Russel Wright was a mid-century designer that revolutionized American households with his mass-produced home goods, which famously include his dinnerware and furniture collections. Wright was one of the first designers ever to brand himself by attaching his name to his work, now a standard practice for today's brand-savvy designers (think Martha Stewart, Jonathan Adler, etc. etc.). But few designers since Wright have received as much of his popular success or have influenced, so dramatically, the way people think about home design.
This particular pottery set was a ubiquitous feature in American kitchens in the 1950's, and to this date, continue to be popular. The designs are readily available trough vintage retailers and stores that acquire licensing to reproduce Russel Wright's work, like over at Bauer Pottery. Consider these pieces of pottery the next time you need to buy dishware, and experience the beauty and simplicity of Wright's commercial masterpieces.
MORE RUSSEL WRIGHT ON APARTMENT THERAPY:
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• Russel Wright American Modern Line Reissued
• Look! Russel Wright Exhibit at SFO
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Not wild about his furniture designs (too clunky looking) but these are nice.
love RW's pottery and use the serving pieces frequently. i found them on ebay.com.
I think Eva Zweisel pre-dated him, didn't she? I like the shapes, but what food looks appealing on that coral color?
My childhood china was the above style in gray. Only the salt an pepper shakers remain from that set but I've managed to accumulate a lot more from tag sales and vintage stores.
It still looks perfectly modern to me.
I have a small collection that I use everyday. Love his stuff. I have always wanted the pitcher. Nice find!!
I started my sizable collection with a pretty complete set score at a local flea market (@ $75!). A few more partial sets were found at local antique malls and bit and pieces were found at thrift stores. Like winifredbee above, I'm still missing a tall pitcher. I guess it's the most "iconic" piece and is always priced at about $75 - $85 around here. I gotta have a barigain! For those looking for a more affordable Russel Wright collection, skip the Stubenville pieces and look for the Iroquois Casual China items. Iroquois items have (IMHO) a few advantages over the Stubenville. First, it's generally less expensive. Second, it's less delicate an more durable. Lastly, it mixes well with the Stubenville so you can combine the two later.
Mr. Modtomic
I have a thrift-store-acquired set of dishes, too, and I love them. They're my everyday dishes.
RW's beautiful home, Manitoga, is an easy day trip from New York City. http://www.russelwrightcenter.org/redesign/home.html
Eva Zweisel should be considered a "contemporary" of Wright's, but truth be told, Russel Wight was selling china long before Eva immigrated to the US and began her career here.
oops -- should read Eva Zeisel -- that's the correct spelling.
I love RW and have some beautiful serving bowls that we use almost every day. I'd love one of his tall coffee pots but like the pitchers are usually too expensive. Sigh. One day...
thanks Mr. Modtomic - I had some thrifted RW that chipped like crazy, but i had always heard that some was more sturdy than others.
Love American Modern.....it's a more refined, more elegant alternative to the brash Fiesta Ware that so many people associate with the depression years.
I love both, but they look pretty similar to me, so the cynical part of me wonders, is it more elegant because a single dinner plate at Bauer costs more than an 5-piece place setting of Fiesta?
I can't really get behind that coral colour, at all, but they're cute in the other colours. And I like the Bauer grill plates more than I probably should.
Where do I find Russel Wright (American Modern) in Berlin or London?