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Kensington Dover bread tray
 This vintage Kensington bread tray is Lurelle Guild’s Dover design #7155 and dates to ca. 1935. Charles Martin Hall, a chemist, and Alfred Hunt, a metallurgist, founded the Pittsburgh Reduction Company in 1888, changing its name to the Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa) in 1907. Alcoa introduced their Kensington Ware line at the Chicago Gift Show in July, 1934. Designed by famed modernist designer Lurelle Guild (1898-1986) in the Art Deco style, Kensington giftware was made of an aluminum alloy that was whiter in color than pure aluminum. Guild also designed a new showroom in New York’s RCA Building where the Kensington line was introduced to New Yorkers in August of 1934. He continued as Alcoa’s chief designer throughout the '30s and '40s. Kensington giftware, manufactured in New Kensington, PA, was discontinued after WWII, although other sources say it was produced until 1970. Guild’s work, including his classic '50s streamlined Electrolux vacuum cleaner – my folks had one of the first ones! – can be found today in the Brooklyn Museum’s Luce Center for American Art. Our lovely bread tray measures 13-1/2" across at its pineapple motif handles x 6" x 1-1/4" high. Bottom is marked with the Kensington script and stag head logo. Still very shiny, and only light scratching appropriate to its age. (Click on picture for more images.) Tell a friend.
Price: $65.00 + s/h and insurance
only 1 available
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Spring tulip basket
 Welcome spring with this delightful aluminum tulip basket. Four large tulip and foliage designs grace the fluted sides, stopping just short of the circular ruffled sawtooth rim. The center of the attached arched handle is indented to produce a double row of alternating convex and concave segments. Basket is 6-3/4" in diameter and stands 4-1/2" tall. Unmarked as to maker. We have four of these wonderful little “beat the winter blahs” tulip baskets and price is for each. All are free of dents and dings, their handles are tight and secure, and they show only the minor surface scratching associated with all vintage aluminum pieces. See our companion Summer Sunflowers basket listed immediately below. (Click on picture for more images.) Tell a friend.
Price: $15.00 + s/h
only 1 available
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Summer sunflowers basket
 After the spring tulips come the summer sunflowers, and here they are dancing in a circle around this handled aluminum basket that coordinates well with our tulip basket listed immediately above. This one is larger, being 8-1/2" in diameter and standing 4-5/8" tall, but has the same fluted sides and circular ruffled sawtooth rim. Its attached arched handle features indented diamonds and wavy edges. Unmarked as to maker. Handle is tight and secure. Surface scratching, particularly on the interior bottom, as well as several tiny dents that do not affect usage or even display value except when the basket is completely empty. (Click on picture for more images.) Tell a friend.
Price: $17.00 + s/h
only 1 available
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Large Forman Family floral bowl
 This very attractive 12" diameter bowl looks like a large flower, complete with a wide petal border that produces a scalloped edge. It’s made of heavy aluminum and, not surprisingly, is covered in floral designs. Lovely by itself, but you could also add a glass dish in the 6" diameter center well. (Our divided relish dish fits perfectly!) Stands 1-1/4" tall and marked “Forman Family, Inc.” on the bottom, along with their logo. I haven’t been able to find much information about this company other than the fact that it’s a private company headquartered in Brooklyn, NY that has been in business at least since the 1930s. Apparently they manufacture electric housewares and fans, but I’ve also seen items, such as teapots made by the Hall China Company of East Liverpool, OH, that are marked “produced exclusively for Forman Family, Inc.” I haven’t discovered anything whatsoever about Forman Family aluminum pieces, and since we recently acquired three of them, I’m curious as to whether Forman actually manufactured them or merely sold them under their own name after other companies – who? – had produced them.
** Flash ** Thanks to an email from Warren, I did more research on the Forman Family and we now know the fascinating story of this company! Thanks, Warren!
Our bowl probably dates to the 1950s and is in excellent condition with no dents or dings, and only the light surface scratching always found on mid-century aluminum pieces. (Click on picture for more images.) Tell a friend.
Price: $30.00 + s/h
only 1 available
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Forman Family octagonal floral bowl
 Our second Forman Family aluminum piece is a 9-1/2" diameter bowl that stands 1-5/8" tall. It, too, has all-over floral designs, but is shaped quite differently, having eight curved sides that bend outward at the top to produce a very pleasing wide flat rim with bracket-shaped edges. The interior center well is 3-1/2" in diameter. Bottom is marked “Forman Family, Inc.” and carries their logo. It’s in excellent vintage condition with no dents or dings, and the light surface scratching leads me to assume that it also dates to the 1950s. (Click on picture for more images.) Tell a friend.
Price: $20.00 + s/h
** SOLD **
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Trading Post
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We get many wonderful emails from our Trading Post visitors and thought you might enjoy reading some of them, too. Click here!
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Forman Family pierced aluminum tray
 Our third Forman Family piece is quite unique indeed! It’s a 12-7/8" x 8-3/8" octagonal tray with two large highly detailed flowers in the center that look like chrysanthemums, dahlias, or maybe begonias. Each one has a long stem with many leaves, some of which wrap up onto the wide flat tray border where three smaller blooms are each surrounded by four fanciful cutouts and a lattice design. As if those piercings weren’t unusual enough, then you get to the elaborate flower and double ribbon handle. All of the flower centers are pierced, as are the spaces between the ribbon segments. And to top it all off, the handle folds down a full 90 degrees in either direction! When the handle is fully upright, the piece stands 5-1/2" tall. Tray bottom is marked “Forman Family, Inc.” and carries their logo. It’s in excellent vintage condition with no dents or dings and only minimal scratching. It’s the perfect size for a bread tray, but could also be used in the bathroom to hold small guest towels or toiletries, or on a bedroom dresser to hold perfume bottles. So not only is this tray unique, it’s also quite versatile and oh so pretty! (Click on picture for more images.) Tell a friend.
Price: $40.00 + s/h
** SOLD **
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Coronet Aluminum floral tray
 This gracefully terraced 13-1/2" diameter hammered aluminum serving tray features a large elaborate floral design in the center and a ruffled serrated edge. Stands 1-1/4" tall and bottom is marked “Coronet Aluminum N.Y.”An attractive patina has developed around many of the raised portions of the design that accentuates its details. Light surface scratching, but no dings or dents. A great piece of mid-century aluminum! (Click on picture for more images.) Tell a friend.
Price: $30.00 + s/h
only 1 available
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Set of 6 wild goose coasters
 You’re probably too young to remember Frankie Laine singing “My heart knows what the wild goose knows, and I must go where the wild goose goes...” back in the '50's, but here are a whole flock of wild geese from that era taking off from their rest in the wetlands to continue their journey to parts unknown. Each coaster in this set of six depicts two highly detailed geese, one just starting his ascent from the cattail-filled water to follow his partner already in full flight above. Coasters are 3-1/4" in diameter by a scant 1/4" high and feature raised serrated edges. Unmarked as to maker. All six are in perfect condition without even scratching and look like they’ve never been used. Frankie’s song asked the questions,“Wild goose, brother goose, which is best? A wanderin’ fool or a heart at rest?” Let your imagination soar with these geese as you contemplate the answers. (Click on picture for more images.) Tell a friend.
Price: $25.00 + s/h
only 1 set available
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Hammered aluminum tray
 Here’s an example of the “less is more” school of thought in mid-century aluminum design. No busy floral pattern on this 16-1/2" x 9-1/4" x 3/4" tall tray, just a very pleasing overall hammered texture reminiscent of a honeycomb. Large nicely rolled handles at either end for easy carrying. Unmarked as to maker. No dents or dings, but a small portion of one of the long edges is bent slightly inward. (Click on picture for more images.) Tell a friend.
Price: $18.00 + s/h
only 1 available
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Hexagonal floral bowl
 This very attractive 8-1/8" diameter x 2-1/2" tall bowl has a single large flower at the bottom surrounded by a garland of blossoms and foliage encircling the sides, all leading to a gently curved hexagonal rim with serrated edge. Bottom is marked “Hand Wrought Aluminum.” Excellent vintage condition with very few signs of usage. Approximately 1/3 of the interior is ever so slightly darker in color and we have made no attempt to even out the tone via cleaning or polishing. (Click on picture for more images.) Tell a friend.
Price: $25.00 + s/h
only 1 available
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Hammered aluminum floral bread tray
 This classically shaped 13-1/4" x 6-3/4" x 1-1/4" tall bread tray features a large intricate floral design that sweeps across from one side to the other, bracketed by the two “handle” ends with their hammered honeycomb texture. Unmarked as to maker and in excellent vintage condition with no dents or dings and only very light surface scratching. (Click on picture for more images.) Tell a friend.
Price: $20.00 + s/h
** SOLD **
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Leopard aluminum tray
 This 11-7/8" diameter vintage aluminum tray features a leopard resting on a tree branch and shaded by numerous leaves. Tray rim is rather wavy. Back is marked W.A.M. Both the front and back show the scratching and scuffing characteristic of these vintage aluminum pieces. (Click on picture for more images.) Tell a friend.
Price: $10.00 + s/h
only 1 available
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Mountain landscape aluminum tray
 This 11-3/8" diameter vintage aluminum tray features two landscape designs with an oriental feel. The upper left design is hills and trees, and the bottom right design is a building with elaborate steeple nestled in a woods on the side of a mountain. A flock of birds flies between the two scenes. Upturned tray rim has alternating segments of serrated and non-serrated edges. Unmarked back. Both the front and back show the scratching and scuffing characteristic of these vintage aluminum pieces. (Click on picture for more images.) Tell a friend.
Price: $10.00 + s/h
only 1 available
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