Gay Fad Gilt Leaf & Acorn Bent Glass Rectangular Serving Dish Vanity Tray 16"

Description

Mid 20th century Gay Fad rectangular glass serving dish / platter with pebbled back, curved edges, decorated with a bright gilt design of leaves and acorns.

"Fran Taylor navigated life with profound creativity and perseverance. Her boundless talent and vision inspired her to develop a unique company with profound purpose. This is her story. Having navigated a difficult childhood and the economic downturn of the Great Depression, Fran used her talent to explore how every day functional items could make art more accessible. Her effort culminated in the creation of Gay Fad Studios. Loosely meaning happy trend, Gay Fad led the pack of midcentury decorated glassware where each piece was an achievement in artistry and innovation. At the age of 24, with an investment of $30, Fran purchased 144 metal wastepaper baskets and hand-painted rose details on each one. She sold them to three department stores in Detroit, Michigan and delighted customers with their beautiful decorations. Despite her friends' initial misgivings about the investment, the wastepaper baskets proved to be an immediate success. Due to popular demand, Fran doubled, tripled, and quadrupled production. Close friends like artist, and later Art Director, Bill Butcher laid the foundation for a company that was about to take off into the stratosphere. Over five years, they hand-painted a wide variety of household and kitchen items, but an unforeseen challenge would shift Gay Fad to take an amazing turn. Due to WWII and the scarcity of metal, it was necessary for Fran to pivot Gay Fad away to another material. In 1945, she moved from Detroit to Lancaster, Ohio, a town booming in glassware production. Here, she obtained a $10,000 loan from Fairfield Federal Bank, incorporated the business, and designed a 46,500 sq ft studio and distribution center. As Gay Fad’s founder and now CEO, Fran and three employees would oversee the creation of Gay Fad’s new headquarters, hire and train 25 women artists, develop proprietary methods to permanently decorate glassware using ceramic, produce a full product catalog, and open a showroom on 5th Avenue in New York City. All this in just six short months. From here, Gay Fad would become an influential force. As a glassware decorator, Gay Fad would obtain blank glassware from Hazel Atlas, Federal Glass, West Virginia Specialty, Libbey, Anchor Hocking, and TCW. But, it was the decoration and variety of barware items that stood out from the competition. Brilliant ceramic colors adorned each piece with permanency— a technique that became a marketed slogan. And Fran's creation of turntable production empowered artists to manufacture entire sets of matching glassware. Referred to as the “Glassware Rebel”, Fran defied norms and astounded people with her intellect and skill. Whereas her contemporaries were creating one color designs, Fran’s palette and imagination were limitless. Collections grew as did Gay Fad’s popularity. Jovial caricatures, beautiful florals, midcentury geometrics, modern art, and cultural references spanned a large swath of coordinating glassware and barware items. Paired with domestic and international sales reps, Gay Fad would dominate as an artistic movement that delighted customers and influenced other glassware companies to follow her lead. From 1945-1962, Gay Fad produced 1,000 designs spanning a wide variety of glassware and barware styles, each one a joyful expression of technique and talent. In addition, many custom projects were produced for various clients across America. Gay Fad’s move to Lancaster aligned with a national conversation about women in the workforce. After the war, women no longer worked as a patriotic duty, but pursued work for their own reasons. They could work for a living while day nurseries provided for their children. Fran not only designed the lower level of Gay Fad’s main headquarters for daycare, but she also spoke eloquently about the importance of women’s voices. “It is more important to encourage individual talent, for to rely on mass production of a few companies is to destroy the initiative which is definitely an American heritage.” Fran, and Art Director Bill Butcher, developed business practices that amplified each artist’s voice and broadcasted their talent globally. Many companies took note of Fran’s success and adopted the moniker “Gay” to label any decorated glassware of the time. Artists like Fred Press and Georges Briard entered the industry in the mid 1950s, undeniably influenced by Gay Fad’s artistry and the growing popularity of midcentury cocktail culture. But as Gay Fad’s popularity grew, trouble was brewing. Socioeconomic bias created a challenging environment for Gay Fad in their final years of operation. A domino effect of product outsourcing issues, contract ambiguity, and intellectual property theft occurred. First, Gay Fad's newest national sales rep partner didn't fulfill the sales Gay Fad relied upon. The lack of sales created problematic conditions for Gay Fad and Fran looked for additional revenue sources. Secondly, outsourcing items presented quality control issues. This led to canceled fulfillment contracts and additional loss of sales. But, the third circumstance may have been the most difficult of them all. In 1957, a billion-dollar conglomerate purchased and changed one of the longest professional relationships Fran had with a glassware manufacturer. In 1962, employees from the new company requested a tour of Fran’s impressive facility. During this tour, they stole Gay Fad’s 1963 designs. To fight a billion dollar business in 1962, it would require Fran to liquidate everything to finance the fight. She immediately closed the business and showroom in NYC, laid off all employees, had a fire sale of the glass, and sold Gay Fad’s main headquarters, two additional commercial properties, and her private residence. One year later, Fran experienced a significant car accident that left her with a traumatic brain injury. Due to the accident, Fran was placed in care until her passing in 1996. Her untimely and tragic departure from the glassware industry left a remarkable void. Gay Fad’s prominence faded, and people at large forgot about the company. The original building sat vacant and continued to weather across the decades. The glassware circulated, but people were largely unaware of the company. In a sense, it was as a dormant giant. Despite this, Fran’s vision was boundless and unrestricted by time. Her story flickered like an ember, waiting for the right moment to return. The Glassware Rebel was ready for reinvention. In 2022, husbands Jason and David Annecy resurrected Gay Fad Studios, 60 years after the company had closed. Their clear goal was to preserve the company's legacy and create new glassware in the esteemed traditions established by Gay Fad. However, fate had more in store for them, and the Annecys found themselves on an exciting journey of exploration, surprise, and success. David and Jason Annecy are the proud owners of Gay Fad Studios, a revitalized midcentury glassware company in Lancaster, Ohio. Their deep appreciation for Gay Fad's history, portfolio of work, and strong ties to the region inspired them to breathe new life into the brand. Residing in Lancaster, the Annecys are passionate about giving back to the community they adore. Whether supporting nonprofits or local small businesses, they leverage Gay Fad's platform to create a positive impact in Lancaster. Together, they are dedicated to rebuilding Gay Fad Studios and realizing the founder's vision of a creative space that fosters individual artistic expression and timeless, high-quality glassware." (Gay Fad Studios)

Condition

Good Overall - Light wear to decoration

Dimensions

15.75" x 9.75" x 0.75" (Width x Depth x Height)