (Watertown. I have never seen this pattern. Where have I been?)

Row Four:

Newport  (by Westinghouse)

Melmac Tag* these have care and cleaning tips and were included with sets.

Royalon* (Marcrest is common but this pattern isn't. Most often you see Royalon's Corsage. See it here and just for the record, I've always been confused why it says Marcrest styled by Royalon, no doubt just to sound fancy...)

Durawear (not to be confused with Duraware!)


So I consider 8 of these patterns to be rare.

Russel Wright obviously got special treatment. Not to mention a RetroChalet fave!

What's even better is that you could obtain clues by these old ads. For instance, why is the tiny tag on Russel Wright's Residential the only one that has a second name on it....  Everything else just has one line, but Russel Wright's name being associated with his design was imperative.  Note how his card is "special."  I rest my case.

What about the fact you could mail away a quarter and get a little melmac book?  How adorable.  What about the fact you could TRUST sending your "coin" away?  I so want to live back then. The two digit zip code is what I noticed right away.  Sometimes a silly old ad can be our best clues of what existed, and when.  Or clues to what else we may not have found...just yet!

Hemco , Hemcoware, Hemcolite, Westinghouse Saga - Early Melamine and Melmac Dinnerware

Photo Courtesy of Cathigreen on Etsy!

Hemco Plastics Division 

of Bryant Electric Company

Bridgeport, Connecticut

Hemco's Early Plastics
Hemco was one of the earlier plastic molders who had it's plastics in the form of dinnerware on the market for industrial and consumer use. 

Early examples of Beetleware "mania" included hard plastic kiddie dishes and Mickey Mouse mugs. In Newsweek Magazine circa 1939, Hemco proudly explained they had hundreds of new dies for producing such items.  A small picture of Mickey Mouse next to the article read, "We hired salesman who knew dishes rather than switches and plugs...and almost before we knew it, we had an important new business on our hands."

Kiddie dishes like this were mass produced by Hemco Plastics Division.

In 1943, Modern Plastics reported, "Hemco is molding a wide variety of fighting material. This includes plastic inner helmets, coil forms for military radio, plastic bomb loading funnels, radio parts, fuze noses, airplane instrument cases, ship lighting reflectors....."    Add that to the already evident masses of plastic cups, utensils, divided kiddie dishes,  and kitchen items.

Rare 1939 Hemco Plastics were beautiful in color and styling.  This item was referred to as Beetleware. Credit: MOMA

Hemco's Industrial & Consumer Dinnerware 
Sometime during this entire era, contracts with the aviation industry were also evident for dinnerware.  We can see by viewing these rare early examples made by Hemco (identical to Watertown Ware shapes for the navy) here on fellow researcher Christopher McPherson's wonderful Plastic Living Site.    Fellow researcher Robin Ptacek, an avid collector of early plastics has assembled beautiful collection of early brightly-colored Hemco.  Colors so radiant such as bright reds, greens, yellows and blues are becoming harder and harder to find.  Some of the earlier wares were Beetle, Polystryne, and Melamine.   It is not uncommon to find an old wicker hamper full of a picnic set marked Hemco!

Rare Hemcoware Cups (probably melamine) as offered by Cathigreen on Etsy!

Hemco was Competing with Westinghouse (it's owner)
In 1946, it is stated that through "Plastics Business" the Bryant Electric Company, Westinghouse owns Hemco Plastics Company, a leading custom molder of plastics.   So one must ponder the question was Westinghouse using Hemco to mold it's many radio cases, fan parts, and  washer, dryer, dishwasher, refrigerator parts?

Westinghouse radio by VintageRatz on Etsy.  Makes you wonder was Hemco molding the cases?

 
What's even stranger, Westinghouse is also doing their own melamine and melmac branded dishes to compete against it's own Hemcoware! Pieces can be found marked Westinghouse, Ovation, Newport, Darien, and more.....

Photo from TheCreekHouse on Etsy showing a Westinghouse backstamp!

Photo and this Westinghouse creamer/sugar set available from TheCreekHouse on Etsy!

Westinghouse's other line "Newport" divided bowl by RetroChalet on Etsy!

Ovation line by Westinghouse offered at JetSetVintage on Etsy!

Hemco's Three Lines of Dinnerware: 


Several brands produced for the Hemco line were marked Hemco, Hemcoware, and Hemcolite.  Curiously, some of these lines were melamine, and others made of a more ridgid polystryene-type material.

This photo from Black Market Antiques, and is that of a "HemcoLite" cup and saucer.

I originally thought that the "Hemcolite" line was indeed the Polystryene line, (hence lighter in weight making it perfect for picnic plastics) but examples with all different backstamps have emerged making me wonder just really was going on.  Of course we may fathom the factory could have "forgotten" to change the backstamps, marking the dishes wrong but that theory was debunked when I read in a Consumer Reports magazine of November 1954, it mentions "Hemcoware" as using "improved polystreyene for its cups."   So just what was melamine and what was polystrene and why was there so much mixing and matching going on?   It's so confusing as some Hemco was Beetleware, Polystryene, or Melamine! Geesh!

Hemcoware Plates, thinner than most 1950's melamine were great for picnic use also, these sold by RetroChalet on Etsy! 

I do have a set of nicely sturdy Hemco dinnerware in my camp in Maine.  They are thicker than these above Hemcoware dinner plates, and resemblant of most 1950's thick melmac.  It is unclear why there were so many variants of Hemco, unless Westinghouse just wanted to cover all angles and all markets, which was probably smart at the time.

Hemcolite cups as offered by ZebrasandBubblegum on Etsy! See below for same molds from Long Island!

Hemco's Molds are Found in Long Island, NY: 
I'm afraid we won't get the answers to these questions, as Hemco molds turned up in Long Island City, NY and are backstamped as such. I have been unable to find out a lot of information, except finding a few rare dolls on this site, dolls circa 1949-1961 which begs the question WHEN during that time did HEMCO PLASTICS sell their molds to PMA Corp?    If you compare they are dead-ringers for Hemco molds, but molded in a polystrene.

The same exact Hemco plates and cups, except made of a cheaper, thinner polystrene were also sold by RetroChalet but backstamped NY Plastic Molded Arts Corp, Long Island NY.  

More from Long Island, NY.

Additional Information: 

Hemco at MOMA 1939 Examples found here

Read about Bryant Electric Company on Wikipedia
History of Bridgeport, Connecticut on Wikipedia
Plastic Molded Arts Corp (doll information)