Collecting Vintage Kitchen Enamelware, Graniteware, Agateware, Porcelain Ware and Speckleware
Whether farmhouse décor, Shabby Chic, the country look, even French country and Adirondack designs, they all can and do host items like white jugs with blue trim or laundry tubs with a red rim. Reminiscent of a simpler time, the turn of the century vintage enamelware produced enmass is still used and collected today. The latter part of the 1800’s ushered in the machine age and all of its mass produced wares. For better or for worse the world could acquire quickly made products at ridiculously low prices. One room of the house greatly affected by the Industrial Revolution’s machinery was the kitchen. Utensils and tools were being produced to meet the needs of the over-worked housewife and even house servant. Enamelware, the first mass-produced Technicolor kitchenware, appeared in our American stores, followed by its availability nationwide inside of every popular mail-order catalog. Enamelware continued its popularity well into the 1930s and is now a very sought after collectible in its vintage form.
Enamelware was much lighter-weight than the kitchenware of the Victorian era. It cleaned up easily, and was durable, as well as decorative. This metal kitchenware came in designer colors such blue, red, purple, brown, green, and pink, plus gray and white. The patterns offered were as varied as the colors with swirls, mottles, speckles, shades, and solids. There were even signature designs that looked like chicken wire, checkerboards, and pickle relish. A term known among collectors is “end of day.” End of Day patterns were made with a mix of leftover glazes, creating various hues and designs. These are highly valued among collectors of metalware and kitchen collectibles.
From biscuit cutters to baking tins and ladles enamelware was stamped from thin sheets of iron, steel, or aluminum. After the shape was stamped out the metal was then coated with enamel. The fusion of enamel to metal then occurred at high temperatures inside a very hot oven. The product came to be known by many names and was crafted by several manufacturers. Companies like the St. Louis Stamping Co. called it Granite Iron Ware. Lalance and Grosjean created the name Agate Iron Ware. This was later shortened to agateware and graniteware. These became popular generics for enamelware as well as porcelain ware and speckleware.
World War II saw a need for resources like scrap metal and the subsequent scrap-metal drives made the once-plentiful kitchenware rarer. Reproductions abound in the field but real vintage ladles, soap dishes, turkey platters, coffeepots, jugs, strainers, jelly moulds, measuring jugs, milk jugs, bread boxes, sauce pans, laundry tubs, chamber pots, garbage cans, canisters and trays are what true collectors covet for their kitchen and home decorating schemes. Solid wood Amish tables, hutches and shelves make the perfect showcase to display and use vintage enamelware in any color, or pattern.
Tags: agateware, amish solid wood furniture, Enamelware, graniteware, porcelain ware, speckleware, vintage enamelware