Dinnerware Diary

Tiffin/Franciscan Wistaria Giftware

It's easy to admire the craftsmanship that went into making this gorgeous float bowl (reference #6260) and a distinctive cornucopia vase (reference #6041) in the Wistaria pattern by Tiffin/Franciscan. The unique "Wistaria" color was developed around 1948 by Tiffin's Ellsworth Beebe. Beebe worked with chemists from India to create the formula, which he committed to memory. When Beebe died in 1963, Tiffin was never able to replicate the subtle and exquisite color! The crystal was marketed in conjunction with the appearance of actress Helen Hayes in a Broadway play entitled, "The Wisteria Trees" (the alternate spelling for "Wistaria" crystal was by design.) This beautiful crystal is highly sought-after by collectors. Tiffin produced a variety of stemware pieces in the Wistaria pattern, including cordials, oyster cocktail glasses, parfaits, wine glasses, and more, along with around 100 different Wistaria giftware pieces.

 
This classic American crystal was crafted by Tiffin/Franciscan, a firm whose roots can be traced back to 1888, when the A.J. Beatty & Sons Glass Factory in Steubenville, Ohio, near Pittsburgh, announced that it would be moving its facilities across the state to Tiffin, Ohio. At the time, Beatty & Sons was the largest manufacturer of pressed glass in the world. The move was prompted by the availability of abundant natural gas in the area that could be used as fuel for firing, an offer of free land by the city, and a $35,000 cash incentive. The new plant began production in 1889. Just three years later, A.J. Beatty & Sons merged into the United States Glass Company.

USGC was the combination of as many as 18 independent glass companies operating in Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. From its company headquarters in Pittsburgh, USGC sought to strengthen its operations in the face of serious labor unrest, competition from manufacturers abroad, and an increasing dependence on natural gas rather than coal as the chief fuel for manufacturing. As time passed, some of the original USGC operating plants passed out of existence, and others were added. In the 1920s and 1930s, USGC added decorating shops and sales offices throughout the United States, and overseas sales offices in Mexico, Cuba, Australia, and England. In spite of these developments, USGC continued to suffer operating losses. By 1938, in an effort to consolidate, USGC moved its general offices from Pittsburgh to Tiffin.

 
Under the USGC umbrella, the Tiffin operation was designated "Factory R," and produced mostly barware and tumblers. In 1893, only two years after the USGC merger, Factory R was destroyed by fire. Following the fire, citizens of Tiffin offered two additional years of free natural gas as an incentive for the company to remain in the city. The strategy worked, and the plant was rebuilt. According to Bob Page and Dale Frederiksen in their book, "Tiffin Is Forever: A Stemware Identification Guide," Tiffin's production had expanded to include cut glass designs and lighter weight stemware by the early 1900s. Tiffin's product line continued to expand during the 1910s and 1920s to include blown, cut, and etched dinnerware and stemware patterns in clear and colored crystal. These handmade pieces included cake plates, cracker sets, jugs, candy jars, and many more distinctive piece types. Tiffin's "Flanders" line, which was produced between 1914 and 1935, included over 70 different pieces. In 1937, responding to ongoing financial difficulties, USGC management discontinued manufacturing its less expensive glassware and concentrated on the production of high-quality stemware and designer pieces (like the cornucopia vase and float bowl featured here). Tiffin excelled in this designer arena, having always been known for quality production, and Tiffin glass began to be promoted as "America's Prestige Crystal."

C. W. Carlson, Sr. became president of USGC in 1938. Under his charismatic leadership, and that of his son, C. W. Carlson, Jr., the company introduced a variety of new shapes and new colors. The company also introduced the stylish "Swedish Line" of hand-blown glassware. In spite of these successful innovations, the Tiffin plant was the only USGC operation remaining in 1951. By 1963, the company had gone into bankruptcy. A year later, C.W. Carlson, Jr. and several other Tiffin employees (including Ellsworth Beebe) started the Tiffin Art Glass firm, reviving the company's tradition of quality stemware. Just two years later, Tiffin Art Glass was acquired by the Continental Can Company and was officially renamed the "Tiffin Glass Company." When Tiffin became a division of the Interpace Corporation in 1968, "Franciscan" stemware lines like Madeira, Jubilation, Cabaret and others were introduced in a variety of colors to coordinate with Franciscan dinnerware patterns.

 
In 1979, Leonard Silver Manufacturing Company, a division of Towle Silver, purchased the glassworks. Tiffin Glass Company remained in that company's hands until closing its doors in 1984.

Distinctive Earthenware, Pressed Glass, and Stainless

 
The design of Franciscan Orchard Glade, produced from 1995 to 1998, harks back to patterns that were released during the World War II period. When California-based Franciscan tableware premiered in 1934, it was practically an overnight success. The glamour of the emerging film industry and the state's climate seemed exotic to Midwesterners and those living on the East Coast. The "Golden State" became a very popular tourist destination. And Franciscan's bright-colored, less expensive "earthenware" grew in popularity as American consumers began to recover from the Great Depression. Apple was one of four patterns in the company's now legendary line of hand-painted, raised-pattern designs that included Desert Rose, Franciscan Fruit, and Ivy. Ivy was even featured on the sets of the "I Love Lucy" show with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, and the "Donna Reed Show," which ran on broadcast TV from 1958 to 1966.

Noritake Crystal Provincial-Light Blue is elegant pressed glass with a textured stem and foot, and panels on a bowl that flares at the top. Noritake produces many glassware patterns designed to complement Noritake dinnerware. The company's crystal and glassware collection includes handmade, mouth-blown, and machine-made stems. The Provincial-Light Blue pattern is emblematic of Noritake's success in the U.S. market. Color variations of Provincial range from amber to dark blue, from clear to brown, from red to moss green. Provincial-Light Blue was manufactured from 1995 to 1998. Longer-running Provincial colors - brown, dark blue, and red - were manufactured for more than a decade, from 1974 to 1988. In the highly competitive tableware market, many companies would enjoy emulating the success of Noritake Crystal!

Scallop-shaped International Silver Cotillion (Stainless) is high-quality, glossy-finish stainless steel flatware with a distinctive plume design, produced under the prestigious "1847 Rogers Bros." stamp. During the American Colonial period, New England was home to many artisans producing high-quality pewter, sterling, and silverplate, primarily in Connecticut. About 1808 Ashbile Griswold opened a pewter shop in Meriden. Through mergers with regional companies, Griswold's original shop comprised 14 silver manufacturers, including Holmes and Edwards (Bridgeport), Meriden Britannia (Meriden), and Rogers Brothers (Hartford). In 1898 the International Silver Company became truly "international," establishing offices in England and Canada.

Breathtaking Artistry in Dinnerware

 
There are few patterns more stunning than Myott/Staffordshire Chelsea Bird-Blue.  Magnificent bird designs signed by "A. Robert," combined with a cobalt blue rim and delicately formed gold scrollwork trim, make this pattern truly breathtaking to behold.  The firm of Myott, Son & Co. Limited, a family-run business based in Staffordshire, England, was founded in 1898 and operated under different trade names for 93 years. The company partnered in production with the Alexander Pottery, Stoke-on-Trent.  A fire in 1949 destroyed most of the company's records and pattern books, denying collectors a wealth of information.

Elegant encrusted gold scrollwork trim with a flared, optic-design bowl, a notched, multi-sided stem, and a round foot with encrusted gold trim produce absolutely spectacular effects in St Louis Thistle crystal.  Delicately shaped, this magnificent pattern is substantial, with real heft.  And you can't help but admire its "Old World" charm!  Its maker, St Louis, is acclaimed as the oldest "cristallerie" in France - the firm was founded in 1586 in the Lorrain region, renowned worldwide for the magnificent quality of its crystal.  In Lorrain is the town of Baccarat, home to a crystal museum and the eponymous manufacturer, one of the most famous crystal makers in the world.  This rich tradition comes to dazzling life in the beauty of St Louis Thistle crystal!

Featuring an embossed pheasant design and named for one of the most celebrated artist-naturalists in history, Audubon by Tiffany & Co. is sterling silver of dazzling beauty.  Over a period of more than 170 years, Tiffany & Co. has come to represent the pinnacle of American wealth, artistry, and luxury.  In 1837 Charles Lewis Tiffany and John B. Young opened an emporium for luxury goods on Broadway in New York City.  They made a splash in the fancy goods world by establishing nonnegotiable prices for all items, contrary to the custom of dickering over price, and by introducing its world-famous "Tiffany Blue Box."  All merchandise purchased from Tiffany was wrapped in distinctive blue boxes; today, the Tiffany & Co. box is trademarked, and the company is one of the most-respected silver makers in the world.

Multi-motif Designs, a Profusion of Flowers

 
As lovely and serene as its name, Lenox Butterfly Meadow is scallop-shaped, with an embossed edge.  This multi-motif pattern has been in production for over a decade, and features a variety of flowers and flying insects - the dinner plate here is called "Dragonfly," and includes a magnificent summer rose. Founded in 1889 by Walter Scott Lenox in Trenton, NJ, the "Staffordshire of America" of its time, the Lenox Ceramic Pottery Company produced art-quality pieces.  By 1897 examples of Lenox's work were displayed at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC.  In 1918 President and Mrs. Woodrow Wilson commissioned a set of Lenox for the White House, making it the first American china to grace a president's table.

Our featured crystal, like the china, is also from the Lenox Butterfly Meadow pattern.  Floral stems and insect designs are delicately etched into the bowls of the glasses.  The glass featured here is green - the colors pink, yellow, and blue are also available.  You can see how beautifully the crystal and china complement each other!  Producing its first china for an American president at the end of World War I, Lenox continued to produce patterns popular in U.S. households. Since the 1950s, about half the china set on dinner tables in this country has borne the Lenox backstamp.  Responding to consumer demand, Lenox introduced a line of hand-blown crystal to complement its china in 1966.  In 1991, again responding to consumers, Lenox began to produce silver flatware, making it the first company in America to offer the complete tabletop.

Elegant French Floral stainless by Reed & Barton features an embossed floral design, and, like Butterfly Meadow, it is a multi-motif pattern, with different flowers depicted on individual pieces.  The combination of these china, crystal, and stainless designs would make for a most delightful garden patio brunch!  Over the years silver maker Reed & Barton has produced magnificent multi-motif floral patterns in sterling.  Among the best-known is Les Cinq Fleurs (Five Flowers), with individual pieces featuring the fleur-de-lis, orchid, poppy, wild rose, and peony.  French Floral stainless is a design heir to this tradition.  Reed & Barton of Taunton, MA, traces its origins to a jewelry store founded by Isaac Babbitt in 1822. When ownership of the original firm changed, the company began to use the "Reed & Barton" stamp on its silverware in the 1840s. French Floral stainless demonstrates the innovative design and premium quality Reed & Barton customers have enjoyed for nearly two centuries.

Traditional Tableware from Celebrated Firms

 
Portmeirion Botanic Garden is rimmed, round china with a multi-motif floral design and brightly colored butterflies, bees, or dragonflies at the center. At the bottom of the design is the Latin botanical name and English common name. A verdant, geometrical leaf design is painted on the rim. The pattern offers a spectacular array of choices, not only in the floral designs, but also in the shapes and sizes of the china! Depicted here is the flowering vine, Clematis Florida, "Virgin's Bower." Portmeirion artist Susan Ellis-Williams came up with the multi-motif idea for Botanic Garden in 1972, when she was looking through rare books at an antiquarian shop. A volume of old, beautifully colored, meticulously drawn illustrations called out to her. The launch of Botanic Garden included 28 different flower types and was an immediate success!

The clean design of Wedgwood Crystal Infinity - with crisscross arches on a round bowl that flares at the top, round stem with wafer, and round foot - quietly complements the Botanic Garden china and Powerscourt flatware seen here. In 1759, Josiah Wedgwood established himself as an independent potter at the "Ivy House Works" in Burslem, England. During his career, he made many refinements in the production processes for porcelain dinnerware. Today, the Wedgwood company's patterns sometimes feature shell designs. Wedgwood's personal passion was conchology, the study of mollusk shells. He often was seen on the beaches of England, collecting specimens. Wedgwood used these organic shapes in many of the original designs and patterns for his tableware and figurines.

The name Waterford is most often associated with dazzling crystal, whether the items are glassware, Christmas ornaments, or gift items. But the company is also known for high-quality flatware. Powerscourt (Stainless) is glossy, high-quality 18/10 stainless steel flatware (18/10 represents the ratio of chromium and nickel used in the stainless steel, which adds luster and durability), with an elegant, geometric design on the edge and a fan/plume design at the tip. Waterford dates back to the Flint Glass Works, founded in 1783 on the quay in the port town of Waterford, Ireland. When a Waterford crystal service was presented to the wife of King George III, she was so proud of it that she had it displayed in Cheltenham castle. Today "Waterford" is synonymous with fine crystal, and is found in households around the world.

Stangl “Passenger Pigeon” Figurine

Standing 9 1/2 inches tall and measuring 19 1/4 inches in length, this superbly crafted "Passenger Pigeon" figurine by Stangl Pottery features an exquisite color palette and wonderfully lifelike depiction of a passenger pigeon on a branch with its wings poised for flight. The initials "RV" on the bottom of the piece indicate the artist may have been Rosa Veglianetti, who worked in Stangl's Trenton, New Jersey plant. This piece is numbered 3450, and is part of Stangl's popular line of collectible bird figurines. It is a beautiful representation of a species whose population was once so abundant that its extinction was considered impossible.

 
According to the Smithsonian Institution, passenger pigeons numbered between three and five billion at the time Europeans explorers first began arriving in North America. The population was so large that passenger pigeons made up twenty-five to forty percent of the total bird population in the U.S. The pigeons migrated in gigantic flocks of several billion over a swath of land covering most of the eastern half of North America. Their massive nesting sites often covered thousands of acres of forests, where the trees would become so congested with pigeons (sometimes literally perched one on top of another) that branches broke due to their weight. One large nesting site in Wisconsin reportedly included 136 million pigeons covering an area of 850 square miles. Hundreds of nests could be counted in a single tree, and the noise of these large flocks could be heard for several miles. Passenger pigeons could fly at speeds of sixty miles per hour, and as their large flocks passed overhead they filled the entire sky, sometimes darkening it for days. Famed naturalist John James Audubon reported witnessing a large flock pass as he was travelling in Kentucky in the autumn of 1813. As he described it, "The air was literally filled with Pigeons; the light of noon-day was obscured as by an eclipse.... and the continued buzz of wings had a tendency to lull my senses to repose.... Before sunset I reached Louisville, distant from Hardensburgh fifty-five miles. The Pigeons were still passing in undiminished numbers, and continued to do so for three days in succession." Wow!

 
Recognizing that these huge flocks of birds could be used as a cheap and flavorful source of meat, commercial hunters began harvesting the pigeons in great numbers around the mid 1800s. Because the pigeons travelled and nested in such large congregations, the birds were very easy for these professional hunters to trap and kill. These hunters used several methods to harvest pigeons which were then shipped on railcars by the millions. Passenger pigeons were so plentiful and easily obtained that they sold for as little as fifty cents for a dozen. By 1860, people began to notice that the number of pigeons was decreasing, but the hunting on a massive, commercial scale continued (at the time, no laws regulated the hunting of passenger pigeons). By the 1890s, the passenger pigeon was almost extinct. The last known surviving passenger pigeon, Martha, died on September 1, 1914 in the Cincinnati Zoological Garden.

 
The history of Stangl begins in the early 1800s, when a pottery producing firm was opened under the ownership of Samuel Hill in Flemington, New Jersey. Samuel Hill had discovered rich deposits of high-quality clay ideal for pottery production in and around the Hunterdon County, New Jersey area. Using this clay, he manufactured a range of utilitarian pieces for farmers and homemakers until his death in 1858. Soon after Hill's death, another potter named Abraham Fulper purchased the Flemington, New Jersey factory. The company changed names several times during the following years until it became "Fulper Pottery" in 1899. The Fulper family oversaw a great deal of expansion at the Flemington factory, which was also credited with producing the "Fulper Germ Proof Filter." These stoneware jars were used in public areas, like train depots, to provide clean drinking water.

In 1910, Fulper Pottery hired a new chemist and plant superintendent named Johann Martin Stangl. Stangl was born in Hof, Germany in 1888, and had studied design and ceramic engineering at the Industrial School of Banzlau, Germany. Stangl left Fulper Pottery in 1914 to develop a line of ceramic wares for Haeger Potteries of Dundee, Illinois. In 1920, Stangl returned to Fulper as their general manager, and quickly released a line of new colors called "Fulper Fayence." The colors for pieces in this line included "Chinese Ivory," "Colonial Blue," "Silver Green," and "Persian Yellow." When the CEO of Fulper Pottery, William Fulper, died in 1928, Stangl assumed his role in the company. In 1929, the Flemington Plant met with tragedy when a fire destroyed the factory. Stangl was undeterred by the fire, and moved production to Trenton, New Jersey. In 1930, Stangl purchased Fulper Pottery outright.

It is uncertain when the company decided to rename all of its products "Stangl." Throughout the 1930s, the company used both "Fulper Pottery" and "Stangl Pottery." By the beginning of World War II, Stangl was the most commonly used name. In 1940, the company introduced its line of collectible bird figurines. Today, these birds, like the "Passenger Pigeon" featured here, remain immensely popular and highly collectible. Stangl Pottery would continue to be a successful American institution for many decades. When Stangl passed away in 1972, his estate ran the factory until it was purchased by Frank Wheaton, Jr. Wheaton eventually sold Stangl Pottery to Pfaltzgraff, who used Stangl Pottery's real estate for Pfaltzgraff manufacturing.

Fathers and Sons

 
A gently scalloped shape and fluted, swirled rim enhance the floral design of Royal Doulton Sherborne, fine English china produced from 1938 to 1961. The pattern beautifully represents the floral designs and production excellence associated with the Royal Doulton company. Founded as Doulton and Watts in Lambeth, England, in 1815, the company produced both industrial and household ceramics. John Doulton's sons, who had joined their father in the management of the business, eventually formed companies of their own. But turmoil in the British financial markets forced the businesses to dissolve. In 1853 they reformed as Doulton and Co. (In 1901, King Edward VII conferred a Royal Warrant upon Doulton and Co. to honor the company's production of ceramic vessels that successfully filtered pollutants from the water of the Thames River, London's primary source for drinking water.)

Duncan & Miller Chantilly is blown glass with scroll and dot designs on a bowl that flares at the top. The shapely stem features geometric designs that sparkle in the light. Duncan & Miller was founded by George Duncan, who had worked in the glass industry since the end of the Civil War. In 1872, he formed a partnership with his sons, Harry and James, along with his son-in-law, Augustus H. Heisey (another famous name in the history of American glass making). George Duncan & Sons was located in Pittsburgh, PA, an important site for American glass making since Colonial times. Generations of European immigrants lived in the area, many of them drawn from the glass making centers of the Old World. One of those men was John Ernest Miller, a native German who joined the company in 1874. Miller was made a partner in the company in 1900.

Exquisite poppy designs, both buds and full blossoms, adorn Gorham Silver Poppy. This scallop-shaped sterling was introduced in 1902, and, as is to be expected in an older pattern, features a wide array of place setting and serving pieces, including a fruit/orange spoon, chocolate spoon, small sugar tongs, 2-tine butter pick, and 2-piece lettuce serving set, to name a few. For more than 150 years, Gorham Silver has been known as one of the preeminent silver companies in the world, its pieces valued for their timeless style and craftsmanship. Founded in 1831 by Jabez Gorham in a shop on Steeple Street in Providence, Rhode Island, Gorham has developed a reputation for uncompromising artistry. Its silversmiths have gained fame for producing a multitude of exquisite patterns, including Chantilly (the best-selling silver pattern of all time), Buttercup, Fairfax, Melrose, and hundreds more.

Rich Traditions, Modern Techniques

 
Blue Danube, produced from 1951 to 2000 by Blue Danube (Japan), is scallop-shaped whiteware with Meissen blue floral designs. Patterns like Blue Danube come in a variety of forms, from antique flow blues to modern versions of centuries-old Oriental designs. The pattern name was inspired by the Danube river. Flowing from southeastern Germany into the Black Sea, the river's pristine beauty has inspired artists, poets, and musicians for hundreds of years. It also represented a major trading route between Europe, the Middle East, and overland to the Orient. As early as the 16th and 17th centuries, Oriental designs became very popular in European tableware. Artists and designers of the period were enamored with Oriental art, particularly with its floral designs and repeating geometric forms. Johann Joachim Kandler (1706-1775), a German ceramicist, is credited with creating the original Blue Danube design.

Fostoria Virginia-Dark Blue is pressed glass with a concave, squarish bowl that features thumbprint panels with a multi-sided stem and foot. The balance of the design is remarkable. Founded in Fostoria, OH, in 1887, the Fostoria company relocated to Moundsville, WV, shortly thereafter, because of that region's abundant natural resources. Produced in the tradition of colored glassware introduced by Fostoria in the 1920s, Virginia-Dark Blue was very successful for the company - it was one of the original Virginia colors released in 1980. Virginia-Dark Blue remained in production through 1986. During that period no less than 11 Virginia colors - amethyst, brown, clear, emerald, green, light blue, light green, peach, pink, smokey grey, and yellow - were introduced. After meeting decades of stiff foreign competition with classic designs and innovative glass-making methods, Fostoria operations were shut down in 1983.

Elegant Roseland (Stainless) by Reed & Barton features an embossed rose design by a silver maker long celebrated for its magnificent floral patterns. Among the best-known of Reed & Barton's floral designs is Les Cinq Fleurs (Five Flowers), a multi-motif pattern with individual pieces featuring the fleur-de-lis, orchid, poppy, wild rose, and peony. Roseland (Stainless), introduced in 1990, is a design heir to this tradition. Reed & Barton of Taunton, MA, traces its origins to a jewelry store founded by Isaac Babbitt in 1822. When ownership of the original firm changed, the company began to use the "Reed & Barton" stamp on its silverware in the 1840s. One Rose (Stainless), released in 1962; Roseland (Stainless); and French Floral, introduced circa 2004, are just a few of the stainless steel patterns that demonstrate the innovative design, premium quality, and rich tradition Reed & Barton customers have enjoyed for nearly two centuries.