Mid2Mod: Eclipse

Showing posts with label Eclipse. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Christmas wish list: Etsy

Last week I featured Christmas hints from eBay aimed directly at those near and dear to me who are willing to dig deeply into their savings accounts or IRAs, cash in some insurance policies and/or take out loans to be sure I have a very merry Christmas. :)

This week, I'm adding some Etsy finds...just in case they considered my last list too short.

Blenko decanter by Joey Myers - $195
etsy.com - anothertimeantiques

Russel Wright Eclipse glasses - $275
etsy.com - pardonmyvintage

Scheurich fat lava floor vase - $425
etsy.com - christophermodern

Large 10 1/2" Pollo vase by Tapio Wirkkala - $800
etsy.com - vetiverhome

Jens Risom sofa - $2950
etsy.com - barkingsandsvintage

Hans Wegner hutch - $3990
etsy.com - dejavulongbeach

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Recognizing Russel Wright glassware

Some readers indicated that they were unfamiliar with Russel Wright glassware patterns, so I thought I'd post a few photos that might help in identifying them at an estate sale or thrift store.

According to Ann Kerr in Collector's Encyclopedia of Russel Wright, Wright's relationship with Imperial began in 1941 when they produced the seeded glass Flair. In 1949 the Flame line was added, which was later called Twist. These patterns were said to be produced in seaspray (a pale aqua), hemlock (a deep forest green), ripe olive (a deep brown), verde (a green gold) and crystal. These (first and third pictures below) were shown in an early Imperial ad in Kerr's book, along with the Pinch pattern. Kerr also included photos of a slightly different shape of Flair glassware, like the second photo below, although she didn't include an ad verifying the identification. My knowledge isn't extensive enough to confirm or refute this attribution.

Flair by Imperial (spelled "Flare" in early ads)
worthpoint.com

Another Flair shape, according to Ann Kerr
modfather.com

Twist by Imperial (originally called Flame)
modfather.com

The Pinch line by Imperial was added in 1951 to accompany Iroquois Casual. It was produced in verde, seafoam, smoke, cantaloupe, chartreuse, ruby, pink and crystal.

Pinch by Imperial
modfather.com

In 1957 Wright was commissioned to decorate the Oklahoma line of Bartlett-Collins in Sapulpa, Oklahoma. The only two designs he allowed his name to be used with in advertising were Eclipse and Asterisk, though other styles were later produced in the tapered Oklahoma shape, as well as in a straight shape. Fellow blogger wedgwoodtulsa has a nice post about Eclipse glassware, as well as the best photos I found of all four colors. In 1958 they were called blue, flamingo, yellow and green, and all had gold moons. In 1960 the color names were changed to blue, tangerine, yellow and green, although flamingo and tangerine were likely the same color.

Eclipse by Bartlett-Collins, sometimes called Sooner glasses
wedgwoodtulsa.blogspot.com

Asterisk by Bartlett-Collins
modfather.com

In 1963 Wright contracted with Yamato in Japan to produce the Theme Formal line, which included these opaline white glasses. Advance sales were not successful, and there are indications that only samples were produced.

Theme Formal by Yamato
modfather.com

I hope this information is beneficial to those of you who are new to Russel Wright glassware and helps you get some great bargains when you're hitting estate sales, thrift stores or eBay.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Paul McCobb

Paul McCobb (1917-1969) was a popular American designer who became a household name in the Fifties. He started his career as a designer of retail displays, but he soon turned to the design of furniture, wallpaper, fabric, glassware and ceramics, lighting, radios, televisions, console stereos and even typewriters. His well-made, moderately priced home furnishings became an immediate success, earning him the nickname “America’s decorator."

McCobb was born in Boston, where he received training in fine art at Vesper George School of Art. Although he had no formal training in design, he established his own company, Paul McCobb Design Associates, in 1945. Working with the distributor B. G. Mesberg*, he introduced the Planner Group in 1950, which was followed by the Directional, Predictor Linear and Perimeter lines, all produced by Winchendon Furniture and marketed by McCobb himself.

McCobb’s pieces were not only economical but practical and functional as well, designed to meet the needs of young middle-class families who were furnishing their first homes. For example, he created “living walls,” which were movable room dividers and storage systems. These allowed maximum flexibility and efficient use of limited space in small post-war housing.

McCobb won the MoMA Good Design Award five times between 1950 and 1955, as well as the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Contribution to Better Design award in 1959.

He was design consultant for many leading corporations, including Singer, Alcoa, Goodyear, Columbia Records and Remington Rand. His work has been exhibited in the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Merchandise Mart in Chicago.

From lostcityarts.com, September 9, 2010, and r20thcentury.com, September 17, 2010

*According to the Directional, Inc. web site, B. G. "Bud" Mesberg founded that company in 1950 and worked with Paul McCobb, among other well-known designers of the time. The company was operated by the Mesberg family until 1994. Lost City Arts spells the name "Mosberg," and R Gallery spells it "Mersburg," but I believe my spelling to be correct.

(While researching the information for this post, I found a blog by Paul McCobb's daughter, Melissa. You might be interested in reading it: http://melissamccobbhubbell.typepad.com/meliscellanea/