For the Love of Beetleware, England, and the Conspiracy Theory

The London Beetleware Backstamp! These lovelies available at Palaver! 

In the 1930's Beetleware, a thin plastic type material was used for just about everything here in the States.  But just what was it?  Beetleware, was a division of American Cyanamid out of New York. The "urea formaldehyde powder" had actually "technically" originated in London (therein called Beatl, or Beetleware) circa 1925.


The Beetlware American backstamp.  You may just see the tiny "B" in the shield more often than not.

It's use here in the States should be credited to Christian A. Kurz, Jr. (of Kurz-Kasch Company, Dayton Ohio) who was traveling in England, and saw this in use. He was a custom molder here in the states, and it was he who convinced American Cyanamid to start the licensing, and import of it here.  If Kurz-Kasch sounds familiar, it's because they are still in business today and have a long industrial history here in the States!  Read how it came to be here, in Jeffrey's book.

Dish Samples from my collection. Note the one on far right has wood in it!

So it was that back in the late 1920's and early 30's London was using Beetleware everything.  Their designs were so mod and you'll see so many neat mustard pot and egg cups. Talk about upscale plastics - the Brits had some amazing stuff!  I especially want to mention they made a lot of mottled colors, the confetti type blues and greens, quite lovely.  Check out these pudding bowls to see how lovely and well made they were!



Gorgeous Pudding Bowls , $15.27 bargain priced at Palaver (price subject to current exchange rate)



Here in the States, circa 1933, just about any color of Beetlware was available! Note, no mottled or confetti colors in this ad! From Beetleware President's lips, a customer was happy with her lavender toilet screws!!!

A New Yorker ad from 1930 boasts about the "new Beetleware" having unbreakable cups, tumblers, and mugs. Some of the colors mottled and translucent.  By 1933, more bold brights were introduced.  Americans adored and embraced the bold colored picnic ware, knobs, electric components, travel trailer dishes, and premiums! Ahhhhh the premiums...it was boasted in a 1934 article by RS Childs, then Beetleware President that sales in 1933 of Beetleware mugs, tumblers, measuring spoons and PREMIUMS alone accounted for 16,000,000 pieces being made.  So how many pieces were really produced? Plastic was BIG! 

Post Grape and Nut Flakes Cereal Premium Bowl, with Mickey Mouse, $28 at TheFarmersWifeInIowa

This lovely premium features Orpan Annie, and is a steal at $6 from Carols Threads. 

Note how Beetlware states who is giving the premium, in this case Ovaltine! Photo: CarolsThreads


The rumors go that Melmac was introduced as a solution to the dissatisfaction of earlier picnic plastics, which would indicate that Beetlware could be a culprit of breaking, cracking, or snapping in half.I have to say the plates I have are very thin. Perhaps thin flimsiness wasn't appreciated in the long run, contrary to the 1930's claims of this super duper plastic being unbreakable, it certainly WAS.
 

United States Beetlware Dish Samples- Flimsy or not,  I love the Dishes!

MY MELMAC CONSPIRACY THEORY 
People laugh at my theory that MELMAC was just the new and improved Beetlware . It's my personal opinion from years in Marketing, that American Cyanamid was smart in many ways--seeing how well Beetleware's reception initially was, (arms wide open) but knowing they had to improve upon it they wanted an out. During this time, in 1937 melamine powder was very inexpensive and quite honestly, another plastic with some similar components as it's successor Beetlware.  Many will tell you I'm wrong, but I say to them, they were both urea formaldehyde plastics were they not? Beetleware was said to be Unbreakable in 1930 and Melmac unbreakable also were they not? Both were marketed and sold by American Cyanamid were they not?  YES THEY WERE! Recipe for Marketing Success: One cup Beetleware Powder, add some of this a pinch of that and voila, new and improved super duper plastic called Melamine, or Melmac if produced by American Cyanamid. Just my theory....you should know however both were produced by American Cyanamid over the years. In 1940's you could buy either Beetlware or Melamine!  MONOPOLY ANYONE?

If only the plastic can talk, this cup at RetroChalet.

LINKS YOU MAY LIKE:

Beetleware on Etsy
BBC Beetleware Powderpuff Dish

Read Excerpts in Jeffrey Miekle's Book

British Plastics Federation

View or Buy Bakelite and Plastics (Find Beetleware Here) From Vanished Eras.

See My 100+ Plastic Items  for sale!
Sources :
Plastics Products VOL10-11, 1934 Int,

Vintage Plastic Jewelry : Etsy Finds with Good Design 1920's to 1980's

Lovely earrings, $12, found at ALaProchaine

'Vintage Plastic Jewelry : Spring and Summer Chic' by RetroChalet  Here are some of my fave Etsy finds...These great vintage jewelry finds are great for spring, or summer, and are so chic and lovely, that Iv just had to showcase them for all to see!

Vintage Pastel Plastic and R... prettyvintagej... $62.00	Vintage Rootbeer plastic coi... loveloves2love... $9.99
Vintage Soft Plastic and Rhi... iamcameo2 $14.00	1960s pink plastic clip earr... ShoponSherman $7.00
Lilac Flower Plastic Rhinest... stilettogirl $10.00	Art Deco CELLULOID Brooch MU... artcouple $57.00
Incredibly Bright Orange Sev... BanginBangles $18.00	Vintage Pink Lucite Flower B... fondobjects $20.00
Vintage Thermo-set Soft Pink... tangerinevinta... $35.00	FREE SHIPPING Vintage Colorf... AmericanSky $20.00
Mr. Green Elephant // a broo... cshadwick $15.00	Vintage Blue Disco Long Neck... archiveschicag... $15.00
Vintage Lucite Thermoset Pla... In2vintagejewe... $32.00	Fun Vintage Red White and Bl... VintageGirlStu... $18.00
geo mod deco box lucite oran... cozystudio $10.00	Vintage Made in Japan Plasti... shophullabaloo $5.99

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

What I love about these, are that each are unique in design, and pretty in their own rite! If you are going to search for vintage plastic jewelry, make sure to go to the vintage category, then search for plastic jewelry, and see what pops up. To further your search, make sure to hone in on what it is you are looking for, such as pins, brooches, rings, etc.  There's something for everyone at any given time!

Shades of Mottled Melamine - Confetti, Spatterware, End of Day and More

Gorgeous Bowl by JeremySmith1985

 It's no secret that I love the mottled melmac. Confetti, spatter, end of day, or whatever you want to call it it's probably at the tops of my list. Maybe because it's different, not boring, and and technically, there would be no two exactly alike.   Of course, for me, they remind me of a time in my childhood.

Creating something yummy with Mom in the early 1970's in my Texasware bowl. 

Most often we think of the large TexasWare and Brookpark mixing bowls when we think about confetti ware--exactly like the kind I used as a kid with my mom!  These nesting bowls are still very collectible today, and look just lovely in your kitchen holding fruit or snacks!  They are great to mix dough in !

This is most likely Brookpark, but is just as lovely and found at AtHomeinNapa.

Many other things came out in "mottled" plastic, from ashtrays to adorable cups!  I've seen a few mugs too,  lots of military ware out including tumblers, mugs, and mess hall dishes.  I think Halsey may still be making them.

Melmac cups like these were used in bathrooms and as premiums by Kraft Foods.  This by RetroChalet.

I've seen some office ware, nut dishes, and lots of school cafeteria trays!  Normally we see the compartmentalized tray, like this one :

Mottled Tray by CarpeBellus.

But once in a while you get lucky and find them without compartments that make them ideal for putting things on, from lunch....to boudoir items!

Lovely Mottled Tray by Nanas Mercantile!

Lovely tray by RetroChalet, probably not melamine but hard plastic, still lovely.

I suppose I really think the best bet when going for mottled is the bowls. You can use them for so many things.  This salad set below is a huge find, and at a reasonable price.

Lamoyne's original molds are being used, get this at OrangeDoorVintage.

Originally styled by Kaye Lamoyne for Branchell, it was sold in Color-flyte colors. Later after Lenox acquired Branchell, the molds were sold and the items reproduced by gosh-knows-who.  This is Lamoyne's design!  This would look great on your patio for a summertime picnic! With mottled melamine, you can't go wrong--all of it is lovely.

Rare mottled mixing bowl by Miramar of California, a harder to find line at Designs4Justice!

Read more about Confetti Plastics and End of Day Melmac Here!