Gay Fad Studio

by Dr. Donna McGrady, Lancaster, Ohio

Have you ever wondered why you can find Fire-King kitchen items decorated with "Fruits" or "Peach Blossom" and then find the same decorations on Federal's milk white kitchen glassware? If so, Peaches bowlthe answer is because Gay Fad Studios (1945-1963) bought blanks from several companies which they used for hand decorating. Hazel Atlas was probably the supplier of choice for many of the blanks used by Gay Fad. Hazel Atlas' trademark, H over A, on many of Gay Fad's artistic creations have caused some collectors to attribute the hand painted glass to Hazel Atlas. Another confusion is caused by Gay Fad's usage of Federal's 32 ounce Star pitcher for many of their juice sets.

Zombie glasses and cocktail items were purchased from Libby for the hand decorated bar ware. West Virginia Specialty Glass supplied elegant glass blanks for cosmetic sets, vases, pitchers and tumblers. McKee Glass furnished the milk glass beaded edge bowl and cups for a Tom and Jerry set.

Fran Taylor, Pres dent of Gay Fad Studios, renamed the Hazel Atlas crystal "Simplicity" blank "Fantasia." Decorations found on Fantasia luncheon or tea and toast (with cup indent) are Hawaiian Flowers, Ivy, Magnolia, Rooster, Currier and Ives, Cattails, Pheasants, Country Modern, Gay Nineties, Rosemaling (tulips) and Viking.

For those who like the fruits decoration found on Fire-King, there's the Federal Batter Bowl and Hazel Atlas scalloped edge milk glass plates and a larger HA dinner plate. Fruits is found on salad sets, large bowls and small bowls, cruets in two styles and salt & pepper sets. There's a;so a beverage set consisting of an 85 ounce pitcher and six tumblers.

The Peach Blossom decoration can be found on the above named pieces as well as a waffle set consisting of a 48 ounce batter jug and 11½ ounce jug, both marked HA.

Anchor Hocking's crystal ball pitchers were frosted and decorated with at least two different flowers, as well as the apple found on ivory Fire King. Gay Fad decorated crystal casserole lids with Ivy, orange and brown leaves and abstract designs incorporating gold, often signed Fruits bowlsGay Fad. The plain casserole with decorated lid can be found in a basket or block wire form frame.

The most telling characteristics of Gay Fad frosted pieces is the smooth "nylon" feel of the frosting and the tumblers which are frosted on the bottom. The frosting was done at the Studios by dipping the glass into a mixture of hydrofluoric acid and water. Gay Fad prided itself on this process as well as its exclusive process for fusing color to the glass. This required heating the glass with its hand decorating to a fusing temperature of 1100 degrees.

Fran Taylor moved her company from Detroit to Lancaster, Ohio in 1945 to be nearer the glass companies which supplied the blanks for decorating. Hazel Atlas had two plants in Zanesville, 40 miles away, Federal was in Columbus, 35 miles from Lancaster, and Anchor Hocking's #1 plant was just down Pierce Avenue from Gay Fad Studios.

Gay Fad can be found in all parts of the country, due to an extensive distribution system that included salesmen in Cuba and Hawaii and a showroom on New York's Fifth Avenue. In the early fifties, Fran Taylor was featured In an article "From Rags to Riches" when sales totaled over a million dollars.

Gay Fad produced many lines of bar ware, a large number of waffle sets,souvenir glasses and humorous "Say When" 4 ounce glasses. "Go-along" decorated glasses from the fifties can be found to coordinate with California's dinnerware, Metlox's Ivy, Provincial Rooster and Country Modern, Vernon Kilns' Plaids and Brown-eyed Susan, and Franciscan's Starburst. All have Gay Fad companion pieces. Royal China's blue and white Currier & Ives, Colonial Homestead and Bucks County also have Gay Fad "go-alongs." The blue and yellow leaf with white flower found on Fire-King is a "go-along" for a Salem China pattern.

In 1951, Fran Taylor was quoted as saying "Gay Fad will never become a mass production firm." She and her staff which included her husband, Bruce as general manager and Wilhemena Butcher as design director believed in the principle "there's an art first and business second." Fran went on to say "every Gay Fad will continue to be an original creation; every piece will continue to be individually decorated by hand, For each one contributes to the Gay Fad idea that living can be more pleasant if utilitarian every day objects are given a charm and beauty of their own."

In eighteen short years, this multi-talented woman and her employees left a legacy that not only beautified homes of the 40s, 50s and 60s, but also contributes charm and beauty to the homes of Gay Fad collectors today. The creativity and business sense of Fran Taylor in the 50s made an outstanding contribution to the world of hand decorated glass. It is only in the past few years that this unique contribution has been recognized and celebrated by collectors.

Editors Note: It is a tremendous honor to have Dr. McGrady submit this article at my request. She is an extraordinary lady, who was featured on "Home Matters" on the Discovery Channel, periodically from October 1997 - December 1998. Her knowledge of Gay Fad is commensurate with her immense collection of Gay Fad hand decorated glassware.

Webmaster's Note: This article was taken from the publication "Glass and More, May 1999" with permission from the publisher, Dr. Leonette Walls.