Retro Dinette Set

Circa 1950s

Major manufacturers of iconic chrome and Formica dinette sets in the 1950s included Daystrom, Howell, Virtue Brothers of California, Arvin and Acme.  These companies specialized in metal-framed kitchen furniture featuring laminate tabletops and colorful vinyl upholstery often designed for smaller kitchen spaces or casual dining areas. 

These sets were famous for their "retro" look, characterized by tubular chrome legs, polished aluminum edging and Formica* surfaces.  Original sets often featured "atomic"

 age designs, pastel colors or red and black styling. 

*Formica Surfaces

Founded in 1913 in Cincinnati, Ohio by Daniel J. O'Conor and Herbert A. Faber.  Formica was originally developed as a durable, plastic resin substitute "for mica" used in industrial electrical insulation.  The company  transitioned to decorative, high-pressure laminates in the 1930s, gaining massive popularity in the post-WWII housing boom for countertops and emerging as a global brand often associated with durable, modern design. 

  In 1914, the first sheet of Formica laminate came off the press.  From 1920s-1930s the company shifted focus from industrial uses to decorative applications. In 1931-1949, popularity surged in high-end projects like Radio City and oceanliners.  During the Post-WWII Boom, the material became synonymous with modern, easy-to-clean kitchens and diners.  In the 1950s-1970s, iconic patterns were introduced to consumers.

When people think of classic Formica laminate patterns, they often think of "Boomerang", originally called "Skylark" .. Mid-Century in its design, boomerang has been a staple of residential and commercial spaces for more than 70 years.

In 1951, John Hughes of Brooks Stevens Design Associates created the original Skylark design.  He drew the pattern to customize the interior of passenger trains.  In 1954, Raymond Loewy Associates evolved the pattern by color styling it for the Sunrise Collection. 

The brand marked 100 years of operation in 2013 solidifying its place in design history.

Sidenote:  I personally know an artist in NC who chose the boomerang pattern for her studio countertops. When I walked into her retro studio I immediately commented on her choice of retro countertops. 

A rainbow of colors and patterns by FORMICA.

 

Primary color nesting sets were launched in 1945.

"It IS clean .. you can SEE it's clean .. it's PYREX ware!"

Pyrex was introduced in 1915 by Corning Glass Works, originating from heat-resistant "Nonex" borosilicate glass developed in 1908. Inspired by Bessie Littleton (wife of Corning Glass Works physicist, Jesse Littleton) to bake a sponge cake after her traditional earthenware casserole dish shattered.  The cake baked, did not stick, and the glass did not shatter proving its effectiveness as bakeware. This invention led to the creation of the Pyrex line which launched in 1915 as the first brand of heat-resistant glass bakeware. The brand transformed durable laboratory and industrial glass into iconic kitchen bakeware, expanding from clear pie plates to colored opalware in the 1940s. 

In 1915, Pyrex was officially launched with the first line including 12 pieces sold at Jordan Marsh in Boston.  In 1920, the product line expanded to include teapots, coffeepots and nursing bottles.  In 1930, Pyrex introduced "Flameware" designed for direct stovetop use.  

Modern Usage:  While not typically used today, the concept directly correlates to modern "cake in a jar" techiques where cakes are baked or preserved in canning jars for gifts or long shelf life.  Baking cakes in jars involves pouring batter into canning jars (like Mason jars) and baking them at roughly 325-350 degrees.  Sealing them immediately upon removal from the oven creates a vacuum allowing the cake to stay fresh for 4-6 weeks.  This method is popular for portable, single-serve desserts, gift-giving or extended storage. 

Grease jars well, fill about 1/2 to 2/3 full.  Bake, then immedately apply hot lids and rings.  As the cake cools, the jar seals.  Pound cake, cheesecake and fruit-based cakes work well. for this method.  And straight-sided jars work best.

Vintage Phoenix Opalware Baking Dish

Special markings on Pyrex distinquish vintage borosilicate glass (pre-1998) from modern soda-lime glass* with uppercase "PYREX" indicating older, thermal-shock-resistant pieces while lowercase "pyrex" signifies newer, more sensitive glass.  Key markings include molded numbers (e.g., 502) or "Made in USA". 

*Soda-lime glass is the world's most common type of glass.  If you've ever sipped from a basic tumbler at a restaurant or opened a jar of pasta sauce, you've encountered it.  It's used in everything from window panes to soda bottles to inexpensive drinkware. 

The iconic measuring cup has been around since 1915. 

Pattern Pyrex names (1950s-1980s)

Retro Kitchen Wall Art

Some of the 33 patterns include Butterprint, Friendship, Spring Blosssom, Daisy, Terra, Diamonds, Balloons, Black Snowflake, Horizon Blue, Butterfly Gold, New Dots, Colonial Mist, Gooseberry, Eyes, Woodland and Square Flowers.

 

Fanny Farmer was started in Rochester, New York by a Canadian politician and businessman, Frank Patrick O'Connor in 1919 and grew to over 400 stores.

Frank Patrick O-Connor

(1885-1939)

O'Connor had previously started the Laura Secord Candy Shops in Toronto, Ontario in 1913 located at 354 Yonge Street. The company was named "Fanny Farmer" to exploit the exemplary reputation of one of America's foremost culinary experts, Fannie Farmer.  The spelling of the first name was altered simply to "avoid confusion". 

Fanny Farmer stores shared a look that was similar to that of Chicago candy maker, Fannie May.

In 1992, the Archibald Candy Company acquired Fanny Farmer and its 200 retail stores in the Northeastern United States as a sister brand to its own Fannie May candies. In 2004, Alpine Confections purchased Archibald out of receivership, merged Fanny Farmer into Fannie May and moved production to its Ohio-based Harry London Candies which had been acquired a year earlier.  Fannie May was reopened in October 2004 with 45 retail stores.

In April 2006, Fannie May was sold for $85 million.  The chocolates and candy contnued to be manufactured in Ohio under the name Fannie May Confections Brands Inc. while the Fannie May corporate headquarters remained in Chicago.  This ended the brand's stand alone presence remembered by many.

  In 2006, the million-dollar flower and gift company, 1-800-FLOWERS bought the merged company and phased out the Fanny Farmer brand. 

The last long-standing stores were in the Rochester, New York area.

Fannie Merritt Farmer

(1857-1915)

Sidenote:  The "Fanny Farmer" candy shops were a separate entity named in honor of her which were eventually merged with Fannie May. In 1896, she published The Boston Cooking School Cook Book which became a widely used culinary text, later known as The Fannie Farmer Cookbook.  Fannie was often called the "mother of level measurements".

The Tom Thumb toy cash register, produced by Western Stamping Co. located at 2203 W. Michigan Avenue in Jackson, Michigan.  From the mid-1940s through the 1960s, it was an iconic metal toy.  Celebrated for its durability the toy cash register featured a functional mechanical bell and pop-up, priced keys often finished in red or green paint.  It was a top 1950s toy, even receiving recognition for its design quality with significant production in the 1950s. 

In 1953, the Toy Guidance Council Inc. of New York recognized the Tom Thumb cash register as outstanding, resulting in high production numbers.  Over 500,000 units yearly at its peak. Nine mechanical keys with cream/red knobs that popped up display tabs showing (e.g.,"$1.00", "GROCERY", "NO SALE"). A  functional bell rang when the metal cash drawer was pushed open.  

These toy cash registers are now sought-after collectors' items frequently found in vintage toy markets, often praised for their realistic mechanical operation. 

 

 

The Andy Warhol Museum 

117 Sandusky Street

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 

Andy Warhol, born Andrew Warhola on August 6, 1928 was the youngest of three sons born to Andrej Warhola and Julia Zavacky Warhola.  His parents immigrated to the United States from the European region that is now Slovakia, settling into the working-class neighborhood of Uptown in Pittsburgh.  Warhol graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Pictorial Design in 1949 and soon after moved to New York City to pursue a career as a commercial artist.

Throughout the 1950s, he became one of the most successful illustrators of his time and won numberous awards for his work.  His clients included Tiffany & Co., The New York Times, Bonwit Teller and others.  Much of his commercial work was based on photographs and other source images, a process he would use for the rest of his life.  While he continued to work as a commercial artist throughout his career, in the early '60s Warhol transitioned into the fine art world gaining notoriety in the Pop Art movement. 

Early Pop paintings were based on comics and ads, with his series of Campbells' Soup Cans in 1962 creating a buzz in the art world that launched Warhol as a celebrity.  Other early subjects drew upon Warhol's life-long fascination with Hollywood.  In 1962, he began a large series of celebrity portraits which included Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley and Elizabeth Taylor. 

Andy Warhol's Marilyn Monroe portfolio is a series of ten 36" x 36" silkscreen prints created in 1967, five years after the actress' passing.  Each print depicts the same image of Monroe in different, often bright colors.  The portfolio is considered a classic piece of Warhol's work and a challenge to traditional fine art standards. By elevating pop culture icons to fine art, Warhol blurred the lines between the two and revitalized portraiture* in the mid-20th century. 

*Portraiture is the artistic representation of a person or group, aiming to capture physical likeness, personality and mood through painting, photography or sculpture.  Dating back to ancient times, this art form serves to document identity, status and psychology evolving from formal, commissioned paintings to diverse photographic, digital and abstract styles. 

Warhol chose the source image for this painting of actress Elizabeth Taylor (1932-2011) from a publicity photograph of her 1960 film Butterfield 8.  He created this portrait when Taylor was at the height of her stardom.  

Triple Elvis is a 1963 painting by Andy Warhol.  The work depicts three repeated images of singer and actor, Elvis Presley derived from a publicity still for the 1960 Western film, Flaming Star.

Warhol died in New York City on February 22, 1987.  After Warhol's passing The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. was founded to promote the "advancement of visual arts".  The Andy Warhol Museum was announced in 1989 and opened in Pittsburgh in 1994. 

The Andy Warhol Museum Mission and Values

.. to engage and inspire through Warhol's life, art and legacy ..

The life story of Andy Warhol, in all its complexity, is inspirational and guides our work.  Our collection is the heart of our institution and we will succeed through sharing, preserving and interpreting the collection in the most accessible way possible.  The museum is a place to express and explore multiple perspectives, push boundaries and challenge conventions.  The Warhol believes in learning by doing and being a place of experimentation.  The Warhol is committed to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in every aspect of our work. 

"If you want to know all about Andy Warhol, just look at the surface of my paintings and me, and there I am.  There's nothing behind it."

Andy Warhol 

Circa 1966

Self-Portrait

 

The Clipper Flxible Badge

The Flxible Company celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2024, marking a century since the company built its first bus in 1924.  The main celebration, the Flxible & Converted Bus Centennial Summit was held from August 21-25, 2024 in Loudonville, Ohio featuring a parade of historic buses on August 24.  The event featured over 20 iconic Flxible buses, including a 1924 model from Canada and the 1947 Clipper used by the Goodyear Blimp. The celebration was organized by Flxible Owners International to honor the company.

The Flxible Co. (pronounced "flexible") was an American manufacturer of intercity coaches and transit buses.  Founded in 1913 in Loudonville, Ohio the company initially produced motorcycle sidecars before transitioning to buses in the 1920s.  Flxible was a major competitor to General Motors in the transit bus market and was one of the largest North American manufacturers during its peak.  

In 1919, the company dropped the first "E" in "flexible" and changed its name to The Flxible Company so the name could be trademarked.  Flxible was one of the largest transit-bus manufacturers in North America. 

The three primary, iconic intercity coach models produced by Flxible that defined their mid-century lineup were the Clipper (1937-1950), the VisiCoach (1950-1958) and the StarLiner (1957-1967).  These buses are recognized for their distinct design often featuring high-mounted driving positions and large panoramic windows in later models. 

The Clipper was known for its "Airway" style and early adoption of intercity design.  It featured smaller windows and a distinct front badge placement. 

The VisiCoach was introduced with larger, higher side windows and a flatter roof to improve visibility.

The Starliner was a later more modernized model that often featured a "rooftop eyebrow" window for increased light and a script version of the Flxible logo.

Other notable types produced included the "Airporter" (1946-1950) and the "Flxliner" (1963-1969).

1946 Flxible

"Blast From The Past"

"Born Feb 23 1947"

1947 Flxible Clipper

1947 Flxible Clipper Serial Number 7665

Port Clinton, Ohio

This Flxible was used as a mobile airship mooring mast and support vehicle for the Goodyear Blimp. It is often seen at aviation events previously served in a caravan with Goodyear Blimp operations and  has appeared at events such as the Props and Pistons Festival in Akron, Ohio. It represents 1940s transit and aviation support history often participating in celebrations related to the Flxible bus manufacturing history. 

On December 11, 2018 the newest arrival was a 1947 Flxible Bus.  John Lingafelter completed a multi-year restoration of the 71 year old vehicle.  Goodyear had three buses built by Flxible Corporation in 1946 and 1947 to support airship operation and of the three built, only the 1947 is known to have survived. The 1947 bus retired in 1966, sold and was converted into a private motorhome.  In 2014, John and Paulette Lingafelter purchased the bus to prevent it from being scrapped and began searching for someone who would have an interest in restoring the vehicle.  Later in 2014 the Liberty Aviation Museum learned the bus was available and asked Mr. Lingafelter to undertake the restoration project.  He was a skilled restorer of collectible cars and had a special interest in the Flxible bus.  Using his years of experience, he began the extensive restoration. Panels and components were fabricated and made to function as new.  Wiring and fuel tanks were replaced and numerous electrical gremlins were resolved.  Surprisingly the engine, transmission and other mechanical components required little attention.  The original 6-cylinder gasoline engine manufactured by Reo started easily and ran smoothly.  The 4-speed manual transmission shifted as it should and the brakes worked properly.  

This special Flxible bus is on display at the Liberty Aviation Museum and serves as a mobile ambassador for the museum.  

Located at the Liberty Aviation Museum in Port Clinton, Ohio (3515 East State Road) is the Tin Goose Diner.   The history of the diner is long and storied with the residents of Port Clinton laying claim to their share of the venerable tale.  The Tin Goose diner offers a wide range of food, mostly American cuisine and a casual atmosphere.  Diners are an American icon, serving plain fare at a reasonable price.  The Tin Goose is a wonderful representative of that history.  

1952 Flxible Visicoach

1950 Flxible Visicoach 

1955 Flxible

1954 Flxible Visicoach

1957 Flxible Starliner